Rainy Day Colour Hunt for Kids: Free Printable Game

Download the free printable cards

What can you put on a colour hunt list?

Here are simple colours and prompts that children will find around the house. Pick a handful and work through one room at a time.

Core colours to find

1. Something red, like an apple or a jumper
2. Something orange, like a carrot or a toy
3. Something yellow, like a banana or a pencil
4. Something green, like a plant or a sock
5. Something blue, like a cup or a book cover
6. Something purple, like a crayon or a flower
7. Something pink, like a hairbrush or a card
8. Something brown, like a teddy or a chair
9. Something white, like a pillow or paper
10. Something black, like a shoe or a TV remote

Tricky finds to stretch them

1. Something shiny, like a spoon or a mirror
2. Something that has two colours
3. Something stripy
4. Something spotty
5. Something see through, like a glass
6. Something that is the same colour as your eyes
7. Something that matches your socks
8. Something gold or silver
9. The smallest red thing you can find
10. The biggest blue thing you can find

Room by room prompts

1. In the kitchen, find something green
2. In the bedroom, find something soft and yellow
3. In the bathroom, find something blue
4. In the hallway, find something brown
5. By the window, find something shiny
6. In the toy box, find every colour you can
7. On a bookshelf, find a purple spine
8. In the laundry, find something orange
9. Near the front door, find something red
10. Under the sofa cushions, find any surprise colour

How to play a colour hunt, step by step

1. Print the checklist and hand each child a pencil
2. Start in one room and read the first colour out loud
3. Search together and tick the colour when you find it
4. Say the colour name clearly each time
5. Move to the next room until the list is full

Ways to use the colour hunt at home

• Make it a rainy afternoon ritual. Keep a printed copy by the door for wet days. Children learn to ask for it when the rain starts, which turns a dull hour into a game.
• Race the clock for older ones. Give children aged five and up two minutes to find as many colours as they can. It adds a little buzz without any special kit.
• Pair it with building and sorting. After the hunt, sort found objects by colour or build a tower with coloured building blocks. It keeps little hands busy once the list is ticked.
• Turn it into a quiet sorting game. Line up everything they found and group by colour, then by size. A set of colour stacking rings works well here too.
• Play together with a toddler helper. Let an older sibling read the colours while a younger child does the finding. It gives both children a job and keeps the peace.

Games and gifts for colour play and rainy days

These wooden toys and games carry on the colour, sorting and indoor fun once the hunt is done. They suit toddlers through to early school years and work well on a wet afternoon.

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Colour Stacker - Wooden Stacking ToyShop nowStacking Rings Toy - Wooden Rainbow ToyShop nowStacking Toy - Wooden Rainbow ToyShop nowThreading Beads - Threading Beads for KidsShop nowKids Building Blocks - Montessori ToyShop nowRainbow Shape Puzzles - Wooden Shape SortersShop nowScavenger Hunt GameShop nowShape Sorter - Learning GameShop nowShapes Game - Tangram PuzzleShop nowRainbow Scratch Paper - Scratch Art PadShop nowKids Art Set - Water Colouring PencilsShop nowWooden Activity Cube - Activity Cube for ToddlersShop nowDiscovery Blocks - Wooden Sensory BlocksShop nowCounting Caterpillar - Number PuzzleShop now

Colour hunt by age and key stage

What children learn from a colour hunt

• Colour recognition. Finding and naming each colour helps children sort what they see and build a colour vocabulary.
• Language. Saying colours and objects out loud supports speaking, listening and new words.
• Observation. Searching a room closely trains children to look carefully and notice detail.
• Early maths. Counting and comparing how many of each colour they find supports number skills.
• Taking turns. Playing with a sibling or helper supports sharing and patience.

More free Christmas printables

Every one is free to print, and each has its own guide.

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Make it a Christmas tradition

A colour hunt is an easy habit to keep. Pin a printed copy inside a kitchen cupboard so it is ready the moment the rain starts. Over time children will start the game themselves and even suggest new colours and prompts. It costs nothing to repeat and grows with them, from a toddler pointing at red to an older child racing the clock.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play a colour hunt?

Print the checklist, walk around one room at a time, tick each colour when you find it and say its name out loud.

What age is a colour hunt for?

It suits ages 3 and up. Younger children can play with a helper, and older children can race a timer.

How long does it take?

About twenty minutes for the full list. You can make it shorter by choosing fewer colours, or longer by adding tricky prompts.

What do I need to play?

Just the printed checklist and a pencil. No special kit is needed, which is why it works so well on a wet day.

Can I play with more than one child?

Yes. Give each child a copy, or let them take turns reading and finding. It works well for siblings of different ages.

How do I make it harder for older children?

Add a timer, ask for two colours on one object, or have them find the biggest and smallest of each colour.

Is it safe for toddlers?

Keep an eye on what little ones pick up, and watch for small objects that could go in the mouth. Stay close and supervise throughout.

What can we play next on a rainy day?

Try sorting the found objects by colour and size, building a coloured tower, or a wooden game from the gift ideas above.

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Educational toys for 3 to 5 year oldsToys for 3 year oldsToys for 4 year oldsIndoor gamesWooden toysLet's Play rangeLet's Learn rangeGifts for kids

Jaques of London is Britain's oldest toy and games company, founded in 1795. We have spent over 230 years making games families play together, from chess and croquet to wooden toys for the very young.

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Written by the Jaques of London team. Last updated 1 November 2026.