How to Teach Colors and Counting with Picture Books
Tales with Mom
June 7, 2026 6 min read
You don't need flashcards or an app to teach a toddler their colors and numbers. You need a lap, a few minutes, and a good picture book. Here's how everyday read-alouds quietly build early concepts, and the small games that make them stick.
Why books beat drills for little kids
Young children learn best inside something they love, not on a worksheet. A story gives colors and numbers a reason to exist: the red ball, the three bears. Repetition (the same favorite book, again and again) does the rest, wiring the concept in without a single quiz.
First, a mindset that makes it work
Before any activity, the approach matters more than the method. Keep these in mind and almost anything works:
- Follow, do not quiz. Comment on what your child notices instead of testing them.
- Keep it short. Two or three minutes of fun beats ten minutes of pressure.
- Celebrate the try, not just the right answer.
- Let mistakes ride. Calling a green car blue today is part of learning.
Teaching colors
Pick a book with big, bold color (our How Do Dinosaurs Learn Colors? read-aloud is built for it) and try these:
- Name and point: say the color, point to it, then pause so your toddler can chime in.
- Color of the day: choose one color and hunt for it everywhere you go.
- Sort and snack: group fruit or blocks by color before play or a snack.
Teaching counting
Counting clicks when kids touch what they count. With a counting book like our Dinosaur Number Learning Game, try:
- Touch as you count: tap each object so numbers match real things, not just a sing-song.
- Count everyday stuff: stairs, grapes, buttons, goodnight hugs.
- Stop and ask “how many now?” before turning the page.
Make it a daily habit
Tie a learning read-aloud to a daily anchor, like after lunch or before nap, so it happens without a battle. For more giant-sized practice, browse the best dinosaur books for preschoolers, or join the newsletter for a new read-aloud and printable each week.
