Toilet Paper Roll Color Sorting Game
Trying to teach children new skills is always easier when you have good visual aids or you can make learning fun by incorporating games into their education. When you can do both at the same time, you know you’re on to a winner. This simple craft makes teaching young children their colors really easy, and it brings them hours of fun at the same time.
Most families go through toilet paper at a pretty good rate, so if you have kids, I’ll always recommend keeping your toilet paper rolls on hand for future craft projects. There are always tons of projects you can use them for.
This crafty game uses a few extra items, but you don’t need to make it exactly the same way I did. I used glue and construction paper because it’s what I always have on hand, but you can just as easily use paint if that’s what you have available.
Similarly, I used wooden discs for this game, but you could just cut your disks out of cardboard instead, and it would work just as well. The idea is to match the colors, so the delivery method isn’t important.
What is important is that you match the color of the discs to the color of the tubes. If you are using construction paper, then make sure you use the same paper for the tube and the discs that go in that tube. If you’re using paint, be sure to use the same paint for the tube and the discs. You don’t want to confuse your child by using two different colors of red or blue.
To make the version below, here’s what you’ll need:
- Construction paper in the 6 rainbow colors
- 1” circle paper punch
- 6 toilet paper rolls
- 10” x 3” piece of cardboard
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Modge podge
- Sponge paint brush
- 12 wooden disks that are 1/1/4”
To begin, use your paper punch to cut out 12 circles, two of each of your six colors. Then, use the Mod Podge to glue the paper circles onto the wooden discs. Set them to the side so they can dry.
Next, cut one sheet of paper of each color big enough to cover your toilet roll. This ends up being somewhere around 3 inches by 4 inches, but there is some variation, so I advise cutting it a little bigger and then trimming afterward.
Glue the paper around each toilet tube so that each one is covered in a different color.
Once all of your tubes are covered, put them in rainbow order, making sure the seams face the back. For reference, the order should be Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Purple. You can go right to left or left to right, as you prefer.
(Obviously the actual rainbow would include indigo and violet, but since these are hard to distinguish in either construction paper or paint, it’s easiest to just stick with Blue and Purple.)
Take your 10 inch by 3 inch piece of cardboard and use your glue gun to cover one side of it with zigzags of glue.
Glue the paper rolls to the cardboard piece with their seams against it, making sure they can all stand up straight and stay together nicely.
To play the game, you’ll want to turn all of your wooden discs down so the colors are not showing. The child(ren) will turn over one disc at a time to reveal the color and place it in the corresponding color tube.
There you have it! A super fun and totally easy craft that takes no time at all to make and will be a firm favorite with your kiddos. It is the perfect way to teach your child their colors, and it helps them with their hand/eye coordination, as well, which is a skill they will need going into preschool and kindergarten.
You could even choose to make more of the wooden discs if you like, as the tubes could hold several more than the two of each color.
To change it up even further, try creating discs with animals, fruits, veggies and other items that fit the color of the tubes, and let the child learn to associate the items with their colors.
You can also number the tubes and/or add letters to them and create discs that have numbers and letters, as well. Your options are limited only by your imagination.
Rainbow Color Sorting Game
This rainbow color sorting game is perfect for toddlers to learn their colors and practice hand and eye coordination skills to get them ready for preschool.
Materials
- construction paper in rainbow colors
- 6 toilet paper rolls
- 10" x 3" piece of cardboard
- Mod Podge
- 12 wooden disks that are 1/1/4”
Tools
- 1 inch circle paper punch
- Scissors
- Glue Gun and glue
- Sponge Paint Brush
Instructions
- Use the paper punch to cut out 12 circles, two of each color of the rainbow.
- Use the modge podge and paint brush to secure the paper circles to the centers of the wooden disks. Let these dry.
- Cut pieces of paper in each color of the rainbow to the size that covers your toilet paper tubes. Glue each of the papers over the toilet paper rolls.
- Once all the toilet paper rolls are covered, put them in the order of the rainbow. Make sure that the seams of the paper are all facing the back.
- Use the glue gun to cover one side of the piece of cardboard with lines and zig zags of glue.
- Glue all the toilet paper rolls to the cardboard so that they are lined up stand on the ground.
- Turn the wooden disks upside down so that the colors are not showing.
- Let each child take turns picking up a disk and turning it over. Once they decide which color tube it matches, have them drop the disk into the correct tube. Continue until all the disks are sorted.
- To start again, simply lift the tubes, let the disks fall out the bottom and set up the game again.
Notes
You can make more of the wooden discs if you like, as the tubes could hold several more than the two of each color.
To change it up even further, try creating discs with animals, fruits, veggies and other items that fit the color of the tubes, and let the child learn to associate the items with their colors.
You can also number the tubes and/or add letters to them and create discs that have numbers and letters, as well. Your options are limited only by your imagination.
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Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
