Summer themes can be used at the beginning or the end of the school year depending on where you live. Down south, we use can easily use summer themes at either part of the school year. And I have actually done both with my preschool classes. It is great to be able to focus on different skills while assessing preschool knowledge while using fun and engaging learning activities. Our summer color by code set (which includes the back to school theme too!) helps preschoolers and kindergarteners practice letter, number, shape, and color recognition while working on visual discrimination, direction following, and fine motor skills!
Summer Color By Code Set
The summer coloring set include 11 pages of summer themed and back to school themed pages. On each page is a code to color by that includes 4-6 colors.
The themes in the color by code set:
- ice cream
- lemonade
- camping
- ocean
- coconut tree
- crayons
- glue
There is one skill that is focused on each page. On the ice cream page, the coloring code is all about shapes and shape recognition. Each shape will be colored a different color. For example, the areas with circles will all be colored pink and the areas with hearts will be colored brown (see photo above).
With some of the themes, 2 levels of skill are included, so there are 2 pages of that same theme. One of the glue pages has uppercase letters in the coloring code, and the other page uses only lowercase letters in the code. Both have the same colors and the same picture, but these can be used with preschoolers who may be at different learning levels.
How to Color By Code With Preschoolers
Color by code pages can seem super overwhelming when it comes to preschoolers. But there are many steps that the activity can be broken down into so that your preschoolers are set up for success!
The first time a color by code page is introduced, the steps can easily be modeled to show needs to happen before coloring begins.
It always seems best to keep things simple when working with preschoolers. Because of this, I would only offer the colored crayons needed for the specific page. For the crayons page, you will need yellow, red, blue, green, purple, and orange. Pull those colors out and lay them on a tray.
If adding this to a small group table or center, add multiple crayons in each color to the table.
Another idea to make the activity go well, is to add a color word list to the table. Write each color word included on the color by code page to a piece of paper. Use the correct color to write each word. So use a red marker to write the word red and a blue marker to write the word blue, etc.
After your preschoolers sit down at the table and write their name on their paper, the first step to complete the summer color by code is to color each color word on the page the correct color. On the crayons page, the 7 is yellow. So some preschoolers will color the color word yellow and some preschoolers will color the 7 yellow.
It may be helpful at first to go through each color word with your preschoolers to double check that they have the colors correct before beginning.
Another strategy that some preschoolers need at first is to go through and color each number, letter, shape, or other symbol in the code the correct color. Then they will go back and color the rest of the page using the correct colors.
In the past, I have had my group of preschoolers at the table go through the code colors one by one together to make sure everyone is ready to color.
There are lots of options when using the summer color by code printables. You can print the ones that will work best for your current group of preschoolers.
Throughout the year, you will see how your preschoolers develop the skills needed to successfully complete the color by code pages. It is also nice to observe preschoolers helping each other when working on the color by code pages.
Some preschoolers hurry through the pages without paying attention to their accuracy when trying to stay within the area or lines. Others will take a lot of time working hard to fill in each inch of the page with color. I think that both ways work and all preschoolers should be encouraged to complete the color by code pages in their best way!
Click to find all the details to print the set ——> SUMMER COLOR BY CODE
