Nature Color Palette Matching Walk

5-6 paint chip cards from a hardware store, or colored squares cut from magazines

A piece of cardboard to mount the chips on

Tape or glue

A paper bag or small basket for collecting items

A pencil for optional notes

Build the palette card at home. Tape 5-6 different paint chips onto cardboard in a row. Include easy colors (green, brown) and challenge colors (blue, purple).

Head outside to a park, trail, or backyard. Carry the palette card and a collecting bag.

Walk slowly. The whole point is careful observation, not speed. Hold the paint chip next to leaves, petals, rocks, bark, and berries.

When your child finds something that matches a color closely, put it in the bag and check that color off.

Some colors are tricky. Blue is rare in nature beyond the sky and water — but a blue jay feather or a forget-me-not flower counts. Encourage creative looking.

After all colors are matched (or as many as possible), find a flat spot to sit.

Lay out the paint chips and place each collected item next to its match. Compare them side by side.

Talk about the results. Which match is almost perfect? Which is close but not quite? What colors were hardest to find and why?

Glue the natural items onto the palette card to make a nature color swatch keepsake.

Hardware store paint chips are free and come in beautiful subtle shades. Grab a handful of different color families so you have options.

If you cannot find a match for every color, that is great — it leads to a conversation about which colors are common in nature and which are rare.

Bring a magnifying glass for extra engagement. Close-up, a brown leaf might reveal hidden reds, oranges, and yellows.

Avoid picking flowers from other people's gardens or protected areas. Fallen items and common weeds are fair game.

Extend the activity by having your child name each color with a creative name like "frog belly green" or "rainy sidewalk gray." It builds descriptive vocabulary.