Free Coloring Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Dana Gutkowski

I am the mother of none, but the very proud Aunt to four beautiful children. I did absolutely no work to create them, but I will do everything in my power to help raise them.

Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)

How can I be a good aunt? - May 19, 2021
Aunt Quotes - March 19, 2021
End Your Silence. Support Black Lives Matter - June 29, 2020

Growing up, I loved art! I was fascinated with learning how to draw, coloring, and creating my own masterpieces. It’s not much of a surprise that my nieces and nephews are the same way. It’s one of the ways that we bond together. They often ask me to draw a picture of their favorite characters so they can color and hang their pictures on the wall. I enjoy doing it and they really appreciate that I can do it for them.

When you find yourself babysitting your niece or nephew (which many Aunts do on a regular basis), it’s a good idea to have an action plan. Picking out a movie to watch or playing a board game can be a lot of fun. But you know what? You’re gonna want to have a quiet activity planned too – like coloring.

However, our bonding experience isn’t the only reason why I encourage them to create. Art is a therapeutic and educational tool for kids. They’re relaxing and learning at the same time without them even knowing it. Before kids even step into a classroom, they begin their educational journeys – at home with their parents and with other family members…i.e. Aunts!

Why is coloring so great? Lots of reasons!

It helps them develop their fine motor skills!

It’s not easy for children to color inside the lines. That takes time and practice – and fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to get those colors between the lines. We need our fine motor skills to eat, tie our shoes, button our shirts, etc. Since it’s such an important part of life so it’s equally as important to practice! Coloring activities are a fun way to practice.

It’s relaxing!

Coloring allows children to focus on one specific task. The ability to focus on just one thing seems easy enough, but for little kids, it’s harder than you think. Their little brains are developing and they’re easily distracted. By giving them a picture to color they receive immediate gratification which calms and satisfies their minds.

It promotes creativity!

There is no such thing as the right way to color something. There’s freedom with art that can be encouraged. Allow them to pick whatever color they want. Let me color outside the lines. Let them make scribbles. Their little brains are exploring and learning even if it doesn’t look pretty. So what if you’ve never seen a green tiger in real life.

With all of these great reasons why coloring is a perfect activity for children, I thought it would be a good idea to also share with you my free printable coloring book. I like to draw, so I put together an A-Z animal coloring book for kids. It’s handcrafted and Aunt approved! Have fun teaching them the alphabet and associating each letter with an animal!

Enter your email address below and receive a FREE coloring activity! 26 pages of coloring fun for your niece or nephew!