The importance of colors in babies

When a baby is born, a whole process of learning and brain development begins that will continue at a dizzying pace during the first years of life. Colors play a fundamental role here. It is one of the first elements with which the little one will experience the sense of sight. Furthermore, they will become great allies to help him know and understand the environment which surrounds it. For all these reasons, we want to talk to you about the importance of colors in babies.

You have surely noticed that spaces and objects intended for infants are, in general, colorful, striking and vibrant. And it’s not by chance! The truth is that the colors stimulate cognitive development, influence mood and are an excellent facilitator for learning. But how do they intervene and how to use them wisely? Let’s see all of that below.

The perception of colors and their evolution

During the first months of life, the sense of sight develops and refines. Colors are essential to help the baby achieve this. Remember that during the first three months, the infant perceives in a fuzzy way and only in black and white: he does not yet perceive colors but has a great ability to identify details and differences due to lighting. For example, he may be attracted to the color red because of its brightness.

Up to six months, it will be the contrasts that will help the most in perceptual development. The baby will indeed find these changes in tone striking.

Learn more about the importance of colors in babies

Beyond the baby’s progressive ability to pick up, recognize and distinguish colors, we are going to tell you what are some of the benefits they bring to his development.

Neural connections and learning

When we are babies, we have a large number of neural connections; however, as we age, synaptic pruning occurs, that is, a process of refinement that allows us to retain the most useful connections and strengthen them.

In this process, colors help children and allow them to be interested in what they see in their environmentso they feel more encouraged to interact with objects.

Object discrimination and vocabulary

The colours, the differences and the contrasts between them are a support for the baby when it comes to discriminating when his sense of sight is not yet well developed. This is also the case later on, since children tend to associate them with objects to recognize them easily. For example, the sky is blue, the sun is yellow, and the apples are red. These connections help identify objects and also promote increased vocabulary.

Memorization

The importance of colors in babies is also related to memory capacity. In fact, infants remember colors better than verbal cues. Thus, the use of colorful images can facilitate the learning and memorization of content.

Identity building

Beyond the intellectual level, there is also a beneficial effect in relation to the construction identity. In this sense, once the child is able to identify colors, name them and understand their associations, he can begin to choose and develop his tastes and preferences.

Have a few favorite shades, select them on their clothes, toys or personal effects helps to strengthen his sense of individuality and start building part of his personality. Also, he can discard the colors he likes the least, among other simple actions and decisions.

Mood

On the other hand, the colors have a effect on the emotional state and it is something that can be positive or negative. Some tones induce calm and serenity, while others stimulate and promote learning. Plus, some are entertaining and others encourage creativity.

For this reason, it is important make the right choices and combinations in children’s environments in order to achieve the desired goals. For example, a children’s classroom or a playroom should not have the same tones as a bedroom, because the functions for which they are used are very different.

Eating habits

Finally, colors can become excellent allies when it comes to establishing good eating habits. For example, it is common for babies to be reluctant to try or accept certain foods. However, preparing them attractively by combining and enhancing their natural colors can make them much more interesting for children.

How to stimulate the baby with colors?

With all that we have just seen, we can conclude that colors have great potential to support cognitive, emotional and social development babies. Therefore, we must use them wisely.

The main thing is to ensure that the child is exposed to the different shades and their contrasts in their daily environment. Buying colorful mobiles, decorating play areas in warm tones and combining a variety of colors on a daily basis will help stimulate the baby. In this way, you will arouse his interest and promote good development.

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