Colorful Rhymes For Three-Year-Olds

A page fluttered in Mila Sunflower’s hands as she stood at the garden gate. The metal bars were cool under her fingers, and the air smelled like sweet flowers and warm sunshine. On the gate, bright picture signs showed happy colors - red like strawberries, blue like swimming pools, yellow like banana smiles.

Mila looked down at her three year old rhyme book. “Ready,” she whispered, and you could almost hear the little book humming softly, like it wanted to read. The cover had colorful illustrations inside of the book, and when Mila opened it, the pictures felt close, like they could hop out and play. You stood right beside her, watching the garden entrance where a rainbow walkway began.

The walkway was painted in wiggly stripes. It didn’t look stuck in one place. It looked like it might scoot left, scoot right, and wiggle again. Mila took one small step, then another. “Which way?” she asked you.

A sign near the gate made a gentle sound when Mila leaned close. The letters were big and round, and the picture was bright. It showed a flower with a smile, and beside it was a rhyme sign meant to guide the parade. Mila tried to read it out loud, but the sign was turned away, like a book facing the wrong way. Mila frowned and pointed. “That one isn’t looking at us.”

You could hear tiny birds chirp above the leaves, and the rainbow walkway made a soft swish-swish sound, like ribbon in a breeze. Mila reached for the next sign, but it slid a little, as if the garden had a wiggly plan. Another sign looked almost the same - same colors, same flower - but the rhyme picture was flipped, showing the wrong face of the flower.

Mila held her rhyme book close to her chest. “I want the right one,” she said. “Not the wrong one.” Her voice was small, but kind. You squeezed her hand, and she tried again.

This time, Mila matched the picture in her book to the picture on the sign. She touched the yellow petals in the illustration, then pointed to the yellow petals on the sign. “Here!” she said, brightening. She turned the turned-around sign toward the gate, and the rhyme picture finally faced you and Mila both.

The garden gate clicked open with a friendly little sound. Mila stepped closer, smiling - then her smile blinked. The next rhyme sign beyond the gate was turned around too, waiting like a puzzle with a wink.

Would you like to help Mila spot the next picture by tracing the colors - red, blue, or yellow - with your finger in the air?