Colour: considerations for children

Colour has an impact upon us.

When we design the spaces we live in, we can sense colour’s power to alter how we feel. When we put on clothing, colour can uplift, dull, overwhelm, or help create a sense of harmony.

So how does it affect our children?

There has been much research and work into colour from many viewpoints: Scientific experiments have been done on how different colours & shades on walls can significantly impact feelings and behaviour; there are many art theories on colour and its inner working & outer effects; and there are words of wisdom from great thinkers such as Goethe & Steiner, the ideas of whom we will hardly scratch the surface here! If you have an interest, there are many articles and books to help expand our knowledge.

When we pause to notice, in our everyday experiences we can usually feel the impact of a colour on us. A mindful moment contemplating lemon yellow, bright orange, black, or perhaps the golden-blue-pink hues of a beautiful sunrise will tell us something of the power of colour.

When we colour our children’s environment or choose children's clothing, we make decisions that impact them on a feeling level; indeed, colour impacts the soul!

Here are some Waldorf/Steiner-based thoughts and recommendations for colour & children — especially clothing, but this can also be expanded to bedrooms and other significant spaces. We do understand that it is challenging these days with what we are presented with when shopping, not to mention gifts from well-meaning family! We hope that you find this info informative and helpful, rather than another thing to worry about as a parent or caregiver.

Clothing is the simplest way for us to impact our children with colour. Softer, pastel colours are healthiest for babies, and for the younger children of the ages in the playgroup (0-6) and the first homeschool group (4-6), a range of lighter and 'happy' colours from the rainbow will support them.

Avoid black for the young child. While black clothing is readily available and perhaps attractive for its practicality regarding dirt, please consider that black is a lifeless colour and does nothing to uplift a child.

To further support your child you could steer clear of logos, ‘loud’, slogan t-shirts, advertising (do we want our children to be walking billboards for brands?) or intense or violent images such as a t-rex baring its teeth; these do nothing positive for young children. These images can also be distracting for both children and adults and draw attention away from our intended focus.

If you want to go further, pictures (even of natural things) draws attention away from the child's own face — from themselves. Even though it is not advertising or something too intense, the eye is immediately drawn to the picture and the child is looked at secondly. An interesting thing to ponder when you look at the majority of clothing these days!

When subtle clothing is used, the face is the highlight of the person's body. This is supportive to the human being. Clothing that frames the face helps a person's feelings and thoughts to be foremost, not those conveyed by their clothing.

Have fun with colour and enjoy making choices that nurture your young child! This is one of the easier ways we can support them every day.