Art · Colouring and labelling worksheet
Colour Wheel Worksheet: Free Primary and Secondary Colours Printable (KS1)
A colour wheel is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to introduce young children to how colours relate to one another. This free, printable worksheet gives children a clean six-segment wheel to colour, helping them learn the three primary colours — red, yellow and blue — and discover how mixing pairs of them creates the secondary colours: orange, green and purple.
Designed for children aged 5 to 7, it prints neatly onto a single A4 page. Children colour each segment to a simple key and then write the colour names, building both their understanding of colour and their early handwriting. It works equally well in a Year 1 or Year 2 classroom, in an after-school art club, or at the kitchen table on a rainy afternoon.
Colour Wheel: Primary & Secondary Colours
Free Art worksheet · Ages 5 to 7
Colour the colour wheel
Colour the six segments of the wheel to make a colour wheel. Use the colour key to help you, and put each secondary colour between the two primary colours that mix to make it.
- Colour three segments with the primary colours: red, yellow and blue.
- Colour orange in the segment between red and yellow.
- Colour green in the segment between yellow and blue.
- Colour purple in the segment between blue and red.
Name the colours
Write the name of each colour on the lines below. Tick the three that are primary colours. Use the word bank to help you spell.
Write the three primary colours.
Write the three secondary colours.
Which two colours mix to make orange?
Which two colours mix to make green?
Which two colours mix to make purple?
Colour Wheel: Primary & Secondary Coloursowee.worldAnswer key
- Write the three primary colours. — red, yellow, blue
- Write the three secondary colours. — orange, green, purple
- Which two colours mix to make orange? — red and yellow
- Which two colours mix to make green? — yellow and blue
- Which two colours mix to make purple? — blue and red
What are primary and secondary colours?
The three primary colours are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be made by mixing other colours together — they are the starting points for every other colour. When you mix two primary colours in equal amounts you make a secondary colour: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple (often called violet). A colour wheel arranges these six colours in a circle so that each secondary colour sits neatly between the two primaries that make it, which helps children see the relationships at a glance.
How to use this colour wheel worksheet
Print the sheet and give the child three coloured pencils, crayons or felt tips in red, yellow and blue, plus orange, green and purple for the secondary colours. Start by colouring the three primary segments, then talk through which two primaries combine to make each secondary colour before colouring those in. If you have paints to hand, it can be a lovely follow-up to actually mix the colours on a palette and compare the result with the wheel. Finish by writing the colour names on the lines provided. Keep the activity short and praise effort — staying inside the lines is far less important than understanding why the colours sit where they do.
Why the colour wheel matters in KS1 art
The colour wheel is a foundation stone of art and design. Once children understand primary and secondary colours, they can begin to make deliberate choices in their own work — mixing paints purposefully rather than by accident, and noticing colour in the world around them. The National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 asks pupils to develop a wide range of techniques in using colour, and a hands-on colour wheel is one of the clearest ways to meet that aim. It also feeds naturally into later learning at KS2, where children go on to explore tints, shades and complementary colours.
Extending the activity
Once the wheel is complete, there are plenty of gentle ways to extend the learning. Go on a colour hunt around the room or garden and sort objects into primary and secondary colours. Try mixing paints in small amounts to see the secondary colours appear, or experiment with how adding white makes a colour lighter (a tint) and adding a little black makes it darker (a shade). You might also ask the child which colours they think look warm (reds, oranges, yellows) and which look cool (blues, greens, purples) — an early, playful introduction to colour temperature.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three primary colours?
The three primary colours are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be made by mixing other colours together, and they can be combined to make every other colour.
What are the secondary colours?
The secondary colours are orange, green and purple. Each one is made by mixing two primary colours: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple.
What age is this colour wheel worksheet for?
It is designed for children aged 5 to 7, which covers Years 1 and 2 in Key Stage 1. Younger children may simply colour the wheel, while older children can also write the colour names and explain how the secondary colours are mixed.
Is the colour wheel worksheet free to print?
Yes. The worksheet is completely free to download and print, and it fits onto a single A4 page so it is easy to use at home or in the classroom.
How do you arrange colours on a colour wheel?
The three primary colours (red, yellow and blue) are spaced evenly around the wheel, and each secondary colour is placed between the two primaries that make it. So orange sits between red and yellow, green between yellow and blue, and purple between blue and red.
Curriculum links
- Art and design (KS1): to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
- Art and design (KS1): to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.
- Art and design (KS1): to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
- Art and design (KS1): about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines.
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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