Language Activities for Preschoolers: Rainbow Climb

We have a colorful theme for this week’s Playful Preschool Series .  It is time to think Spring and explore rainbows.

This literacy activity is packed with color, language play and a good dose of gross motor exercise!

Rainbow Language Activity

Full Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

Why We Chose This Language Activity

Watching young children discover and expand their vocabulary is one of the most rewarding parts of working with preschoolers.  Using descriptive words (color words, size words, shape words, etc.) in daily conversation is one of the language goals we have for little ones.

My kids are all about rainbows right now.  In fact, they designed about 80% of this game!

Setting Up and Playing

Materials Needed: rainbow rug (We found our rug in the Dollar Spot of Target.  You could also use a paper rainbow.), construction paper (rainbow colors), index cards, markers

1.  Tape the construction paper rectangles together to create a long ladder road.  Let the kids help by cutting the tape to build fine motor skills.

2.  Attach the paper ladder road to the floor to prevent slipping.  Then, place the rainbow rug at one end.

3.  On each index card write a color word.  Use two more index cards to write “small” and “large”.  Also, draw an empty black pot on one index card.

It is time to play!  The goal is to reach the rainbow by naming objects that match color and size cards drawn.

The player chooses a card from the color stack and one of the size cards.  Name an object that is the color drawn and the correct size.  For example, a green card and a big card could be a tree, lawn or a car.  If the answer is correct, the player moves ahead one space.

If an empty pot is drawn, the player moves back to start.  Play continues until the player reaches the rainbow.

Lots of language development in a fun playful preschool activity!

Continue the language development with some of these fun rainbow read-aloud books.
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert is a great book for building vocabulary about things we would find  growing in a garden for each color of the rainbow.

Read A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman and then invite your child to tell you what he would do if he had his own rainbow.

For even more spring resources for preschoolers, grab our Spring Literacy Unit.  It’s four weeks of literacy learning complete with dramatic play printables, circle time songs, and more.—>Get the Spring Preschool Literacy Unit Here.

Keep reading.  Visit the links below for more great rainbow ideas from the #playfulpreschool team!

Rainbow Letter Formation Sticky Wall by Still Playing School

Rainbow Sensory Bin by Tiny Tots Adventures

Inventing Their Own Songs to Encourage Creativity by Capri + 3

Rainbow Domino Game by Rainy Day Mum

Rainbow Patterns with Blocks by Mom Inspired Life

Scented Rainbow Science and Sensory Play by Fun-A-Day

Preschool Engineering with Rainbows by Natural Beach Living

Design a Rainbow Technology Connection by The Educators’ Spin On It

Disappearing Rainbow Colors by Learning to Walk

Creating Salty Rainbows with Preschoolers by Life Over C’s

Rainbow Ice and Salt Experiment for Preschool by Powerful Mothering