As primary teachers, we’re always looking for things to add to our “bag of tricks” in the classroom. You know what I mean, those never-fail, all-star activities that are easy to implement and make learning fun! Having some of these in your back pocket can save the day over and over again! Today, I’m sharing some tips for using the MVP of classroom activities . . . Here’s 5 reasons to use Color by Code in your classroom!
What is Color by Code?
First things first, what is Color by Code? If you know me, you might already know that I absolutely love using Color by Code pages in the classroom. These low-prep, engaging worksheets are designed to target specific skills through a fun coloring activity. The way these work is simple:
- Students will read the color code on each page.
- Search the picture for each skill on the list.
- Color each box in accordance with the code.
- Reveal a fun picture when complete!
Students will keep searching and coloring until their page is complete and a fun picture is revealed. These are far more engaging than your typical worksheets and offer a wide range of benefits. If you’re looking for a go-to activity to keep on hand, let me share these 5 reasons why you might want to use Color by Code to fill this need!
1. Color by Code is Highly Versatile
First up, my absolute favorite thing about Color by Code pages – the versatility! This is what makes them such a game-changer, in my opinion. You might be thinking that with Color by Code pages, you’ll only be able to target one skill. This couldn’t be further from the truth!
My Color by Code pages are designed to target skills practice such as letter identification, number recognition, number sense skills, and sight words. Each of the different themed pages you can find in my store comes with pre-made options that target these basic skills. This allows you to easily choose what your students need to focus on.
But the versatility doesn’t end here! All of my Color by Code Pages are also EDITABLE too! Yes, really! What this means is that you can completely customize each one. If you’re working on specific spelling words, phonics skills, or math facts, you can create practice activities aligned to exactly what you’re working on. And don’t worry – editing is easy with these pages! I’ve included detailed instructions in each resource and two different options for editing (Adobe and PowerPoint), so this process will be smooth and simple. Editable options are also great because it will also allow for easy differentiation when you have students working at a variety of skill levels. To learn more about that, make sure to read Differentiation Made Easy With Color By Code next!
2. Color by Code Activities are FUN!
Part of creating an engaging learning environment is focusing on fun! We know that boring activities won’t hold much weight in our classrooms. Color by Code activities are a great solution if you’re in need of a FUN way to practice specific skills. We all know that traditional practice methods such as flashcards lose their appeal pretty quickly. By contrast, color by code activities will boost engagement easily and have students asking for more!
These pages were designed with primary learners in mind. Students love searching their picture for each item on the code and revealing a fun picture. With many different themes and topics to choose from, they’re always excited to see which picture they’ll be working on each day. I’ve even included a fun and corny joke on each page, which is always a hit with the primary crowd. All in all, there’s no coaxing them to participate in this one; it’s an easy sell!
I also find that these activities are very calming for the classroom. I often use them as a transition activity from recess or lunch before we start a group lesson. It gives everyone a minute to cool off, refocus, and relax a little. Bonus points if you turn on some claiming music while students color as well!
3. Color by Code Promotes Independence
Are you fostering independence in your students? Me too! I think we can all agree that this is something our kiddos work on all year long. On day one, our students need a little more hand-holding, but each day we’re able to loosen the reins a little more and allow them to work more independently. A primary teacher’s dream is when your students learn to stay actively engaged in their assignments all on their own! This is another reason that I find color by code activities to be so helpful!
These pages follow the same format each time. This means that once students understand the process of completing the pages, they are able to use them independently. You’ll need to walk your kids through the process of completing the pages a time or two. But after that, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how kid-friendly they are and how quickly your students catch on!
I find this particular benefit to be so helpful because it means my kids can use them in a variety of ways. The pages are great for center time, morning work, fast finishers, and even homework. I also keep a stack on hand in the emergency sub plans! The options are endless since my kids know exactly how to complete the activity all on their own.
4. Helps to Fill the Gaps
Speaking of endless options, here’s another reason I love color by code so much! These activities help fill the gaps in my lesson plan. What I mean by this is that when I keep a stack of them on hand, I can pull them out whenever we have a few unexpected free moments in the classroom. No matter how detailed or careful my planning is, this is an inevitable occurrence. Rather than scrambling when the moment pops up, Color by Code saves my sanity! Here are some of the ways I use them to fill gaps in our day:
- a follow-up activity for small groups
- a fast finisher activity for students to complete independently
- easy, low-stress sub activities
- a quick activity to add to our center time
- an easy option for students to work on if they come back early from specials such as computers, library, art, etc.
Because they are so handy, I like to print a bunch of extras and keep them in file folders in my desk. I use multiple folders to sort by skill level, topic, and theme. This makes them super convenient to pull out when the moment arises and allows me to ensure everyone gets a page aligned to their skill level.
5. Can Be Used All Year Long
Finally, one of my favorite reasons for using Color by Code is because they can be incorporated all year long! Since they are editable, as we chatted about in reason number one, this means they grow with my students! As they improve in skill, I can easily increase the difficulty of their pages. I find this increases the value of these pages, especially since teachers often have limited time and money to invest in new resources. When you have a product that can be switched up over and over, you’ll continue to benefit from the original purchase.
Aside from being able to change up the skill, you’ll also find that my store is jam-packed with Color by Code pages in a huge variety of themes. Whether you’re looking for activities to align with holidays, seasons, or other topics, I’m betting there’s something for you! Being able to switch up the theme of our pages also adds to the fun. My students always look forward to seeing the fun pictures waiting for them in a new set of color by code pages!
Try Color by Code for Free!
Aren’t these benefits awesome?! You can probably see why these are a go-to in our room for effortless skills practice. I know that once you get started with Color by Code activities in your room, you’ll be hooked too. If you’d like to try these out in your room, you’re in luck! I have a few different free options for you to try in my store. These may vary by time of year, but head on over here to see what’s up for grabs right now! I typically have a couple of different holiday or seasonal choices as well as some more general themes to try, so take a peek and find a freebie that looks fun to you!
Oh, and be sure to look and see what skills are featured for each freebie as well. Don’t forget, my pre-made pages come with options for practicing letters, numbers, sight words, and number sense. All of the freebies also include an edible version too! This means you’ll get to test out these editable features we talked about and add specific skills you’re working on in your classroom.
I hope this post was helpful to you and offered some insight as to why Color by Code could be a game-changer in your room. Have fun discovering all the handy ways these engaging worksheets will benefit your students and don’t forget, you can’t find many more great Color by Code resources here!
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