Rainy December afternoon? Hand out crayons and let the tree wait.
Print as many of these 100 free Christmas coloring pages as you like, from chunky preschool outlines to dense scenes that will keep an adult busy for an hour. Santa, elves, reindeer, gingerbread houses, snow globes, steam trains and a couple of festive cacti are all in here.
Each sheet below is described by what is actually drawn on it, so you can pick the right one without printing five to find out.
Coloring is not only a time filler. In a 2016 Drexel University study, 75 percent of participants had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after 45 minutes of making art (1).
Easy Santa Sleigh
Watch Santa fly his sleigh across a wide arc of night sky with a gift already tucked under his arm. Everything is big and open here: three pine trees, a snowbank, and a scatter of small stars. Younger colorists can fill the whole sky in one shade of blue and still feel finished.
Nine kawaii-inspired ornaments sit in a tidy grid: round baubles with blushing faces, a plain little tree, a bow, and a star. Each one is separate, so a child can color one, walk away, and come back later without losing the thread. Cut them out afterward and they double as gift tags.
A young cute Christmas elf in a long curled hat holds an open gift box between two small trees, with stars floating overhead. The lines are thick and well spaced, so crayons stay inside them without much effort. Try a red hat with a green tunic, then leave the stars pale yellow so they still read as light.
An elf grins over his shoulder and tiptoes away with a wrapped box, and the pile stacked behind him says he has been busy. The fir branches are drawn as fine feathery strokes, so this one suits a child who can already steer a colored pencil. Give the presents loud patterns and keep the trees a single deep green so the mischief stands out. If your kid wants the green grump instead, our Grinch coloring pages are one click away.
A deer with wide branching antlers stands still in a thick pine wood while round ornaments dangle from the branches above him. The trees are packed with short feathery strokes, which makes this one of the slower sheets in the set. A soft brown coat against dark green trees keeps the baubles as the only bright spots. Save it for a child who likes settling in for half an hour.
Design a gingerbread house with a scalloped icing roof, two curling candy canes on top, and a round window in the middle. The shapes are chunky and closed, so it prints cleanly at any size. Pastels on the roof and one hot color on the door make it look properly edible.
Two kids reach up to hang baubles on a tall twinkling Christmas tree topped with a star. The tree is drawn with fine needle strokes and the children with plain outlines, which gives a child two different textures to practice on. Their striped leggings are an easy place to start.
Bundle up and join the two kids finishing off a big, cheerful snowman in a knitted hat and a long scarf. Presents sit in the snow beside him, waiting for their own colors. The snowman himself is mostly white space, so reach for glitter glue or a pale blue shadow instead of solid color.
A woven basket spills over with grapes, apples, corn and a lidded jar, all drawn with dense shading lines. This is the most detailed food sheet in the set and it rewards colored pencils over crayons. Layer two reds on the apples and keep the grapes lighter so the fruit does not blur into one mass. Adults tend to claim this one.
Three friendly penguins in bobble hats and scarves stand behind their wrapped presents while stars hang overhead. The bodies are big and round, easy for small hands to fill. Striped scarves are the fun part, so let each penguin have its own pattern.
A round-eared mouse in a Santa hat pops up from behind a stack of wrapped boxes, grinning at whatever is inside. Bows and baubles fill the lower half of the page, so there is plenty to color even though the drawing is simple. Red hat, dark ears, and a different paper pattern on every box.
A log house wears a bow and a star for the holidays, with two small children out front and snow-covered trees on either side. The lines are thick and the shapes are big, which makes it a good group sheet for a classroom. Leave the roof white and color only the windows warm yellow, as if the lights are on inside.
Nine simple shapes fill this page: little trees, two plain stars, and star-shaped cookies. Nothing here is smaller than a thumbprint, which is exactly what a preschooler needs. Ask them to color all the trees one color and all the stars another, and it quietly turns into a sorting game.
A baby sits beside a decorated tree with one hand on the biggest present, ready to pull the ribbon. The tree is drawn with soft feathery branches and the baby with clean simple lines. Color it, write the year in the corner, and it becomes a keepsake for the memory box.
A boy leans in to greet a playful puppy who has climbed out from behind two wrapped boxes. The faces are open and friendly, and the shading lines on the boxes give older kids something extra to work with. Warm brown on the puppy and a bright striped sweater on the boy work nicely together.
A tall storybook house piles roof on roof, each one buried under heavy snow and tied with a bow. There is a lot of small work in the windows and the trim, so hand this one to an older child with fine-tip pens. Keeping the snow white and coloring only the walls stops the page turning to mud.
A dancer in a full skirt holds up an ornament, framed by two thick garlands of bows and baubles with a bell hanging above her. It is one of the busiest pages here and the details are fine, so it fits older kids and adults. Pick two colors for the garlands and repeat them, or the frame will fight the dancer for attention.
Hop aboard the festive train: a steam engine with bows on its boiler, a wrapped gift riding in the cab, and a small potted tree perched right on top of the funnel. Wheels, rivets and rails give a child plenty of small circles to practice on. A red engine with black wheels keeps the tree reading as green.
Santa stands in an arched doorway wrapped in garland, presents stacked around his boots and a small tree at his side. The beard is drawn as long curling strokes, which is oddly satisfying to fill with a pale gray. Everything else is bold enough for crayons.
Two children work on a giant gingerbread man, pressing candy canes and swirled sweets into his icing while a star sits on top. The kids are plain outlines and the cookie is covered in dots, so there is an easy half and a fiddly half. Let them pick a wild color for the buttons.
A steam engine noses straight toward you through deep snow, plow first, with pines crowding both sides of the track and mountains behind. The perspective is the interesting part: the front of the engine is huge and the mountains are barely a line. Dark green trees and a pale wash of sky make the engine jump forward.
A wide-eyed cute kitten sits in a long curled hat and a chunky scarf, with a ribboned bauble on either side of her. Her eyes take up half the face, so a couple of colored dots do most of the work. Stripes on the scarf and the baubles are where the rest of the fun lives.
Look down on a scatter of log cabins tucked between pine trees, each roof buried under thick snow. There are no people and no faces here, just buildings and trees, which makes it a calm page to work on. Vary the roof colors so the village does not read as one block. It also prints well in gray scale for a card front.
A reindeer in a striped scarf stands among pines with oversized baubles at his hooves and one nudging his nose. The antlers are drawn as a bold open shape, so they are easy to fill and hard to get wrong. Give the baubles four different colors and the ornaments become the story.
Three children hold open songbooks outside a house with a wreath on the front. Their coats and boots are simple shapes and the snow on the roof is left as blank white. Color the books three different colors so they look like a real group rather than a uniform.
A full tree carries a big star on top, a dozen patterned baubles down its branches, and three wrapped boxes at the base. Every ornament has its own little design inside, so this is a page you can pick at over several sittings. Keep the tree one green and let the baubles carry all the color.
Shake up this snow globe and a small tree stands inside under a scatter of stars, with a fat bow tied around the base. The glass is one clean circle, which begs for a pale blue that lets the tree show through. It is a forgiving sheet for a child who is still learning to stop at the line.
A plate holds a stack of round cookies, a gingerbread man, star-shaped biscuits and a candy cane leaning against the pile. There is even a tiny wrapped gift balanced on the edge of the plate. Warm browns with white icing lines look best, and it is a nice one to color while the real cookies are in the oven.
One large layered star sits on a short stick, the kind that slots onto the top of a tree, with small stars and dots floating around it. The rays are drawn with fine radiating lines that take metallic pens beautifully. A single sheet like this makes a good five minute page when there is no time for a whole scene.
Three penguins crowd around their own tree, one waving a sprig of holly while the star sits slightly crooked on top. The tree is drawn as smooth swirled bands rather than needles, which is unusual and very easy to fill. Let the youngest child in the house have this one.
A big reindeer stands between two smaller ones, all three in knitted hats and scarves, with baubles swinging from the tallest set of antlers. The faces are round and friendly and the bodies are open shapes. Matching the three scarves in one color family makes them look like a family.
A string of lights winds down this tree past a dozen round baubles to a star on top. The bulbs are tiny circles all the way around, which is good practice for a steady hand. Color the string as a repeating four color pattern instead of picking at random.
A striped hot air balloon drifts over a snowy town of steep-roofed houses, with hills and thick clouds behind it. The town is a maze of small windows, so it takes longer than it first looks. Block in the balloon in bold bands first, then work down into the rooftops.
Peek into a heavy sack tied with rope and overflowing with wrapped boxes, with a soft toy in a floppy hat sitting right on top. The folds in the fabric are drawn as long curving lines that shade well with a pencil. Give every present a different paper and the pile stops looking flat.
A tall tree stands in a town square between rows of ornate old buildings, presents piled around its base. The windows repeat across the page in neat rows, so it suits someone who finds repetition relaxing. Keep the buildings pale and the tree deep green so the square still reads as background.
A wreath hangs above the mantel while two stockings dangle from it on ribbons, with presents stacked at the hearth. The shapes are large and there is a lot of empty wall, which makes it a good sheet for markers. Two mismatched stockings look more like a real house than a matching pair.
Two gingerbread children stand shoulder to shoulder in front of their candy trimmed house, each with a star on the chest and a bow on the head. Candy canes float in the air around them like decorations. Pale brown for the cookies and bright colors for the icing keeps everything readable.
Nine loose doodles share this page: two candy canes, three little trees, a couple of presents, a star and a snowman bauble. Every item stands alone, so a child can do three now and five tomorrow. It is the sheet to reach for when you need something small and quick after school.
A toy soldier in a tall drum hat stands stiffly at his post with presents piled at both boots. His jacket, belt and buttons split the body into neat bands that are satisfying to color one at a time. Classic red and gold works, though a green coat is a nice change.
A girl in a long dress stands with her arms out in front of a star-topped tree, a small present at each foot. The tree behind her is drawn as broad smooth layers, so most of the page fills quickly. Save the fine work for her hair and the ribbon in it.
A thick pine wreath is tied with two bows and studded with round berries and holly leaves. The needles are drawn as hundreds of short strokes, which reads as texture even if you color straight over them. A deep green ring with red berries is the classic, but a blue and silver version looks striking on a door.
Two mice with enormous ears lean over a pair of wrapped boxes, one already working on the ribbon. The fur is drawn with fine stippling, so a light gray pencil is kinder here than a marker. Big ears mean a pale pink center is the quickest way to make them look soft.
A small child in a knitted hat and a belted tunic carries a wrapped present, standing in front of a tree that fills the whole background. The figure is chunky and the tree is leafy and detailed, so there is an easy part and a slow part on one page. Warm colors on the child against a dark tree make the gift the center.
A boy in a striped scarf reaches into the branches to settle one last ornament on the tree, with four presents already stacked below. The tree is dense with short strokes and the boy is smooth outline, a good contrast for a child practicing pressure control. Leave the scarf the brightest thing on the page.
A family gathers at the table around a tall decorated cake ringed with baubles and greenery, plates of food set out beside it. The faces are drawn with real care here, so it is a gentle way to practice skin tones and hair. Keep the tablecloth white and let the cake be loud.
A small friendly dragon in a Santa hat curls his tail around a pile of presents, one wing raised behind him. His belly is drawn as neat stripes, which is the best place to try a color gradient. Green scales with a red hat is the obvious choice, so purple or teal is the fun one.
Laugh along with this cute llama in a pom-pom hat and a chunky ribbed scarf, a tiny wrapped gift tucked under her chin. The fleece is all short scalloped lines, so it stays white and still looks fluffy. Put the color in the hat, the scarf and the leg warmers.
One poinsettia opens across the whole page, its pointed bracts spreading from a seedy center with a ribbon tied at the stem. This popular flower is the Christmas plant most people can name on sight. Red is expected, so try white or dusty pink against deep green leaves for something different.
Two children work on opposite sides of the tree, each reaching for the same row of branches while four presents wait underneath. The tree is drawn with long sweeping garlands rather than fussy needles. Their striped tights are the quickest bit of color on the page.
Look through a six pane window at two snowy pines with baubles hanging in front of them, a fat bow tied across the top of the frame. Straight lines and big open panes make this one of the easiest sheets here. Leave the snow white and let the sky carry the color.
Enter a castle built from sweets: three pointed towers topped with swirled candies, scalloped icing roofs, and arched doors striped like candy canes. The candy decorations repeat all over the walls, which keeps a patient child busy for a long time. Pastels sell the sugar look better than primary colors.
Six potted cacti line up on this page, one of them sprouting stars instead of flowers. It is the sheet for anyone spending Christmas somewhere warm. The pots are plain enough for a small child while the spines give an older one something to fuss over.
A boy with spiky windblown hair holds a snowball in each mitten, framed by a ring of icy branches and twigs. The face is large and the frame is fine, so it works across a wide age range if a grown-up takes the border. Cool blues and grays with one warm color on the scarf sells the cold.
A small cabin sits in deep snow with a garland strung across the front, a round window above the door and a chimney on the roof. Everything is drawn with a single clean line and no shading, so markers will not muddy it. A warm yellow window against a dark blue night is the version worth printing twice.
Giggle at this snowman in a floppy pointed hat, a carrot nose sticking straight out and a striped bauble balanced on each stick arm. The body is two big circles and almost nothing else. Give a toddler this page and a red crayon and you have bought ten quiet minutes.
Visit a grand castle hung with bows and garlands, its towers capped with swirls like frosting and pine trees standing guard on both sides. Snowflake shapes are stamped across the stonework for extra detail. Gray walls with bright ribbons keeps it from looking like a birthday cake.
Two girls in wide brimmed hats spin either side of a decorated tree, arms flung out mid twirl. The tree carries ribbons, baubles and a star, so most of the color goes there. Their dresses are plain shapes, a good place to let a child invent a pattern of their own.
Window shop at a toy store: a teddy bear sits center stage behind the glass, surrounded by wrapped boxes, hanging ornaments and a swagged curtain above. There are a dozen small objects to work through, which makes it feel like a real shop. Color the presents brightly and leave the frame plain wood.
A lighthouse rises in wide bands with a star sitting where the light should be and small stars cut into the stonework. Two wrapped presents sit in the snow at the door. The bands are perfect for a rainbow order, and the whole thing is simple enough for a five year old.
Two friends stand side by side on their boards in fresh snow, pine trees rising behind them. Coats, scarves and bobble hats give you six or seven separate pieces of clothing to color. Matching hats in different colors is a nice detail to point out to a child.
A cuddly teddy bear in a Santa hat leans over two big wrapped boxes, one paw resting on a ribbon. The fur is drawn with fine short strokes and the boxes with long clean lines. Brown bear, red hat, and then something unexpected on the wrapping paper.
A grinning elf with pointed ears holds out a small wrapped present in each hand, striped stockings and a wide belt finishing the outfit. The outlines are thick and the shapes are few, so it prints and colors fast. Cut it out and write on the belt and it becomes a name card for the table.
Warm up with a mug piled high with marshmallows and four candy canes poking out of the top, sitting on its own saucer. There is a lot of white space, which is exactly the point on a winter day when you want something quick. Red and white stripes plus one bold mug color is all it needs.
Three bells hang inside a triangle of pine and stars, each one tied with its own bow. The shape reads as a tree from across the room and as a wreath up close. Gold bells against dark green is traditional, and silver with blue looks colder and cleaner.
Holly and berries run along the mantel while two long stockings hang below on ribbons, a wrapped gift at each end of the hearth. The stockings are big blank shapes waiting for stripes, spots or names. Straight lines throughout make it a good sheet for a ruler-loving child.
A castle of thin spires stands on a drift of snow, framed by two long ribbons of ice curling up either side. The towers are fine work and the ribbons are broad sweeps, so it splits neatly between two people. Pale blues and grays with white gaps left in makes it look genuinely frozen.
Set out a plate for the big guy: a tall stack of round cookies, three star biscuits, and a tall glass with two candy canes standing in it. The stack is drawn as repeated ovals, which is oddly satisfying to shade darker as you go down. Leave this one by the fireplace on the night.
Guess what is in the boxes: four presents sit under a tree hung with bows, stars and round ornaments. The tree is drawn in smooth wide bands rather than needles, so it fills in fast. Give every box a different pattern and the page turns into a wrapping paper design exercise.
Six children in hooded robes stand outside a small church, a huge star mounted above the door and an arc of moonlight behind it. It is the quietest page in the set. Warm yellow in the doorway and deep blue in the sky gives it a proper late night feel.
A steep roofed lodge sits in the snow with a wreath and a long bow above the door and a star at the very top. The log walls are drawn as long horizontal lines that take a wood brown well. Two small trees flank the door and finish the picture.
Two hikers with backpacks and walking poles head across the snow toward a big ridge of mountains. The detail sits in the packs and the rock face while the snow is left almost entirely blank. It suits anyone who would rather color scenery than characters.
A reindeer in a harness and collar leaps forward between two pine trees with his head thrown back. The antlers are wide and open, the body is one smooth shape, and the harness gives you a strap to pick out in red. Older kids can shade the legs to make the leap look faster.
A family sits down to a full table: a roast on a platter, side dishes, a cake and a decorated tree behind them. Three faces and a lot of food make this a longer sheet. Warm browns on the meal against a green tree keeps the eye moving around the table.
A girl leans over a heap of large wrapped boxes, each tied with a wide looping ribbon, under a garland of stars. The bows are the best part, all soft loops and folds that shade beautifully. Give each box a different paper and treat the ribbons as one family of colors.
Giant swirled lollipops grow between the pine trees, with wrapped sweets and presents scattered across the ground. The spirals pull your eye straight in and they are the obvious place to try a two color twist. Everything else is chunky enough for a young child.
Three kids race down the slope on sleds, one out in front and two coming up behind, with mountains in the distance. Scarves streaming out sideways do the work of showing speed. Bright coats against a mostly white hill is the whole trick here.
A tall tree with a star on top stands in a town square, ringed with presents and backed by rows of decorated buildings. The buildings run off both edges of the page, which gives it real depth. Keep the background pale so the tree stays the tallest thing in the picture.
A frosted layer cake drips icing down its sides, topped with a cluster of berries, two holly leaves and a candy cane bent into an arch. It is one drawing, big and centered, which makes it a good sheet for testing new markers. Cream icing with red berries is the easy version.
Beep beep: the gingerbread family is out in a car built from a gingerbread house, two of them grinning through the windows with icing swirls all over the doors. The wheels and windows are simple, the icing is not. Let a younger child do the car and an older one do the trim.
A little fairy with pointed ears and a pair of wings holds up a swirled lollipop, stars floating around her skirt. The wings are left almost blank, which is where a pale color or a wash of glitter goes. Her dress is one open shape, so a child can invent the pattern.
Five lanterns hang from snowy branches over a path that runs between two decorated trees. The trees are drawn with dense feathery needles, so this one is slower than it first looks. Leave the lantern glass pale so the light reads as light, and go dark on everything around it.
Two boys in striped tops kneel over a pair of wrapped boxes under an enormous star, smaller stars hanging on threads around them. The star is one huge shape and the boys are simple outlines. It suits a young child who wants something big to fill in fast.
This lighthouse is wrapped in a diagonal stripe with a star on the lantern room and pine trees tied with big bows on either side. Compare it with the Star-Topped Lighthouse sheet above: same idea, more detail, more patience needed. Red and white stripes are the traditional choice and they work.
Color the classic nativity: a robed figure kneels holding a lantern, a mother bends over the child, and a burst of rays spreads out behind them with gifts placed in front. The robes are long smooth folds, so this is a page to shade rather than fill flat. It is the traditional sheet in the set if your family wants one.
A girl in a full ball gown holds out her skirt on a stage, heavy curtains gathered behind her and a decorated urn on each side. The dress is layer on layer of ruffles, which is the whole job on this page. One color with a darker shade in the folds looks far better than five colors.
Three friends stand together on the ice in thick coats and long scarves, skates on, town rooftops sketched faintly behind them. The faces are big and cheerful and the clothing is simple. It is a good page for a child who wants to finish something in one sitting.
A single branch carries a heavy cluster of berries under long veined leaves. There is nothing else on the page, which makes it one of the calmer sheets here. Deep red berries with two greens in the leaves is the version most people reach for.
Three children in chef hats and aprons lean over a decorated cake on a platter, a wrapped parcel and a small bowl beside it. The hats and aprons are big blank shapes and the cake is where the detail sits. Color it while something is actually baking and you have bought twenty minutes.
A patterned hot air balloon floats over row after row of snow capped peaks, its basket loaded with round parcels. The mountains repeat back to the horizon in simple outlines. Bands of color on the balloon and pale blue shadows on the peaks is all this one asks for.
A steam train pulls two carriages around a bend, pines crowding the track and mountains folding away behind. The rails run right out of the bottom of the frame, which gives the page a sense of movement. Dark engine, pale mountains, and let the trees carry the green.
A tree stands behind four fat candles inside a wavy frame hung with small bows and stars. The frame turns the whole page into a card front. Warm orange flames against a dark background is worth the extra effort here.
Celebrate in the sand: a cactus stands tall with wrapped presents piled around its base and a moon in the sky. The spines are drawn as little bursts, so a fine pen is more fun than a crayon. Green cactus, bright boxes, and a pale sand color under it all.
A girl in a knitted dress stands beside a tree hung with stars and small lanterns, holding one lantern out at arm’s length. The tree is drawn in wide smooth layers, so it fills in quickly. Leave the lanterns bright yellow and go darker everywhere else.
A big snow laden pine stands in the foreground while a frozen river curves back toward a tiny cabin and a line of hills. There is no person and no character here, only landscape. Working from the palest blue at the back to the darkest green at the front makes the distance read properly.
A village of tall narrow houses with scalloped roofs stands among trees topped with stars. Every roof is a repeating pattern, so this one is quietly meditative. Vary the house colors and it starts to look like a real street rather than a set.
Welcome your guests: a paneled front door carries a wreath with a big bow above it and a planter of greenery on each side. It is symmetrical, which makes it easy to plan before you start. A red door with a green wreath is expected, so try a deep blue door instead.
A boy in a bobble hat holds a fishing rod over a hole in the ice, a wrapped present sitting in the snow beside him and a decorated tree growing right out of the frozen pond. It is the strangest sheet in the set and children love it for exactly that. Keep the ice almost white and let the tree and the present carry the color.
An old pickup truck rolls along with a decorated tree strapped into the back, star on top and all. The chrome grille and the wheel hubs are the detailed bits; the body is one big open shape. A deep red truck with a green tree is the version you have seen on a hundred cards, and it still works.
One big six armed snowflake fills the page, each arm built from straight chevrons and blocks rather than curls. Because it is symmetrical, you can plan a color pattern on one arm and repeat it the whole way around. If your family likes symmetry, our mandala coloring pages work the same way.
Apply the finishing touches to a gingerbread house topped with swirled candies, bows tied at both corners and piped icing along every edge. Candy cane posts hold up the roof. It is the last sheet in the set and one of the prettiest, so save it for when everyone has warmed up.
By using our free coloring pages, you acknowledge and agree to our full disclaimer. All materials are for personal, non-commercial use only and all rights belong to their respective license holders.
Why Does Coloring Calm Kids Down?
In a randomized study, a single 20 minute mandala coloring session left adults significantly less anxious than a matched group who read instead. The study tracked 120 adults aged 55 to 75, comparing mandala coloring, plaid coloring, free drawing and reading, and only the mandala coloring group finished with a significantly lower anxiety score than the reading control (2). That group also reported feeling calmer, safer and more rested afterward, which is the argument for a page that already has lines on it.
The Drexel research cited above found the same pattern in the body rather than on a questionnaire: 39 adults aged 18 to 59 made art for 45 minutes, and three quarters of them finished with less cortisol. Prior art experience made no difference to the result.
Girija Kaimal, the assistant professor of creative arts therapies who led that study, put it simply: “Everyone is creative and can be expressive in the visual arts when working in a supportive setting.”
The studies here were run on adults, not children, but the calm-down effect is the same thing parents report the moment a child sits down with a coloring page. Two things follow for a busy Christmas week. A page with lines already on it asks less of a tired brain than a blank sheet, and nobody has to be good at drawing for it to work.
Which Christmas Sheets Suit Which Age?
Preschoolers want big closed shapes like Preschool Christmas Shapes and Silly Snowman, early elementary kids want full scenes, and older kids and adults want the dense pages. Preschoolers do best on pages built from big closed shapes: Preschool Christmas Shapes, Christmas Doodles, Silly Snowman and Elf With Two Presents have thick outlines and nothing smaller than a thumbprint.
Early elementary kids can handle a full scene with a few characters in it. Snowman Building, Penguin Christmas Party, Sledding With Friends and Truck Hauling the Tree give them people, animals and objects without fine detail.
Older kids and adults who want a long sit should go for the dense pages. Holiday Fruit Basket, Difficult Christmas House, Ballerina Among the Ornaments, Christmas Lanterns and Gingerbread Castle are built from small repeated marks that reward colored pencils over crayons.
If a page turns out too hard, print it bigger. Scaling to 150 percent on a home printer widens every gap between the lines and can move a sheet down a whole age band. Scaling down to 50 percent does the reverse and fits two sheets on one page.
Activities to Do With Christmas Coloring Pages
Do not just color and recycle. A finished sheet can become wrapping paper, a card, an ornament or a place setting, and most of these take five minutes and things you already own.
Turn Art Into Wrapping Paper
Print the simple repeating sheets, like Christmas Doodles or Preschool Christmas Shapes, and let the kids fill them in. Tape four finished pages together and you have custom paper for small gifts. Grandparents keep this stuff.
Create Custom Greeting Cards
Set your printer to 50 percent so two images fit on one page. Single-subject sheets work best here: Poinsettia Plant, Star Tree Topper and Winter Berries all fill a card front on their own. Cut them out, paste onto folded cardstock, and leave the inside blank for a message.
Make DIY Tree Ornaments
Color the small round subjects, like the Kawaii Christmas Ornaments grid or Snowflake Designer, then cut them out. Punch a hole at the top and thread a ribbon through. Glue the paper to cereal box card first and the ornament will survive being packed away for next year.
Design Festive Placemats
Keep kids busy at the dinner table by using their finished pages as placemats. The wide scenes work best under a plate: Christmas in the City, Snowy Village From Above and Christmas Tree in Town all fill the space. Laminate them, or use a sheet of clear contact paper, and they wipe clean all season.
Craft Personalized Gift Tags
Cut a single element out of a busier page, such as one bauble from Baubles and Star Tree or a candy cane from Holiday Cookies. Write the name on the back, punch a hole, add twine, and tie it to the bag. It costs nothing and beats the sticker sheet from the supermarket.
Build a Holiday Garland
Color several sheets on one theme, such as the gingerbread sheets or the two lighthouses, then cut them out and tape them along a length of yarn. Hang it across a mantel or a doorway. Kids who lose interest halfway through a big scene will often finish six small ones for a garland.
FAQs
How Do I Print These Coloring Pages?
Click the image you want and it opens at full size, then use your browser’s print command or save the file and print it later. Set the printer to Fit to Page so nothing is cut off at the edges. Black and white draft quality is fine and uses far less ink, because every line on these sheets is solid black.
What Paper Is Best for Coloring?
Standard printer paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils. Move up to cardstock for markers, watercolor or anything wet, because thin paper buckles and lets ink through. Cardstock is also what you want for the ornament, gift tag and greeting card projects above, since a colored page has to hold its shape once it is cut out.
Can Adults Use These Coloring Pages?
Yes, and several sheets here were drawn with an adult hand in mind. Holiday Fruit Basket, Christmas Lanterns, Ballerina Among the Ornaments and Difficult Christmas House are all built from fine repeated strokes that take colored pencils well. The research on coloring and anxiety above was run on adults, not children.
Are These Coloring Sheets Free?
Every sheet on this page is free to download and print for personal, classroom and library use. Print one or print the whole set of 100. What you cannot do is sell the sheets or hand them out as your own printables.
Can I Use Markers on These Pages?
Markers work well and give the strongest color, especially on the big open shapes like Silly Snowman or Star Tree Topper. Slide a spare sheet of paper underneath first, since marker ink soaks straight through standard printer paper and will mark the table. On cardstock the bleed mostly stops.
How Long Should a Coloring Session Last?
Twenty minutes is enough to see the benefit, based on the studies described above, and 45 minutes was the length used in the Drexel cortisol research. There is no reason to push a child past the point where they want to stop. A half-finished page can be clipped to the fridge and picked up the next day, which is why the grid sheets like Christmas Doodles are so useful.
Can My Child Color These on a Tablet?
Yes. Save the image to the device, open it in any drawing app that supports layers, and color on a layer underneath the line art so the black lines stay crisp. It is a good option in the car or at the airport. For younger children, a printed sheet and a fat crayon still beats a screen for hand control.
