“Colour, colour, which colour do you want?”
Sandhya Kaura and Sunil Kaura
Once upon a time, in the Indian classroom boards were only black, chalks mostly white (coloured chalks were a luxury and sparingly used), and the furniture only brown. Colours only came in the form of chart papers, colour pencils, sketch pens, and crayons. Today, however, classrooms are bright and colourful. What is the significance of colour in a learning environment? Do colours have an impact on our mood and how we learn? If yes, how do we choose colours for our classrooms?
The physics behind the impact
Research suggests that colours have an impact on our mental and emotional state. Colour is not just a visual experience, it is an electro-magnetic energy. It has a wavelength that can impact us physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. In the rainbow colour spectrum, the wavelength is shortest for violet and it keeps increasing as we reach red. The colours with shorter wavelengths are more calming and relaxing.
Spirituality behind the choice of colours
When you look at the seven chakras (or energy centres of the human body) and the colours associated with them, the higher intelligences are represented by,
- Violet (Crown Chakra)
- Indigo (Third Eye Chakra)
- Blue (Throat Chakra)
- Green (Heart Chakra)
So, these colours can be used to connect with and enhance the intellectual abilities of a person.
Now, the interesting question…
What colours do we use in schools?
This depends on your goal or purpose.
- Where are you using the colour?
- Is it to energize or calm down?
- Is it to stimulate the senses?
- Is it to facilitate a focused activity?
Most schools or educational institutions today focus on the holistic development of the child. In addition to academic learning, there is a lot of focus on co-curricular activities, such as art and craft, drama, sports, yoga and meditation, dance, music, physical training, etc.
Each of these activities is conducted in a different space in the school. So, these spaces have to be designed to cater to the specific requirements of these activities.
For example, dance is a high intensity physical activity. Therefore, we need to use stimulating colours. Similarly, drama and music require the creative juices to flow and the right choice of colours can aid the process. In classrooms, one needs to focus on learning. Using calming colours can aid this process.
Calming colours
Violet, indigo, blue, and green
These colours have a calming effect. Our minds slow down. The more our minds slow down, the fewer thoughts we have per second. This helps us be present in the moment and focus better on the task at hand. This not only enhances learning, but also helps retain what we have learnt. We could use these lovely colours to design classrooms
Stimulating colours
Neon green, yellow, orange, red
As much as calming colours are important in our lives, so are stimulating colours. These colours have a vibrant energy that brighten up our mood. Stimulating colours propel us into action. So it is beneficial to use these colours while designing spaces that require high energy and action. Designing the dance room, zumba room, karate room, taekwondo room, etc., with shades of yellow and orange with a hint of red, can help energize us when we are doing these activities.
Creative colours
Green
Shades of green can be very useful to enhance creativity. So, we can use green in the arts and crafts room, theatre room, music room, etc.
Meditation colours
Purple, lilac, pink, etc.
These colours help a person reach a deeper state of relaxation. Thoughtful additions and subtractions to a space can make a room useful for multiple purposes, changing the entire mood/tempo of the space.
You can lay down violet/indigo coloured cushions/mats if you are meditating. In this deeper state of consciousness, our thoughts and emotions heal. While brightly coloured yoga mats (red/orange/yellow) can add vibrancy and energy to the space.
Beige/Brown
The colour of earth, soil, tree trunks, jute, cane.
It gives a sense of assurance, strength, stability and warmth.
It can release ambiguity, stress, tension, anxiety. It can also provide a neutral background for play of light and colour or accents.
White
The most accepting colour, it lets every colour just be ITSELF. In its physical composition, it is the mix of all the seven colours of the rainbow. It reflects all light.
It can promote creativity and provide a clear background.
Red
The colour of fire, love, passion, blood. It symbolizes energy, alertness, and danger. It is very stimulating bordering over disturbing if used too much.
Green
The colour of plants, life, growth, creative force of Mother Nature, harmony. It brings about creativity, a sense of tranquillity, peace, wellbeing, reduces fatigue/stress.
It can help focus, relax, concentrate.
Orange
A Vibrant, friendly colour that is a reminder of refreshing, energizing juicy oranges.
It is a good choice for activities that require more physical movement, stimulation, and engagement.
Yellow
The colour of sun, a clean source of light and energy.
It brings along a feeling of joy, happiness, energy.
It can also be tiring if used too much.
Purple/Lilac
The colour of lilac flowers; a lovely mix of blue with little red. It brings along a feeling of freshness, joy, happiness, and tranquillity. It also connotes spirituality to many.
An ideal colour for meditation, tapping into intuition, creativity.
Black
The colour of darkness, ignorance, sophistication. It is neutral and absorbing. It conceals all flaws.
It stands for mourning in some cultures. A liberal use of it can make the space or reader feel dull, dark, fatigued, low in energy.
Blue
The colour of ice, sky, water, ink.
It instills a feeling of calmness, stillness, serenity, night, freedom, loyalty, reliability, trust. It has the unique power to soothe the soul. Ideal for activities that require concentration.
How can we design our classrooms?
We can create separate nooks and corners/spaces in our classroom. For example, we have separate spaces for different activities at home – the dining room, bedroom, bathroom, living room.
Similarly, in our classrooms, we can create different spaces for different activities, such as the story corner, activity corner, drama corner, circle-time space, and learning corner.
Violet can be used in the learning corner, while the activity corner can have shades of blue. Use green to design the drama corner. These colours can be integrated in the different corners in multiple ways – wall colour, wall paints, chart paper, boards, carpets, rugs, cushions, etc.
Plants and greenery
You can also bring the classroom to life by placing indoor plants in different corners. Indoor plants like monstera, ZZ plant, snake plant, money plant, etc. add life to the classroom. These plants can be easily maintained.
Plants not only provide more oxygen, but also make us feel more peaceful and connected. Children are less cranky and exhibit serenity. This peace and tranquillity of the plants brings in more stability in the classroom. Children are able to focus better and hence learn better.
Conclusion
Armed with this deeper understanding of colours, let’s:
- Create environments and spaces that foster a holistic development of children.
- Channelize their energies constructively.
- Facilitate children to process their emotions and develop greater self-awareness.
- Intelligently navigate through the ups and downs that life presents.
Sandhya Kaura and Sunil Kaura are eco-entrepreneurs also known as the ‘Wellness Couple’ amongst their family and friends. Sandhya has been a psychological counsellor and runs a business initiative ‘EcoPrakriti’ manufacturing 100% natural homecare and personal care products. Sunil used to be a chartered accountant but now facilitates inner wellness using his signature ‘Alpha Healing Meditations’ through an online app called Spoorthi Wellness. They can be reached at sanramchandani@gmail.com; sunil.kaura@spoorthi.info.
