Are coloring sheets bad for early development?

If you work in early childhood education, you’ll know that coloring sheets are a bit like sour cream - chances are you either love them or you don’t want them on the premises. 

It’s a topic that comes around again and again, so we decided to lay it all out and ask those big questions: Are coloring sheets really a bad idea? Do they stifle creativity?

From creative development to self-soothing, there’s a lot to unpack. I’ll go over some of the main reasons coloring sheets are a firm favorite for some early childhood educators, and ask if we’re making a mountain out of a molehill.

But really, when it comes down to it, the most important thing is to question if they add value to children’s day, and if they don’t. 

Ok, let's dive in.

‍‍

The debate around creativity and coloring sheets

We’ve all heard it before - coloring sheets stifle creativity. That they don’t let children imagine the picture, but give them a picture of a predefined concept or idea. That by providing our little ones with pictures of flowers, houses, and princesses, we’re essentially giving them adult-defined concepts, shapes and outlines, and telling them what colors go where. And to an extent, that’s all very true.

Let’s look at an example: if there’s a coloring sheet with the picture of a sun, it’ll be the way we see the sun. It’ll be round with some lines sticking all around the edges. And nearly every single one of us would probably color the sun in a bright yellow. But what if that isn’t how the child imagines the sun? What if they see it as a massive purple face in the sky with a mop of curly hair? 

Taking away their ability to imagine what the sun might look like essentially fences in their imagination, as they’re encouraged to see the world through an adult’s perspective. And whether consciously or unconsciously, we run the risk of projecting our own view before children have a chance to start imagining yet. In short, it’s a bit like giving children a pre-written script before they start talking - the pictures tell children exactly what to color, what the image should look like and how it’s represented. 

So there clearly isn’t much room for interpretation and imagination when we use coloring sheets. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used in certain instances to extend learning or enhance creativity. 

Let's use the following scenario:

• A child absolutely loves 101 Dalmatians and won’t stop talking about it. You’ve noticed that they aren’t enthusiastic about any of the fine motor skill activities you've tried, so you're looking for other ways to introduce fine motor skills in different ways.
• As a rule, you don’t allow coloring sheets because you don’t think they add value, and that they stifle creativity.
• However, one day you decide to offer a few Disney 101 Dalmatians coloring sheets as an option at the craft table.
• That coloring sheet could be the trigger that encourages that to start drawing their own dalmatians, then horses, then bunny rabbits.
  

In this case, you’re leading with the child’s interests and offering coloring in sheets as a starting-off point. Without the coloring sheet, the child in question might not have felt inspired to start drawing animals freehand, and asking for blank paper to draw their bunny’s adventure. 

You know your child best, and how to extend the learning at the right moment, but by being too quick to say no to coloring sheets, we might be missing a window of opportunity. 

‍

‍

Coloring sheets for fine motor development

It’s no lie that coloring sheets are great for physical development and hand-eye coordination. Holding pens, pencils and crayons as well as trying to stay inside the lines are all perfect for developing fine motor skills, as children learn how to grip and move markers and pencils as they color 

And fine motor skills are absolutely essential when we talk about being able to brush your teeth or tie your shoelaces. Manipulating small objects is a key skill we need every single day of our adult lives, and giving children ample opportunity to develop this skill is paramount. Without those foundations, early mark making and writing will be that much more difficult later on. 

Still, coloring sheets definitely aren’t the only way to do this. There are a whole host of other activities that help children develop their fine motor skills, such as: 

• Freehand drawing 
• Playing with pincers 
• Building with wooden blocks 
• Painting with paintbrushes 
• Making pasta necklaces 
• Putting pipe-cleaners through colanders 
• Playing with play dough 
• Activities with googly eyes

These are all activities that encourage children to start using their fingers to grasp objects and manipulate them however they choose. The fact that coloring prepares the little ones for bigger tasks by simply encouraging grip and control isn’t quite enough to have us all printing dozens of tangled-inspired pages - at least not quite yet. 

‍

Coloring creates a stress-free zone‍

When you hear the phrase ‘Oh but children love coloring sheets,’ have you ever stopped to ask yourself why they seem to enjoy them so much? Are they therapeutic? A moment of quiet and concentration?

With the recent boom of adult coloring books, there’s been increasing amounts of research into mindfulness and anxiety when we talk about coloring books. Coloring helps reduce levels of anxiety and stress in adults, as it provides them with a moment of calm concentration amongst the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. 

But using this argument for the little ones misses a crucial point. For us, coloring inside the lines is second nature - we don’t struggle to hold a pen or color accurately, as our motor skills are already developed. We’re not in a critical stage of physical development the way that toddlers are.

‍
And what’s more, the stress reduction associated with coloring sheets applies to all artistic activities. In fact, cortisol, the hormone released when we’re stressed, lowers significantly after only 45 minutes of art creation - regardless of the activity! So while coloring sheets do lower those stress levels and give children a moment of tranquility, this isn’t unique to the coloring books and sheets themselves. 

‍

‍

So what are the pros and cons of coloring?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with coloring sheets - we just need to be careful of how we’re using them. Like everything else, children need a wide range of activities to really develop. 

Even though you may not be the biggest fan, some children love them. The key is not to let our adult-led expectations lead the creative activity. Placing a sheet in front of a child and telling them the sky is blue and the grass is green on their pre-drawn coloring sheet isn’t going to spark their inner Picasso, but giving them the opportunity to use and enjoy coloring sheets in the way that they want to use them is perfectly okay. 

They can still experiment with colors, patterns and symbols as they go - regardless if there are lines or not. Letting them have creative freedom without restricting them to certain colors (or asking them to paint by numbers) can help with color recognition, too. 

When it comes down to it, you as an educator know your children the best. You already know that children need a wide variety of activities to aid their development. There’s no right or wrong answer to using colour sheeting as there’s nothing inherently wrong with them - but if they’re the only coloring option in your art corner, it might be time to rethink your provision. 

‍

Benefits of coloring books

• Developing fine motor skills: As already discussed, coloring is great for strengthening hand muscles and improving grip, which are essential for the rest of their lifetime.
• Creativity and self-expression: Even though coloring sheets provide a set outline, kids can use different colors and techniques, allowing some room for creativity and self-expression. And even if a sun is "supposed to be" yellow, they have the freedom to choose a different color.
• Focus and patience: Encourages children to focus on one task for an extended period of time.
• Color recognition: Learn and practice colors names, shades and combinations.

Plus if you use paint by numbers, it will help children practice their counting and number recognition. And of course, they can always learn about the object they are coloring, whether it's animals, plants, dinosaurs and so much more.

‍

Limitations of coloring books

• Limited creativity: Don't think I need to repeat myself again!
• Overemphasis on staying in the lines: This isn't always the case, but sometimes adults ca place too much emphasis on staying in the lines, choosing the right colors, which doesn't support creativity and exploration.
• Passive learning: While coloring sheets can be educational, they don’t always encourage active, hands-on learning like building blocks or problem-solving activities do.
• One-size-fits-all: Coloring sheets are quite generic, and might not cater to a child’s unique interests or developmental stage.

‍‍

Using coloring sheets to enhance learning and development

Some children absolutely adore coloring sheets, and we shouldn’t be putting our distaste of them onto them if they continue to ask for them. Sometimes they just appreciate the quiet, concentrated activity. 

And simply taking a stance of "coloring sheets provide no benefits" misses an opportunity to follow a child’s interests and extend this quiet moment of concentration. Just because coloring in doesn’t have unique benefits in itself, doesn’t mean we can’t use it to extend other areas of learning.

‍

‍

A few ideas to enhance the learning opportunities for coloring sheets: 

• Scaffold as you go along. Talk about the images in the coloring sheets and engage children in conversation about them. Ask them why the sky outside looks dark today, or why the sea looks blue.
• Explain the colors to the children - ask them which ones they’re using, and introduce new ones for them to learn. Talk about where you see them in your setting and point them out, as they’re only just beginning to recognize and differentiate colors for themselves.
• Have a wide variety of coloring sheets, and include your children’s backgrounds as much as possible. Along with ensuring your setting is culturally inclusive, making sure children can see themselves in materials is incredibly important. This way the coloring sheets aren’t the focus, but a unique opportunity for learning.