Arts · Preschool–Grade 1
Free color by number worksheets
Six printable color by number grids for preschool, kindergarten and grade 1. Match the numbered squares to the key and a heart, apple, fish, rocket, house or Halloween pumpkin appears.
Color by number: heart
A 14 by 14 grid of numbered squares that reveals a red heart when coloured with the three-colour key. Free printable PDF.
Color by number: apple
Colour the numbered squares to reveal an apple with a leaf and stem; four colours. Free printable PDF.
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Color by number: fish
Colour the numbered squares to reveal an orange fish with yellow fins swimming through bubbles; four colours. Free printable PDF.
Color by number: rocket
Colour the numbered squares to reveal a rocket with a flame and stars in the night sky; five colours. Free printable PDF.
Color by number: house
Colour the numbered squares to reveal a house with a red roof, windows, a door, grass and sunshine; six colours. Free printable PDF.
Color by number: jack-o'-lantern pumpkin
A Halloween colour by number: the numbered squares reveal a grinning jack-o'-lantern against a purple night sky; four colours. Free printable PDF.
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These six color by number worksheets use a 14 by 14 grid of numbered squares instead of an outline drawing. Each square has a number, the key says which color that number stands for, and when every square is filled a picture appears. The sheets run from simple to more detailed: a heart with a three-color key, then an apple with a leaf and stem and a fish with yellow fins swimming through bubbles (four colors each), a rocket with a flame and stars in the night sky (five colors), a house with a red roof, windows, a door, grass and sunshine (six colors), and a grinning jack-o'-lantern pumpkin against a purple night sky for Halloween (four colors).
Because the picture is hidden until the end, children keep going to see what it will be, and the squares are large enough for a preschooler to color without frustration.
What Students Will Practice
- Recognizing the numerals 1 to 6 and matching each one to a color in the key
- Coloring inside a small square with control, a pre-writing skill
- Working systematically across a grid, row by row or one color at a time
- Naming colors, including the orange and yellow of the fish and the purple sky behind the pumpkin
- Concentrating on a task with a visible reward at the end
Color by number grids suit children aged 4 to 7. Kindergarten teachers use them for morning work and early finishers, and the pumpkin sheet doubles as an October activity.
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How to Use These Worksheets
Print at 100% on A4 or US Letter paper. Crayons, colored pencils or markers all work, and the key is printed in color so children can match swatches even before they can read the color names.
- Start with the heart. It has only three colors and a simple shape, so it is the best introduction to how the key works. Point to the number in a square, find it in the key, and color.
- Suggest a strategy. Some children like to do all the 1s, then all the 2s. Others go row by row. Either works, but coloring one number at a time is quicker and produces a neater picture.
- Talk about the picture as it appears. Ask what the child thinks it will be after a few rows. Guessing keeps them engaged and builds inference skills.
- Use the pumpkin in October. It has a purple night sky background, a green stem and a black grin, and makes a good Halloween party or classroom activity.
- Compare with a coloring page. Once a grid is complete, children often like to draw the same picture freehand on the back of the sheet.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Skipping the background squares: The background is part of the picture. Explain that every square gets a color, including the sky or water.
- Mixing up 6 and 9: Not a problem here, since no sheet uses more than six colors, but do check that 1 and 4 are not confused on the rocket and house.
- Coloring too dark: Heavy marker over the number hides it, which is fine, but a very dark crayon layer can make the finished picture muddy. Light, even coloring looks best.
- Rushing the last rows: The picture is usually recognizable by the middle, and children speed up. Encourage them to finish neatly so the final picture is clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are color by number worksheets for?
These grids work best for ages 4 to 7. Three-color designs like the heart suit preschoolers, while the six-color house and five-color rocket are better for kindergarten and first grade.
Why use a grid instead of a picture outline?
A grid gives every child the same clean result regardless of drawing skill, and the hidden picture is a strong motivator. It also practices numeral recognition more intensively, since every square has a number.
Can I print these in black and white?
Yes. The key shows the color name next to each swatch, so the sheets still work on a black and white printer. Children who cannot read yet will need an adult to say the color names once.
Do the sheets have answer pictures?
No separate answer key is needed. The completed picture is the answer, and the sheet titles say what each grid shows.
More Coloring and Number Activities
For traditional coloring pages, see our number coloring pages, animal coloring pages and Halloween coloring pages. The copy the picture worksheets use a similar grid for drawing rather than coloring. For number recognition on its own, try the number tracing worksheets and the hundreds chart worksheets, which also work well for skip-counting coloring patterns.
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