Material name: Color Tablets – Montessori Color Tablets
Area: Sensorial (Visual Sense)
Purpose & developmental benefits:
The Color Tablets help children recognize, distinguish, and remember colors through hands-on activities such as matching, sorting, and arranging by gradation. This material supports the development of refined visual discrimination, careful observation, and the natural, accurate acquisition of color vocabulary.
Skills children develop:
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Recognize and name basic colors
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Match identical colors
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Distinguish and arrange color shades from dark → light or light → dark
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Refine visual perception, concentration, and visual memory
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Develop fine motor skills through gentle three-finger grasp
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Expand vocabulary related to colors and shades
Recommended age: 3–6 years old
Typical progression:
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Box 1: Matching three basic colors (red, blue, yellow)
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Box 2: Matching a wider range of colors
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Box 3: Arranging gradations of each color from darkest to lightest
Materials & components:
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Color Tablets Box 1: Pairs of basic colors
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Color Tablets Box 2: Expanded range of colors and shades
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Color Tablets Box 3: Multiple gradations from dark to light
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Wooden frames with smooth, child-safe rounded edges
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Rectangular tablets sized for a child’s hand
Each tablet has a colored center with a surrounding frame or border for holding, preventing direct contact with the color surface.
The standardized, consistent colors support natural control of error during matching and gradation work.
Use in the classroom / at home:
Used in the Sensorial area on a mat or table. The adult introduces the material progressively from Box 1 to Box 2 to Box 3—beginning with matching activities and later moving on to shade gradation. Extensions may include “color hunts” in the environment (classroom or home), matching color cards with objects of the same color, or integrating with art activities (choosing shades for drawing or painting). At home, place the color boxes on a low shelf in an area with good natural light so children can perceive colors most accurately.
