By: Finley Messella, Copy Editor

 In recent years there has been social media trends revolving around the color beige; more specifically the lack of vibrant colors and how they impact a child’s development.

     Babies take in their surroundings as soon as they are born. They absorb things like sound and sights to help them learn about the world around them.

     While a neutral color scheme does not necessarily harm a child, it can affect the child’s overall brain simulation and engagement. 

     According to Children’s Wisconsin Medical Clinic, “A lack of stimuli can affect a child’s mood or behavior. In the long term impact their creativity and imagination, which is because of slow cognitive growth.”

     Color plays an important role in childhood development because it helps stimulate the brain and support learning from an early age.

     According to Psychology Today, “Bright colors like red, yellow and blue often grab children’s attention,” making it easier for them to stay focused on toys, books and classroom materials.

     Colors can influence emotions too–warm colors may create excitement and energy, while cool colors like blue and green can promote calmness and concentration. 

     According to the National Institute of Health, “Anger entails reddening of the face, so anger is metaphorically described as ‘seeing red,’ and positive emotions and experiences are often depicted in terms of lightness, so lightness is metaphorically linked to good rather than bad.”

     Even just seeing certain colors can impact a child’s development. Specific colors can support creative and cognitive processes as kids engage in activities like art or exploration

     According to Psychology Today, “Seeing green has been linked to enhanced creative thinking.”

     Using color in learning environments can improve memory, since kids often associate information with specific visual cues. As children grow, exploring color through art allows them to express feelings and build creativity.

     According to the National Institute of Health, “By six months, infants go from very limited detection of color as newborns to a more sophisticated perception of color that enables them to make sense of objects and the world around them.”

     Color awareness is a part of how young children begin to organize their visual information. 

     According to the National Institute of Health, “Infants can perceive the dimensions of color and categorize it.”

     Exposure to different colors also helps children develop visual skills and learn to recognize patterns and differences.

     According to Children’s Wisconsin Medical Clinic, “Introducing children to a vibrant world of color can stimulate visual development because bright colors and patterns can grab a baby’s attention and help them learn to track and recognize objects,” which supports early visual skills and sensory growth.”

     Even young children use color as part of how they learn about and respond to their environment—not just adults. 

     According to Psychology Today, “Color is everywhere–infants and children relate to the world through color.”

     Overall, color is not just decorative; it actively supports cognitive, emotional and sensory development during childhood.