Canvas Colors Craft | Spanish Colors and Shape Craft

Keep your preschool and school aged children busy learning Spanish with this fun color canvas craft. Let them fill their canvas with the shapes and colors and say them in Spanish. Fill your day with creativity and language learning activities.

Three kids under five and sixteen hours in one day. Need I say more?

Life with little ones can be very overwhelming. And if they aren’t busy with the right things, watch out. They are very creative.

In a flash of the eye, the walls are full of prehistoric like drawings, toys are displayed all over the house, and all the three of them are working together quietly on a secret and fearsome project.

One kid can be equally effective.

The mother’s one crippling fearful doubt – will I make it through the day?

You will, either defeated or satisfied that the day went well. My plan was to keep them busy with good things – playing in the park, nap time, reading… But what about the other 8 hours left in the day? They need good things to do.

A great alternative to chaos is to add learning Spanish to your activities. Making crafts, learning new sounds and words, getting more listening skills are all really good for their growth.

Spanish Colors Craft | Spanish Shape and Color

This project allows them to be creative, work their motor skills and develop language skills all at the same time. The idea is to connect colors and shapes to their Spanish names. They will draw out shapes and use colors to fill the canvas.

Draw shapes.

Scribble colors.

The spray exposes the shapes and blends the bright colors. They watch them transform into a watercolor artwork.

Once dry, their colorful boards become their personal color and shape samples. Regularly get the canvases out to talk about the colors and shapes

Materials for the canvas colors craft:

Canvas boards I used the size 4×4 which worked perfectly – not too small or too big. Each of my kids wanted to make several designs with different shapes and colors.

Sharpie Fine Point Markers 12 colors This twelve color set has all the basic colors plus several shades of blue and green.

Rubbing Alcohol Spray This rubbing alcohol comes ready to use in a spray bottle. Since, I had and empty spray bottle on hand, I just poured the rubbing alcohol into it. Saved myself a few bucks:)

I also handed them a set of crayons Crayola Crayons – 24 Pack (2 Sets) and blank paper.

You may want to introduce the colors and shapes with a board book. I recommend any of these books on my Spanish Colors and Shapes Book List.

Step-by-Step Spanish Colors Craft Tutorial

Start with some mess control first. Protect your work area with a cover and your children’s clothing too. Bonus tip: The rubbing alcohol removes sharpie marks.

STEP 1: GIVE KIDS INSTRUCTIONS IN SPANISH

The kids need some basic instructions for handling the materials. Demonstrate each of the instructions with the objects, instead of translating into English. It takes time to adjust to doing this. But it’s a great way to introduce the Spanish language into their day.

Here are some basic instructions to start with – unas reglas esenciales:

Los marcadores solamente marcan el lienzo.

The markers only mark the canvas

Las tapas se quedan en las marcadores.

The lids stay on the markers

Sólo rocía el lienzo con el aerosol.

Only spray the canvas with the spray.

STEP 2: INTRODUCE AND DRAW SHAPES

With a board book introduce a picture of the shapes with their Spanish name. Have them say the word while they trace the shape with their finger.

Then have them choose their favorite shape and draw it on the canvas in any color.

STEP 3: INTRODUCE AND SCRIBBLE COLORS

Just like you did with the shapes, now you will introduce the colors with a book. Point to the color and say it’s Spanish name. Have them say the colors with you.

Then with different color sharpies, fill in the canvas.

STEP 4: SPRAY THE CANVAS

Using the spray bottle, spray rubbing alcohol onto the canvas. The colors will blend. Spray lightly for less color blending or spray heavy for more color blending.

STEP 5: SET OUT TO DRY

It takes an hour or two to dry, depending on how much spray.

Once they are dry, you may want to write their names on their canvas. This is another opportunity to use the letter names and sounds.

Spanish Colors Craft Activity Ideas

Keep the colorful canvases to use for activities to review the new vocabulary. Also, continue to use the new vocabulary throughout the day. Hang them on the wall and let them show off their new Spanish words with friends and family.

Play I Spy – Yo espio

Espio algo (un color)

Spell Your Name – Letrea tu nombre

If you chose to write their names. Teach them the letter names. Have them spell out their name in Spanish.

Show Me… Enseñame

Point to a shape or a color and have them say the Spanish word. Or do the reverse, say the Spanish shape or color and have them point to it.

Read Color and Shape Books

Have a read aloud time with books about color and shape. I have a recommended Spanish Colors and Shapes Booklist.

Draw an Animal

Using basic shapes, turn them into animals with eyes, ears, mouths, tails, feet… Color them in.

Draw a Rainbow or Superheroe

Using all the colors and saying their names, make a drawing.

Mom Efficiency Tip: Dilute the rubbing alcohol to 50% to use it as disinfectant
Mom Sanity Tip: Keep them sharpies out of reach.
Character Building Tip: Generosity and Kindness – Give them as gifts to special people.

With the Spanish colors craft, it is so important to connect saying the Spanish word while using the color or drawing the shape. This is the best way to build new second language brain pathways.

Canvas Colors Craft | Spanish Colors and Shape Craft