Materials
Paint color strips (from the local paint or hardware store) or a large box of crayons 3" x 5" index cards access to the outdoors or to a nature trail
Instructions
1. This activity focuses on color recognition, alphabet recognition, and word awareness.
2. Beforehand, make alphabet cards by writing a letter (A through Z) on each index card. Make a set for each child.
3. Distribute as many different color strip cards to the children as possible. If you don't have color strips, distribute a box of crayons to each child (look for boxes that have the most creative colors). Try to give each child the same number of cards as well as the same colors. This will eliminate fighting over colors.
4. Give each child a set of alphabet cards.
5. Tell the children that they will be going on a nature safari hike to search for the missing colors that "Color Nappers" have hidden along the trail! It will be their job to find as many of the missing colors as possible. Also, explain that these are not common colors and will be difficult to find.
6. Demonstrate how to locate a missing color. Each child will be looking for a color that is on one of his color cards or one that starts with a letter on his alphabet cards. For example, a child may find a mushroom that matches one of the brownish colors on his brown color card. Or, another child may find a leaf, which starts with the letter "L."7. For more advanced children, ask them to find something that starts with the same letter as its color. For example, a child might come across something that is "Grape Green" or "Yucky Yellow."8. When a child finds a missing color, ask him to point it out to the entire class.
