Start the test
Menu

Color Blind Test for Kids

A friendly color vision test with shapes instead of numbers, made for young children who can’t read digits yet. Sit with your child and let them tap the shape they see.

Can you spot the shape?

Each picture hides a shape made of colored dots. Tap the shape you see, or “Nothing” if you can’t see one.

15 to 18 pictures · about 3 minutes

For accurate results
  • Turn screen brightness up and switch off Night Shift, True Tone, Night Light, blue-light filters and any color-adjusting apps or extensions.
  • Use a phone, tablet or monitor in normal indoor light, not in direct sunlight.
  • Wear your usual glasses or contacts, but not tinted or color-correcting lenses.
  • Don’t zoom in or stare. Answer with your first impression within a few seconds.

Keyboard: 1–6 pick a shape in the order shown · N or Esc nothing · Backspace previous picture

How the kids’ test works

Each picture is a circle of colored dots with a shape hidden inside: a circle, square, triangle, star, heart or plus. Your child taps the matching shape button, or “Nothing” if they can’t see one. Fifteen pictures make up the test: two that everyone should see (to check the screen and that your child understands the task), five hidden from the red-sensitive cones, five hidden from the green-sensitive cones and three hidden from the blue-sensitive cones. A few extra pictures may follow if the answers don’t add up.

Shapes replace the numbers used in adult tests such as our main color blind test, so children who can’t read digits can still take part. Older children who know their numbers can try the adult test too.

Tips for parents

  • Before you start, point to each shape button and make sure your child knows its name.
  • Hold the screen at a normal reading distance, in good indoor light, with brightness turned up.
  • Let your child answer on their own. Don’t hint, and it’s fine to tap “Nothing”.
  • If your child is tired or distracted, stop and try again later. Young children are more reliable when they’re fresh.

What age can a child take it?

Most children can do a shape test from around 4 years old. The skill that matters is recognizing the six shapes, not age itself, so practise naming them first. Toddlers usually can’t answer reliably yet; a “wrong” answer at 2 or 3 says more about attention than color vision.

Signs of color blindness in children

  • Coloring things in unexpected colors, such as brown or purple leaves, or grass that isn’t green.
  • Mixing up red and green, or blue and purple, crayons and pencils.
  • Trouble with color-coded worksheets, maps, games or sorting tasks.
  • Avoiding coloring tasks, or naming colors slowly and less confidently than other children.
  • A father, grandfather, uncle or brother who is color blind.

None of these alone means a child is color blind. They are reasons to try a test and, if it suggests a deficiency, to book an eye test.

Helping a color blind child at school

  • Tell the teacher, so color-coded worksheets, charts and whiteboard notes can use labels, patterns or symbols too.
  • Label crayons, pencils and paints with color names.
  • Ask for test papers and games that don’t rely on color alone.
  • Explain to your child that some colors are harder for them to tell apart, and that this is common and nothing to worry about.

Want to see what your child may see? Try the color blind simulator with a photo of a worksheet or a drawing.

Why test children for color blindness?

About 1 in 12 boys and 1 in 200 girls have red-green color vision deficiency. Much early learning is color-coded, so knowing early helps teachers adapt materials and helps your child understand why some colors are tricky.

Note: this is a screening, not a diagnosis. Online tests can’t control your screen’s colors or brightness, so confirm any result with an eye care professional. Medical disclaimer · How the test works

More color vision tests

Color blind testFull screening: red-green and blue-yellow, with type and severity.Red-green color blind testDeeper check for protan and deutan types.Tritanopia testBlue-yellow (tritan) color vision screening.Reverse color blind testHidden-figure plates that color blind people can see more easily.Color blind simulatorSee any photo the way people with color blindness see it.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can a child take a color blind test?

Children can usually do a shape-based test from around 4 years old, as long as they can name or point to a circle, square, triangle, star, heart and plus. Practise the shapes first with the buttons below the plate.

What are signs of color blindness in children?

Common signs include using the wrong colors when drawing (for example purple leaves or brown grass), difficulty with color-coded worksheets, and confusing red and green or blue and purple crayons. Many children hide it because they don’t realise others see colors differently.

What should I do if my child’s result suggests color blindness?

Book an eye test with an optometrist or pediatric eye doctor to confirm. Let your child’s teacher know so color-coded materials can include labels or patterns. Color blindness does not affect intelligence or general eyesight.

Is color blindness inherited?

Red-green color blindness is usually inherited through the mother’s side on the X chromosome, which is why it is much more common in boys. If a parent or grandfather is color blind, it’s worth testing.

Is there a free color blind test for kids?

Yes. This test is free, needs no sign-up and runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Answers stay on your device.

Can toddlers take a color blind test?

Most children under about 4 can’t yet answer a plate test reliably, because they need to recognize and name or point to the shapes. You can practise shapes with a toddler and try again later. If you’re worried sooner, an eye doctor can assess young children.