Back to School Color Sorting Mats For Preschoolers
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With the beginning of a new school year, I think these FREE Back to School Color Sorting Mats are a nice activity to start the year on the right foot, for your preschoolers to practice important skills, and for you to assess their knowledge in those areas. It is also the type of activity that children like.

These Back to School Sorting Mats printable includes ten sorting mats and ten tile sheets in colors yellow, orange, pink, red, green, blue, purple, brown, white, and black. You can grab it at the end of this post.
Benefits Of Sorting Activities
One of the things preschoolers enjoy the most is sorting. It is something that comes naturally to them today since they are younger. Sorting gives children the opportunity to categorize objects and reflect on what is going on in their world.
This color sorting activity is simple and educational, and will help your preschoolers practice their:
- Color recognition (identifying the color on the tile and the corresponding mat).
- Sorting (choosing the right color tiles among all of the other colors).
- Discrimination (deciding which color tiles go with the corresponding mat).
- Fine motor, hand-eye coordination, and control (placing the tiles in the squares).
- Concentration skills (focusing on the task).
- One-to-one correspondence (matching the tiles with the appropriate mat).
- Language development (talking about the colors and the objects in the tiles).
Back to School Color Sorting Mats
This sorting activity requires very little prep work. To get it ready, you only need:
- FREE Back to School Color Sorting Mats (found at the end of this post).
- Printer.
- White paper or cardstock.
- Laminator.
- Laminator pouches.
- Dry-erase pockets.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
If you want to use this printable as a one-time activity, print all the pages on white paper. Cut out the tiles and have the children glue each tile on the appropriate mat.
If you want to reuse it, print it on white cardstock. Laminate everything or place the mats in dry-erase pockets, and cut out and laminate the tiles to have them available for years to come.
When you are done using the activity, store it on sheet protectors placed in a binder to keep them safe.
Include Storybooks in Your Centers
Fill your library and the different centers with many books about back to school and color. If you don’t have many available, you can always find a lot at your local library or used bookstore. Of course, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images of some of my favorites below.
- The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is one of my favorite books. This super sweet book talks about a little raccoon named Chester who is afraid to go to school, and his mother kisses the middle of his hand to let him know that her love will always be with him, no matter where he is.
- How to Catch a Class Pet by Alice Walstead is a silly story that features an approachable school theme that kids will relate to, plus cute animal characters and clever rhymes that blend STEAM concepts with hilarity and chaos to encourage reading, learning, and imagination.
- Llama Llama Back to School by Anna Dewdney. Using her famous character, the author tells the story of this little llama who is anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!
- The Little Book of Book to School by Zach Bush will help children face a new school year feeling confident and ready, using fun text and engaging illustrations.
- Our Class is a Family by Shanon Olsen is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others.
- The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing: The simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations of this book will soothe any child’s fears about the first day of school.
Pin It For Later
If you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the post and download the printable but want to save it, pin this to one of your Pinterest boards for later.

Don’t forget to grab your FREE Back to School Color Sorting Mats printable by clicking on the link below!
I hope you enjoy this activity and help your preschoolers start the new school year having fun and learning.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,

P.D. Please let me know if you and your preschoolers like these mats, or if you think I should take out or add anything.




