Light Table Color Sorting Activities

Sorting and grouping things is an important cognitive skill. It teaches students to observe similarities and differences and to group items by different aspects, essential for early literacy and math skills. Providing many opportunities for sorting practice is critical. Finding fun ways to make a light table color sorting activity brings students back to practicing the skill repeatedly!

Craft, party, and dollar stores offer many options for colorful little pieces to use on the light table. Here are some easy light table color sorting ideas!

Swizzle Sticks

Gather some swizzle sticks from the local party store or online and put out some matching colored cups. Watch the fun as the students sort the sticks by color with this light table color sorting activity. As a bonus, these sticks can also be used for light table shapes, at the play dough table, and for various other uses.

Ice Cube Trays and Pom Poms

Place colorful silicone ice trays with matching colored pom-poms for an appealing color sorting activity and a great fine motor opportunity. Children can use plastic tongs to pick up the pom-poms or simply use their fingers. The ice cube trays also provide an excellent framework for learning grouping!

Flat Marbles and Jewels

Sorting at the light table will be glittery magic with these gems and flat marbles. Here’s what to gather:

• Multiple colors of flat marbles or gems (often called “vase filler” and found in the floral section)
• A tray or bowl to contain everything initially
• Little cups or scoops, even spoons, will work!
• Small containers for sorting the pieces

Lay out a tray of these beautiful pieces on the light table. The students use the tiny cups to scoop up the pieces. Next, they sort the pieces by color. This skill, classification, is vital as a child must be able to classify objects into a group as a prerequisite skill for more complex number skills. Essentially, students need to know what they are counting – is it squares? Red squares? Or circles and squares? – before they are actually able to count the groups!

Vertical Color Stacking

Eye-catching colors attract students to the light table with this vertical stacking activity. Sorting poles and plastic shapes in various shapes and colors are sure to give little fingers a workout. It takes sorting and puts it on a different axis!

Find even more ways to play and learn with colors with the Color Circle time unit and Crayon Color Sort Bulletin Board.

Citrus Sorting

Reusable ice cubes look amazing on the light table! They are inexpensive and available at Walmart, the dollar store, and home goods stores. These little plastic ice cube pieces are shaped like citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, and limes. Add the matching color words, 3 sorting containers, some tongs, and maybe even an adorable string of party lights for a literacy-rich, engaging sorting activity.

Pastel Link Sorting

Always be on the lookout for transparent toys and materials that will look great on the light table! These were a “design your own necklace” pack of pastel links at the dollar tree. Pair them with a 3-section chip tray. Attach tissue paper on the bottom to support younger students. They can sort the colors and shapes, and also make patterns by linking them together.