A route, not a treasure hunt
Choose a short loop you already know, with an easy return and pavements suitable for everyone joining you. The idea is not to cross the whole town looking for the perfect red. Pick a colour that appears fairly often locally: green shutters, a blue door or yellow in a shop window. Agree an approximate duration too, so a brief outing does not quietly become a much longer walk.
You can leave the camera behind and simply note what you find. If taking photographs, limit the series to six pictures. Having a limit makes you choose between a large coloured surface and a smaller detail. Keep your phone away at crossings, and step aside before stopping to study the screen.
Notice differences within one colour
The same colour behaves differently on different materials. Compare shiny metal, fabric and matt paint. Then look for a pale version and a dark version, or a colour in sunshine and in shade. You do not need specialist names for shades to see these differences.
Walking with someone else, you might each choose a colour. Take turns suggesting stops instead of always following whoever spots things fastest. With children, try open prompts such as finding the colour on something round, rather than a compulsory list of objects. Returning without completing a list is perfectly acceptable because there is no score to achieve.
Keep a small record
Arrange your photographs in a row or draw six little rectangles in a notebook. Under each rectangle, name the material: painted wood, glass, brick or cloth. This creates a connection between colour and everyday objects without requiring a long drawing session.
Do not enter private passages to complete the collection. Ask a shopkeeper before photographing inside a shop. Consider your framing before sharing a picture that includes a house number or prominent passers-by. Repeat the same route in another month if you enjoy it. A changed window display, different leaves or a freshly painted gate can alter the palette while the route itself remains exactly the same.
