Hot and cold colours
I can identify and mix hot and cold colours.
Hot and cold colours
I can identify and mix hot and cold colours.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Know that a hot colour palette includes yellow, orange and red.
- Know that a cold colour palette includes green, purple and blue.
- Know that tints and shades can be used to extend a palette of colour, and that these can affect our mood or feeling.
Keywords
Hot colours - hues, tints and shades of yellow, orange and red
Cold colours - hues, tints and shades of green, blue and purple
Palette - the name we give to a group of colours that are used within an artwork
Common misconception
Hot or cold colours can change the temperature.
Remind children that these colours do not really change the temperature, but they can make people feel warmer by looking at them, as they remind them of hot things like the sun or a fire.
To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Hot and cold colours, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Hot and cold colours, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 art and design lessons from the The seasons: painting and colour mixing unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Poster paint in red, blue, yellow, white and black, paintbrushes, water pots, a range of materials to manipulate the paint and use as painting tools, such as conkers, leaves and pinecones.
Licence
Starter quiz
4 Questions
Primary colour
Secondary colour
Primary colour
Secondary colour
Exit quiz
4 Questions
Secondary colour
Primary colour
Secondary colour
Secondary colour


