Free color by number printables
98 sheets to download as PDF, ready to print on US Letter or A4 paper. Each picture is split into numbered spaces, with its color key at the bottom of the page. The picture stays hidden until it is colored in: that is the whole point.
Free means free. No account, no email address, no watermark across the picture. Teachers can copy them for a whole class.
Kindergarten color by number
Big spaces, few colors, easy-to-read numbers. Kids practice recognizing numbers while they color.
The sun
5 colors
The apple
6 colors
The balloons
5 colors
1st grade color by number
More spaces and more colors. The picture is easy to read; the challenge is following the color key without mixing up shades.
The butterfly
8 colors
The fish
7 colors
The house
8 colors
2nd grade color by number
Mystery pictures: a grid of numbered squares, a longer color key, and patience to get to the end.
The strawberry
8 colors
The cherries
9 colors
The banana
8 colors
3rd grade color by number
The most detailed: lots of spaces, lots of colors, and a picture you only really see at the end.
The turtle
10 colors
The parrot
10 colors
The flamingo
12 colors
How to use them
Print the sheet at actual size ("Actual size" or 100% in your print settings): the numbers in small spaces become hard to read as soon as the page is scaled down. Regular printer paper is fine, but slip a sheet underneath if your child uses markers.
The color key is at the bottom of the sheet. The easiest start is to color the dots of the key with the crayons you actually have, rather than hunting for the exact shade: what matters is that two different numbers don't end up the same color.
Where do these sheets come from? From the same program that makes our personalized books. It splits an illustration into color areas, merges the ones too small for a child to color, numbers the rest and draws the color key.
The difference with our books comes down to one page: here, the picture stays hidden, like a real mystery picture. In our personalized color by number books, the colored model is printed on the facing page, because you are coloring your own family and want to see how it should look.
Frequently asked questions
What is a color by number?
A picture split into spaces, each with a number, plus a key that says which color goes with which number. Until you color, you only see a tangle of lines and numbers: the picture appears as the spaces fill up. That is what sets it apart from a regular coloring page, where the drawing is visible from the start and kids pick their own colors.
Are these color by number printables really free?
Yes, completely. No account, no email, no watermark. You click, the PDF is prepared and downloads, as US Letter or A4. Print it as many times as you like and copy it for a whole class: that is what it is for.
What age is color by number for?
As soon as a child recognizes numbers and can match them to a color, around age 4 or 5. Our kindergarten sheets have big spaces and only four to six colors, which leaves room for a hand that is still learning. The 2nd and 3rd grade sheets have many more spaces and mostly take method: no skipping numbers, and checking the key before coloring.
Is color by number the same as colour by numbers or a mystery picture?
Yes. Color by number, colour by numbers (the British spelling), color by code and mystery pictures all name the same activity: numbered spaces and a color key. Our 2nd and 3rd grade sheets are mystery pictures in the strictest sense, since nothing on the grid gives the picture away.
Which crayons work best?
Colored pencils are the safest choice: they forgive going over the lines and don't soak through thin printer paper. Markers give bolder colors but often bleed through, so slip a sheet underneath. Avoid paint, which wrinkles the paper and drowns the numbers.
Can I use them in the classroom?
Yes, that is one of the uses they are made for. You can print, copy and hand out these sheets at school or in after-school programs without asking us anything. The only thing we ask is not to resell them or republish them as they are on another website.
What about a photo of your child?
The same program can turn your own photo into a coloring page. The preview is free, you receive it by email, and you don't have to buy anything to see it.
Try it with my photo