Color by Number coloring pages

Free printable color by number pages turn a numbered picture into a finished one, one color at a time.

These free printable color by number pages number every space in a picture and list the matching colors in a key at the bottom. Young children get a few big spaces and a handful of colors, like a rowboat or a kite. Kids get pirate ships and friendly spiders. Teens and adults get busy scenes with more colors, from a county fair to carolers in the snow. There is also how to do color by number step by step, and the story of the paint by number craze from the Smithsonian.

The simplest numbered pages are the best way to learn how it works.

Easy color by number pages for toddlers and preschool use a few big spaces.

The Rowboat has two oars and just four warm colors. The Kite in the Wind splits a kite into four big triangles with bows on its tail. Both are good first pages, because every number sits in a space large enough for a crayon.

Preschoolers can try the Little Steamboat, with round portholes and a puff of smoke. The Holiday Bell has a big bow on top and only a few numbers to match. After a few simple pages, kids are ready for pictures with more to find.

Color by number pages for kids hide a whole picture in the numbers.

The Pirate Boat sails under a skull-and-crossbones flag, with a treasure chest on deck. The Friendly Spider hangs from its web with a big smile. Our color by number pages for kids have many more, from animals to holidays.

Kids enjoy watching the picture appear as each number fills in. Older colorers get the same surprise, with more colors to track.

Color by number for adults and teens means busy scenes and more colors.

The County Fair packs a Ferris wheel, a carousel and a snack cart into one numbered scene. The Carolers sing from songbooks in the snow, in reds, greens and cozy knits. The Winter Fox sits in a snowy pine forest.

The Polar Bear and Cub rest on the ice under a pale sun. Pages like these take longer, but the key does the color planning for you. Our color by number pages for adults collect the grown-up designs. Numbered pictures like these have a surprisingly famous history.

What was the paint by number craze?

Paint by number kits were a popular hobby in 1950s America. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History told the story in an exhibition called Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s, on view from 2001 to 2002.

The museum explains that many critics saw "number painting" as a symbol of mindless conformity. But it also says the hobby invited people who had never held a paintbrush into a world of art and creativity. It notes that in the 1950s, more Americans than ever had free time and homes to decorate. Color by number pages follow the same idea, with crayons or pencils instead of paint. Getting started takes only a few simple steps.

How do you do color by number?

Look at the key at the bottom of the page first. Each number has a color swatch and a color name, like 1 for peach or 2 for yellow. Gather those colors before you start.

Then pick one number and color every space with that number, before moving to the next. Starting with the biggest spaces helps the picture appear sooner. Some spaces are too small to hold a number, and the key says to pick any color you like for those. Your own colors are fine too, since the numbers are a guide, not a rule.

From a simple rowboat to a busy county fair, these free printable color by number pages turn numbers into pictures at every age. Pick a page, check the key, and fill one number at a time.