Flashcards: Can be made using the colour blocks from the colour pair game in Berthe et Le Miroir Magique. Go through them a couple of times with the children repeating the words, then hold two up and say one of the colours and ask someone to point to the correct card.
Songs: Always a good way to help children remember vocabulary. It’s also fun to sing and makes you feel good afterwards. My first two suggestions are my favourites and they can all be found on Youtube.
Léon le Caméléon – Tonya Balsdon
Couleurs Arc-en-ciel Alain le Lait
L’Arc-en-ciel Catherine Puyravaud
Games: Use the colour blocks from the colour pairs game in Berthe et Le Miroir Magique to make two or three columns of colours in different orders. Divide the children into two or three teams. The children throw a dice and a counter with blue-tack on the back is moved down their team’s column and someone in the team has to name the colour. If they are right they remain on that colour until their turn to throw the dice again. If they are wrong they go back to where they were before the dice was thrown. The aim is to get to the finishing line at the end of the column first.
I used to stick the colour strips onto the wall so that everyone could see them.
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Play Touchez quelquechose de ……blanc. Two or three teams. Chose one person from each team. They have to touch something of the colour that you say, but not something they are wearing. The touchers should be in a neutral position i.e. one of them shouldn’t be stood next to the wall. The first person to touch something of the correct colour gets a point for their team. ( Check before the game to make sure if anyone is colourblind. If there is someone avoid asking them to touch a colour that they can’t distinguish.) It should also be stressed beforehand that trampling on your fellow classmates is not allowed!
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Colour pairs using the game from Berthe et le Miroir Magique. They have to say the colour word correctly to keep the pair. Cards are turned two at a time and left for a few seconds facing upwards so that everyone can see them and then are left face-down in their original position. Make sure that the colour blocks aren’t reproduced onto thin card. It’s amazing how many children seem to have xray eyes and know the colour before the card has been turned!
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Hide coloured pencils on things around the room. Teams have to say where the pencils are….Le crayon noir est sur la table / la chaise / le livre etc.
Written Exercise :
Use Les Couleurs chart from Berthe et Le Miroir Magique and a dictionary to look up words that you don’t understand. Copy out the following sentences filling in the gaps with either the colour needed or the correct word from the list.
- Le chat est ___________ comme un fantôme.
- Berthe est _______________ comme un cygne.
- Le chat est ______________ comme une prune.
- Berthe est __________________ comme une prune.
- Le chat est jaune comme ____ (un citron / une orange /une fraise)
- Berthe est verte comme ____ ______________ (une rose / une feuille / un chat)
- Le chat est bleu comme _____ _________ ( une pizza / le ciel / une rose)
- Berthe est bleue comme _____ ______________ ( un éléphant / un zèbre / la mer)
Now make up your own four sentences using a dictionary and Les Couleurs page in Berthe et Le Miroir Magique.