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by Liana Mahoney
Topics: First Grade, Reading, Writing
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Color recognition is an important readiness skill in the early grades.  In first grade, students are ready to make color words an important part of their sight vocabulary.  Since color words appear often in stories, poems, and books, first graders need to be able to read these words quickly and accurately, without taking the time to sound them out.

Here’s a fun game designed to give your first grader fun, colorful practice learning to recognize these words.

What You Need:  

  • a paper lunch bag
  • sheets of white paper, one per player
  • pencils and markers
  • crayons or paints
  • bingo chips, or other small items to use as markers
  • five index cards, cut in half

What You Do:

  1. Draw a 3x3 grid on each paper, so that there are nine squares.  At the top of each paper, write “RAINBOW BINGO.”
  2. Have your child use watercolor paints or crayons to color each square on the paper a different color.  You’ll want to stick to basic colors:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, white, and black.  Repeat the same colors for each playing grid.
  3. Now gather some playing pieces.  Look around your house for small items that represent each color on the playing grid:  a red apple, a yellow magnet, a blue pencil, etc.  Place these items in the lunch bag.
  4. To play, distribute bingo chips to the players.  Without peeking into the bag, the first player reaches in and chooses an item, then shows it to the group and says its color aloud.  All players mark that color on their grids.
  5. Play continues in this manner until someone gets three markers in a row, and shouts "Rainbow Bingo!"
  6. On a second round of play, challenge your first grader to recognize color words.  Assist your child in writing a color word on each of the nine index card pieces.  On the tenth piece, write “FREE CHOICE.”
  7. Place all the cards in the lunch bag, and play Rainbow Bingo as before, choosing a color word this time instead of a colored object.  If a player chooses the card marked Free Choice, everyone may mark the spot of their choice on their cards.