This document provides 5 ideas for teaching colors using apps and mobile devices: 1. Use apps to help students learn the words for colors through interactive games where they paint butterflies or feed monsters. 2. Use the free app Word Carrot to help students learn to spell color words. 3. Have students take photos of objects in a given color and create a color collage using free apps like Photo Wall Lite. 4. Use apps like Color Mix HD to teach students about mixing colors to create new shades. 5. The app Doodlecast for Kids allows students to record their voice as they draw, describing the colors they use.

1. 5 ideas for teaching colours using apps
and mobile devices
Kim Ashmore, Director and Co-Founder, LearnAhead Ltd
© Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

2. 5 ideas for teaching colours using apps and
mobile devices
In this presentation you will find five ideas for
teaching colours – or about colours – using apps and
mobile devices. The ideas are aimed at the efl/esl
young learner classroom, but could be adapted for
other contexts. The five ideas are:
1. Learn words for colours
2. Learn to spell colour words
3. Make a colour collage
4. Learn about mixing colours
5. Draw and record
2 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

3. 1. Learn words for colours
There are many apps out there (especially aimed at
preschoolers) to help children learn colours. Here are
two of the more creative apps, both simple and very
easy to use, appropriate for very young learners. They
are both paid-for apps but this does mean that there is
no advertising or accidental in-app purchasing, making
them suitable for this age group.
App: Paint My Wings App: Colour Monster
Platform: iOS Platform: iOS
Cost: £0.69/$0.99 Cost: £1.49/$1.99
3 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

4. 1. Learn words for colours
App: Paint My Wings
Platform: iOS
Cost: £0.69/$0.99
In this app children paint a butterfly’s wings with their fingers,
using the colours and shapes that they want (and learn about
symmetry at the same time). The butterfly sings and says the
colours as the child (or the teacher) paints. If you have an ipad,
you can use this app with a group of children – ask them to say
(in English) what colours you should use to paint the butterfly.
Pictures are saved so you could also talk about the colours used
for butterflies that you and the children have created.
4 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

5. 1. Learn words for colours
The colour monster is hungry and
wants fruit of a particular colour.
Children select the right coloured
fruit, and drag it to feed the monster.
The app is also available in German,
Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Swedish, Russian, Japanese and
Chinese, so it would be a useful app
to use to compare the words for
App: Colour Monster colours in different languages.
Platform: iOS
Cost: £1.49/$1.99
5 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

6. 2. Learn to spell colour words
App: Word Carrot
Platform: iOS
Cost: Free
Word Carrot helps young learners of any age practise words for 10 colours,
in particular how to spell them. Learners see a colour, hear the word, and
then touch the right letters to spell it. Basic words are free, and there is no
advertising. Teachers could use the app with an ipad connected to an IWB,
or recommend it to parents for outside-school practice. Here is a worksheet
that you can download to use in or outside the classroom to practise
colours:
Colours Worksheet – UK version
Colors Worksheet – US version
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7. 3. Make a colour collage
This is an idea for older learners who might have their own mobile phones and
devices. Individually, or in pairs or groups, ask learners to choose a colour. Give them
some time – either in class or outside class – to take photos of objects of that colour.
Learners then choose 4 or 5 of the best photos, and arrange them as a colour collage
as in this example.
This was made with Photo Wall Lite, a free
easy-to-use app that allows users to make
collages with as many pictures as they like, and
to add text too. Text could be simple words
(‘purple’), the names of the objects, or longer
descriptions depending on the age and level of
the learners. Collages can be stored and saved.
There are several collage apps on the market –
both free and paid-for. It’s probably best to
download a few and see which you like best.
7 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

8. 3. Make a colour collage
Here are two suggestions for apps that you can use to make colour collages:
App: Photo Wall Lite
Platform: iOS
Cost: Free
App: Photo Grid
Platform: Android
Cost: Free
8 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

9. 4. Learn about mixing colours
Here are two apps that will help children learn about mixing colours – which
can be very useful when you are working in a classroom with no art
facilities. If you have a tablet/IWB with a group of children, ask them to
guess which colours will be made (eg by mixing blue and yellow), and then
get them to see if they are right. Children can also learn about shades –
what happens if they mix more blue, or more yellow? These apps are great
for cross-curricular activities.
App: Colour Mix HD
Platform: iOS
Cost: £1.49/$1.99
App: Color Me Mix HD! For kids
Platform: Android
Cost: Free
9 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

10. 5. Draw and record
App: Doodlecast for Kids
Platform: iOS
Cost: £1.49/$1.99
There are many drawing apps on the market, but this one allows the user to
record their voice as they draw. Once finished, you can play back the
drawing and sound file, and share the video too. This app could be a great
way for young learners to practise words for colours in context (“This is a big
green tree…”) as they describe what they are drawing. Or you could use the
playback facility in your lessons – learners could listen to a description
(without seeing the picture) and draw as they listen.
Do you have any more ideas? Share them at:
http://wordcarrot.com/5-ideas-for-teaching-colours-using-apps-and-mobile-devices/
10 © Copyright 2011, LearnAhead