Color is one of the foundational components of art making. It helps children talk about their art, as well as explore more uniquely, since they can eventually learn to create any hue imaginable. That’s why I want to take the time to talk about the importance of giving students the opportunity to experiment with color—however, it’s important to start simply. When you’re doing a Montessori color mixing activity with your students, you should start off by giving them fewer color choices when they first begin to explore different color pigments.
One of the main reasons I like to isolate colors is because it gives children the opportunity to observe different color values, such as light, medium, and dark. In my experience when you give kids a full palette of color choices or introduce several colors at one time, their senses will pick up on all the different colors available to them and they’ll get so excited to use them all, that they won’t spend enough time observing each hue and their values separately.
I give more details about color play in my book, Kids Color Theory, and explain how color play is actually a form of scientific exploration that allows children to witness hands-on. That’s because color theory, in general, is all about exploration, observation, and experimentation.
Working this way—through experimentation—is a great way to introduce the elements and principles of design to children.
When children have the chance to work with fewer colors, they have deeper reflective thoughts and are able to form an essential understanding of spatial awareness in art. By experiencing a single color at a time through specially set up Montessori color mixing activities, children will notice different degrees of hues with a sharper eye and even learn to appreciate and be more selective with colors as they progress in their art literacy. It helps them develop a more aesthetic eye for color choices in their designs and artworks. Children will naturally develop color harmony in their artworks.
Where to Start: Set Up a Montessori Color Mixing Activity
Watercolor Play is a simple, natural, and exciting way for students to start exploring color. I’ve laid out the how-to and steps in a previous blog post, you can read that here. It teaches them how color behaves and mixes, which are things all artists need to learn, without getting too technical just yet.
Starting out with one color at a time, and give them the tools and materials (buckets, cups, bowls, paper, sponges, droppers, paintbrushes, etc.) to mix non-toxic, liquid paint. As they add more water to the paint, they’ll be able to see the value change from dark, deep, rich, to lighter and more transparent. This will help them learn valuable color theory concepts.
When I teach brushstrokes for the first time, I also isolate distraction by offering one color to work with at first. This helps students focus on the movements rather than all the color choices.
Once I feel my students have spent a good amount of time discovering primary colors, and cool and warm tones separately, I then offer palettes with more colors options.
One Step Further: Download My Montessori Color Set-up Video
Understanding the actual set up and purpose of color mixing—especially when you’re only using one color at a time—is relatively easy. As a Montessori teacher, I’m sure you’ve noticed that when more options are offered to students, the less focus they become. In this FREE Montessori color set-up activity video download, I show you how to set up a color mixing station for students to get hands-on experience in color tones and values.
Bonus Activity
Here’s another fun tip: I love placing out different natural elements so students can see different color tones in nature. For example, slices of lemon show the different color value of yellow, and a handful of leaves will show how vibrant and varied the color green can be. Natural elements like flowers, leaves, seeds, berries, and fruits are perfect for children to understand where pigments, tones, and hues derive.
A Short Cut Just for You
I explore the importance and how-to of color theory in my book, Kids Color Theory. I share the reasons kids should be able to identify primary pigments and secondary color, as well as how to create art and color mixing Montessori environments to allow kids to thrive as little artists. Plus, I even give you 11 color-mixing lessons to make your life so much easier! You can purchase the book here.
Of course, understanding the principles of color theory is just the first part; to be able to share that knowledge with your students involves creating fun, exciting, and effective art activities. My book includes 11 art lessons, but I’ve created an entire curriculum that revolves around this essential art concept. Kids Color Theory Practice & Process Curriculum has more than three dozen color theory lessons for early childhood, lower elementary, and upper elementary Montessori students. And every lesson is laid out, step-by-step, so all you have to do is read up and follow the instructions! To purchase Color Theory Curriculum for your classroom, click here.
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