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Mixing Colours Painting Chart: Free Printable Worksheet for Ages 2 to 4

  • ForAges 2 to 4
  • StageEarly Years
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Mixing Colours Painting Chart is a free printable painting activity for children aged 2 to 4 in Early Years. Children mix two paint colours, paint what they make and notice how the colours change. It is screen free, it needs only paint, paper and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children work through a chart of colour pairs, such as red and yellow, blue and yellow, red and blue, and red and white. For each pair they mix the two paints, paint the new colour on the sheet and talk about what they see. There are boxes for drawing or notes, so a grown-up can write down what the child says.

  • Red and yellow
  • Blue and yellow
  • Red and blue
  • Red and white

How to set up the painting

Get the paints ready

You need red, yellow, blue and white paint. Put a small amount of each on a plate or palette. Small amounts are easier for little hands and waste less paint.

Cover the table

Paint spreads quickly. Put down newspaper or a wipeable cloth and use an apron or an old shirt. Keep a damp cloth close by.

Mix together

A grown-up helps with the mixing. Your child can swirl the two colours with a brush or a lolly stick, then paint the new colour in the box.

Talk as you go

Ask your child to guess first. Then look at what happened. Write their words in the note boxes, even if they are very short.

Why mixing paint suits young children

Children aged 2 to 4 learn best by doing. Mixing paint lets them change something with their own hands and see the result at once. A colour starts as one thing and becomes another. That is a clear, memorable way to notice that materials can change.

The activity also builds early talk. Children learn colour names, words like mix, dark and light, and phrases such as I think it will be. Guessing before mixing is useful because it gives them a reason to look closely. There is no need to get the guess right. Noticing the surprise is the learning.

Use washable, non toxic paint made for children. Stay with your child throughout, as young children may put brushes, hands or paint near their mouths. A grown-up helps with the mixing and clears up afterwards. Wash hands when you finish.

Colour facts to share

  • In art, red, yellow and blue are often called the primary colours.
  • Artists often mix their paints on a flat tray called a palette.
  • Paint is made from coloured powder called pigment mixed with a liquid.
  • Mixing paint is not the same as mixing coloured light, so a paint box and a torch behave differently.
  • If you keep adding more and more colours to a mix, paint often ends up looking dull.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Colour mixing
  • Predicting
  • Painting
  • Colour names
  • Careful looking
  • Talking about change

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
Early Years Foundation Stage Understanding the World The Natural World Early Years

What children will be able to do

  • I can mix two paint colours together.
  • I can say what colour I made.
  • I can see that colours change when they mix.

Ideas to help you guide the activity

  • Guess firstAsk your child to say what they think will happen before you mix. A guess can be a word, a point or a wave. It makes them look more closely afterwards.
  • Use simple wordsSay mix, swirl, stir, light and dark. Repeating the same few words helps young children pick them up.
  • Mix a little at a timeAdd a small amount of one colour to the other. Children can see the change happen slowly.
  • Let them leadIf your child wants to keep mixing, or paint something else, follow their interest. The chart can wait.

Key words

  • MixPut two things together so they blend into one.
  • PredictSay what you think will happen before it happens.
  • Primary coloursRed, yellow and blue. Artists often use them as starting colours for mixing.
  • PaletteA tray or plate where an artist keeps and mixes paint.
  • Light and darkWords for how pale or deep a colour looks.
  • ChangeWhen something looks different from before.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Set out red, yellow, blue and white paint, paper and a pencil. A grown-up helps with the mixing.
  3. Look at the first pair on the chart together. Ask your child to guess what colour the mix will make.
  4. Mix the two paints, paint the new colour in the box and talk about what you see. Write down any words your child says.
  5. Check with the answers on page 2, then come back another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Let your child guess first, and accept any guess. Mix only a small blob of each colour so the change is easy to see. Do one pair at a time and stop when your child loses interest. Come back to the others later.

To stretch confident children

Try mixing three colours and see what happens. Ask your child to guess first. Then try adding a little more of one colour and notice how the mix changes. Paint each new colour on a spare sheet and name them together.

Make it a game

Name the new colours together. Take turns to pick two paints and keep the pair secret from the other player. The other player guesses what you will make, then you mix and see who was right. Give the new colour a name.

Talk about it

  • What colour did you make when you mixed these two?
  • What do you think will happen if we add more blue?
  • Which colour mix surprised you most?
  • Is your new colour light or dark?
  • Can you find something in the room that is the same colour as your mix?
  • What would you like to mix next?

Take it off the page

Colour hunt

Choose a colour and walk around the house or garden to find things that match. Then pick a second colour and talk about what you might make if you mixed the two.

Squish playdough

Use ready made playdough in two colours. Squash and fold them together and watch the colours blend. A grown-up should check the dough is safe for your child.

Paint in a bag

Put a small blob of two paints in a sealed freezer bag and tape it to a window. Your child squeezes the bag to mix the colours without touching the paint.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child and let them lead. Do the first pair together. Keep sessions short and stop while it is still fun. Write down what your child says in the note boxes, then keep the painting.

Teachers

Use it as a table activity, a small group task or part of a colour topic in Early Years. It needs only paint and printing. Page 2 gives help and stretch ideas, so adults can support children at different stages.

Home educators

Pair it with a picture book about colour, a walk to spot colours outdoors or a playdough session. Use the sheet again with younger or older brothers and sisters, who can try the stretch idea.

Where this fits in learning

Before this sheet, children usually play freely with paint, learn to name basic colours and explore how materials feel. Sorting objects by colour is a good early step too.

After this sheet, children can explore light and dark shades, look at how other materials change when they are mixed, and begin to talk about what they notice and why. These are the first steps in Understanding the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. What colour did you make when you mixed these two?
  2. What do you think will happen if we add more blue?
  3. Which colour mix surprised you most?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Mixing Colours Painting Chart for?

It is written for children aged 2 to 4 in Early Years. A grown-up should sit with younger children and help with the mixing. Older children in this range can guess, paint and describe the colours with less help.

What do I need to do the activity?

You need red, yellow, blue and white paint, paper, a pencil and the printed sheet. A grown-up helps with the mixing. Use washable, non toxic paint made for children, and cover the table first.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. The sheet prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Your child adds the colour with paint, so a colour printer is not needed.

What if it feels too hard for my child?

Let your child guess first, and accept any guess. Mix a small amount of paint at a time and do just one pair on the chart. Stop when interest fades and return to it another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another group, and use it as often as you like.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paint, paper and a pencil. It works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays, and it gets children looking, talking and making.

Can teachers and home educators use it?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a table activity or small group task. Home educators can use it on its own or as part of a wider plan. It needs no preparation beyond printing and setting out the paint.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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