Coloring is an enjoyable activity for people of all ages. It provides a creative outlet and can have therapeutic benefits. When choosing what to color, it’s best to pick subjects and images that appeal to your interests so the process feels fun, not tedious. Here are some ideas for fun things to color.
Coloring Books for Adults
Adult coloring books offer intricate designs and beautiful artwork. These books are often focused on specific themes like animals, flowers, mandalas, fantasy scenes, architecture, vehicles, pop culture characters, and more. Some benefits of coloring books for adults include:
- Relaxation – The repetitive motion of coloring is calming.
- Creativity – Adult books offer challenging designs that engage your imagination.
- Focus – Staying inside the lines requires concentration which can reduce anxiety.
- Accomplishment – Finishing a page gives you a sense of achievement.
Look for adult coloring books with thick, quality paper so markers and gel pens don’t bleed through. Colored pencils are a good option for creating shading and texture. Some popular adult coloring books include Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest, Lost Ocean, Harry Potter, and more. Choose themes like animals, flowers, fantasy art, mandalas, or pop culture based on your interests.
Coloring Pages for Kids
Coloring pages are a great activity for kids. They help develop fine motor skills, creativity, focus, and color recognition. Print free pages from websites or choose coloring books with characters from cartoons, movies, video games, and books that match your child’s interests. Some ideas include:
- Disney princesses and characters
- Paw Patrol
- Pokemon
- My Little Pony
- Superheroes like Spiderman, Batman, and Superman
- Animals like dinosaurs, jungle animals, farm animals, etc.
- Princesses and fairies
- Cars, trucks, and other vehicles
- Seasonal images for holidays
- Alphabets and numbers
Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Add stickers or glitter glue when finished for extra fun. Rotate through different coloring implements to keep kids engaged.
Posters and Wall Art
Turn inexpensive posters and wall art into fun coloring projects. Some ideas include:
- Maps – Color in different countries, states, or cities
- Animal posters – Focus on mammals, birds, sea creatures, or dinosaurs
- Flower posters – Color different types of flowers and plants
- Architecture prints – Color buildings, churches, landmarks, or cityscape scenes
- Mandala posters – Intricate mandala designs for meditative coloring
- Typography posters – Add color to interesting fonts and letters
Use slim markers or colored pencils. If using markers, put scrap paper behind the poster so the colors don’t bleed through. When done, frame the colored poster for wall art.
Reusable Coloring Books
Reusable coloring books allow you to color the images over and over. Some options include:
- Water coloring books – Paint images with a wet brush. When dry, the colors disappear so you can color again.
- Color Wonder books – Special clear or light colored ink appears when used with the Color Wonder marker but then fades away.
- Washable coloring books – Made with special paper that allows marker colors to wipe away easily with a damp cloth.
These are great for kids because they can enjoy coloring the same book many times. The special ink or paper prevents the colors from permanently staining the images.
Digitally Coloring Printables
You can color images digitally on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Some options include:
- Apps like Pigment, Recolor, and Colorfly that let you color images within the app.
- Websites like Coolors and SumoPaint with free coloring pages you can customize.
- Downloading and printing free coloring pages or sheets to color digitally.
Digital coloring allows you to color with styluses, brushes, and all sorts of cool effects. You also don’t have the mess of physical coloring supplies. It’s a fun way to color especially for teens or adults.
Everyday Objects Around Your Home
You can transform mundane household items into coloring projects. Try coloring on these with markers, crayons, or paint:
- Mugs, vases, bowls
- Wooden crates or boxes
- Picture frames
- Candles
- Plant pots
- Rocks or pebbles
- Cork boards
- Tote bags, hats, or shirts
- Wood slices and wood craft shapes
Add some color and patterns to boring objects to give them new life. This takes an ordinary item and makes it unique.
Nature Items
Collect leaves, sticks, pinecones, rocks, seashells, and other natural items. Color designs on them with markers, paint, or nail polish. Experiment with different colors and patterns like polka dots, stripes, flowers, mandalas, and more. These make nice decorations around the home or thoughtful gifts.
Nature coloring ideas:
- Leaves
- Pinecones
- Sticks and twigs
- Sand dollars
- Starfish
- Pebbles
- Seashells
- Driftwood
- Feathers
Embellished Coloring Sheets
Embellish a printed coloring page by adding dimensional details with craft supplies:
- Glue on buttons for eyes and noses
- Cut foam into shapes and glue in place
- Use pom poms for noses or decorations
- Glue on googly eyes
- Use craft sand to add texture
- Cut glitter foam into shapes
- Sprinkle glitter
Almost anything can be glued onto the page like pasta, beads, sequins, and fabric. Let kids go wild with their imaginations by providing various materials. The textures and dimensional elements make the coloring page more unique and fun.
Things to Color Outside
On a nice day, take coloring outdoors. Some ideas include:
- Chalk – Color on sidewalks, pavement, or driveways. Chalk is vibrant, washes away easily, and can turn any outdoor surface into a giant coloring page.
- Rock painting – Paint fun designs on smooth rocks collected from outside. Hide painted rocks around the neighborhood for others to find.
- Fence painting – Use watercolor paints to temporarily color fences or wood panels outside.
- Bubbles – Add food coloring to bubble solution so you can color the bubbles you blow. Watch them turn the sidewalk colorful as they pop.
- Water painting – Use large paintbrushes and water cups with food coloring to paint color designs outside on the pavement or sidewalk.
Outdoor coloring takes advantage of nice weather. And colors wash or fade away quickly when done.
Conclusion
Coloring is an enjoyable, creative activity with many options beyond just books and sheets of paper. Let your interests guide you and try unique items like wall art, plant pots, rocks, outdoor sidewalks, and digital apps. The right coloring project paired with your preferred tools, like markers, crayons, paint, or chalk, results in a fun, engaging experience for both kids and adults.