In the current practice of traditional cultural education, shadow puppetry art, as an important component of intangible cultural heritage, needs further exploration in its teaching methods. The research focuses on the role of color matching in shadow puppetry teaching, aiming to help students understand that color is not only a visual presentation form, but also an important medium for carrying cultural genes, conveying emotions and narratives through a teaching strategy that combines theory and practice. In the research process, the traditional color symbol system of shadow puppetry was first sorted out, and a progressive teaching plan was designed. Then, combined with modern theme creation tasks, the transformation path of traditional color matching logic in contemporary context was explored, hoping to provide operational method references for shadow puppetry art teaching, help students truly understand the deep value of national art in the process of mastering skills, and promote the dynamic inheritance and innovative development of traditional art in contemporary education.