MSU Extension Child & Family Development

Ages & Stages

Preschooler A child who is 3 to 5 years of age.

Young child A child who is 0 to 8 years of age.

Minding Our Language

Families come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. A “family” may include people who are related by blood, by marriage, and by choice. “Parents” may be biological, step-, foster, adoptive, legally appointed, or something else. When we use the words “family” and “parent” in these materials, we do so inclusively and with great respect for all adults who care for and work with young people.

Young children need to learn basic concepts like colors and shapes. Being able to point out two or three basic shapes (circle, triangle, and square) and identify primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) is a great start. Learning these concepts signals that children are ready to be introduced to more complex ideas. For example, they know that if something is red, it can’t be blue, and that a circle is round, but a square is not.

Learning about colors and shapes also helps children describe things and increases their vocabulary. All these skills will help them as they learn to read and write. Try some of these ideas to teach your child about colors and shapes:

• Point out the shapes and colors you see every day. Talk about the square door, the rectangular window, the green grass, and the gray road. Tell them that you noticed they used a bright yellow crayon or that the wheels on the truck in the lane next to you at a traffic light are big circles.
• Start small. Focus on simple shapes like circles, squares, and triangles, and on the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow at first. Add other shapes and colors once they know these basics well.
• Trace different shaped objects like orange juice lids or cereal boxes on paper. Talk with your child about the shapes they see and ask them to name other things that are the same shapes.
• Play “I Spy” games. For example, if you’re looking at a green toy tractor, start by saying to your preschooler, “I spy something green.” Have them look around and guess what the object is until they pick out the green toy tractor. Take turns guessing what the other person spies.
• Put together simple jigsaw puzzles as a team. Working on puzzles will help your child learn to match colors, pick out shapes, and figure out how pieces fit into a whole.
• Help your preschooler make a list of the different colors and shapes they see around them. Take a walk outdoors together and list the colors and shapes they tell you about. Do the same in a room in your home. Display the lists on your refrigerator and talk about them with your child.
• Read books together. Point out the different shapes and colors in a story. Ask them to find something that is the same color or shape in the room.
• Play matching games. Get out several different colored socks and ask them to find the matches. Mix up several pairs of shoes in a pile and see if they can find the ones that go together. Use color and shape words as you chat about how they decided which socks and shoes are mates.
• Draw or paint colorful pictures. Talk about each color as your child uses it. Ask them to tell you about other things that they know are the same color.

Find Out More

MSU Extension provides the following resources for parents and caregivers of preschoolers and young children at no or low cost. Be sure to check out these and other MSU Extension resources available at www.extension.msu.edu.

Extension Extras (https://bit.ly/2LC2vdX) – These compilations of news articles, activities, parenting tips and advice are published online Monday through Friday. The resources are designed for parents and caregivers of young children who are home all day during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Each day has a theme: Mindful Mondays, Tips on Tuesday, Working Wednesdays, Thinking Thursday, and Fun Fridays.

Extension Extras Enrichment Kits (https://bit.ly/35QAplQ) – These kits feature five or six early childhood activities with learning goals focused in areas such as social and emotional health, literacy, and STEM; a supply list; suggested children’s books; introduction letters explaining how to use the materials; and an evaluation. The kits are available as free downloads.

Early Childhood Videos (https://bit.ly/3ioyEkS) – These short videos offer parents and caregivers of young children information on parenting topics. Titles include “Perspective Taking,” “Family Movies,” “Goals of Misbehavior,” “Using Thinking and Feeling Words,” “The Waiting Game,” and “When Siblings Fight.”

Building Early Emotional Skills (BEES) in Young Children (https://bit.ly/38XW4KI) – This page provides links to a variety of free online parenting courses, workshops, and events offered by MSU Extension for parents and caregivers of young children aged 0 to 3.

Parenting the Preschooler: Social Competence and Emotional Well-Being © 2021 Michigan State University Board of Trustees. The fact sheets in this series may be copied for purposes of 4-H and other nonprofit educational programs and for individual use with credit to Michigan State University Extension.