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Fire up this backyard barbecue coloring page for a warm day at the table. A boy in an apron that is two sizes too big flips burgers on a round grill. Four burgers sit on the rack, smoke curls up in soft puffs, and he holds his spatula out like a hero with a sword.
Next to him is a small table with a stack of buns, a bowl of corn, and bottles of ketchup and mustard. Sunflowers lean over the fence. A little American flag sits in a porch holder at the back. It all looks like the best part of a long summer day.
This medium page fits ages 5 to 10 and takes around 30 minutes.
Start this backyard barbecue coloring page at the grill
The grill sits in the middle, so color it first. Black is the true choice, though dark gray lets you see the bars and the vents on the lid. Once that is in, the rest of the scene falls into place around it.
Next, give the apron some life. It has a big pocket with a star on it and long ties at the back. Stripes, plaid or a loud pattern of hot dogs would all work here, so let your kid pick. Silly choices make the best pages.
Burger brown, mustard yellow and smoky gray
Brown food can look flat on paper. Get around that by laying down an orange base and going over it with brown. The burgers will look grilled instead of muddy.
- Bottles: bright red for ketchup, bright yellow for mustard.
- Smoke: a very light gray, or simply leave it white.
- Sunflowers: gold petals around a dark brown middle.
- Grass: two greens, with short strokes that go up and down.
One small flag is on this page, and it has the real 13 stripes, so ask your child to start and end with red. A fine tip marker helps on those thin lines.
A word that crossed the ocean
Americans have been cooking outdoors on the Fourth for a very long time. Barbecue is one of the things people link most closely with the day, right next to parades and fireworks. The word itself is older than the country. Many experts trace it to a word used by the Taino people of the Caribbean for a wood frame set over a fire, as this barbecue article explains.
Kids tend to like that one. A word for a wooden rack ended up on signs all over the United States.
Talk about grill safety while you color
Real grills are hot, and the lid and the sides stay hot long after the food is done. The drawing shows a pretend cook, so use it to set the real rule. In many homes the rule is simple: kids stay three big steps away from the grill. Have your child show you what three big steps looks like.
Turn it into a menu
After coloring, ask your child to make a menu on a sheet of paper. It should have four things from the drawing, with a price for each one. Older kids can add up the bill for a family of four, which is sneaky math practice on a summer day.
Younger kids might sort food instead. Which things on the page come from a plant? Which come from an animal? Corn, buns and sunflower seeds give you plenty to talk about. Keep the page handy for the next real cookout.
Other summer food to color
Stay hungry with our hamburger page, or take this cook to the holiday picnic table. There is more to print in our July 4th coloring pages.
Questions
Is it fine for a summer camp or a class?
Yes. Print one for each child. It works as a warm day quiet time sheet in the last week of school.
Why does the grill look so dark in some colored versions?
Most round grills are black. Color it dark gray instead if you want the burgers and the lid handle to stand out.
Is there an easier food page?
Yes. Our hamburger page has one big burger with far fewer parts, so it suits a preschooler better.
