Where these coloring pages come from
Most pages are black-outline versions of the illustrations in our own sample books. For themes our samples don’t cover, such as Christmas, we drew new scenes with the same characters. That is why the heroes of our stories show up here, not random clip art.
The shapes are big and closed, so a three-year-old can fill each one with a single color. Older kids will find smaller details in the background that keep them busy for longer.
How to print them
A few things that make printing easier:
- On a theme page, click PDF under the sheet you want. It opens as one page sized for A4 paper. On US Letter paper, choose Fit to page in the print window.
- Print in black and white: the pages have no gray, so they use very little ink.
- Regular printer paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils. For markers or watercolor, thicker paper keeps the color from bleeding through.
- Save the PNG if your child colors on a tablet.
Choosing a page for your child
The easiest way is to ask what your child is into right now. If it has been dragons all week, start with dragons. In fall and winter, pictures of what they see out the window work well: leaves, snow, a snowman.
For three- and four-year-olds, one page at a time is plenty. With five- to seven-year-olds, print a few pages from one theme and ask them to put the pages in order as a short story. Write the date on the back before the finished page goes on the fridge, and you will have a small record of how their drawing changes over the year.
A story with your child as the hero
Most of the illustrations behind these pages come from sample books made with minibooks. You can make a story like that with your own child in every picture: type their name, age and a few words about how they look, pick a style and say what the story is about.
The cover and first pages are free, usually in 2–3 minutes. If you like them, the whole book is $14.99, paid once: the cover and 12 illustrated pages to read online and as a PDF to print.
