Holly Coloring Page

This holly coloring page shows a long branch reaching across a winter garden. Eight big spiky leaves grow along it, four bunches of round red berries hang from the twig, and a plump robin sits right in the middle. Each leaf has a line down its center with small veins on both sides. Behind the branch you will find a snowy stone wall, pine trees, a bright sun and two clouds.

It is an easy page, so it suits children from about 3 to 9. A preschooler can fill the leaves and the wall in fifteen minutes. An older child can spend longer on shading, since there is so much room to work.

Greens and reds

Holly has dark, shiny leaves. Try a deep green for the whole leaf, then go over one half with a lighter green. It makes the leaf look folded along the middle. You can also add a pale yellow edge for a variegated look, since some real holly has cream borders.

Make the berries a strong red. The tiny circle on each one is the shine, so leave it white. Use a soft blue for the sky, and nothing will fight with the green and red. The robin needs a brown back and a red or orange chest.

The wall looks good in two or three grays. Snow can stay white, or you can trace it in pale blue. A silver gel pen adds some sparkle.

Tips for this holly coloring page

• Color from the center line out to the points.
• Use a sharp pencil for the spikes around the edge.
• Press harder close to the berries to add shadow on the leaves.
• Color the blocks of the wall one at a time, so the job feels short.

Young children can use the page to learn two new words, spiky and round. Have them touch each shape on the paper as they say the word out loud, then ask them to find something at home that feels the same.

A plant with a long history

People have brought holly indoors in winter for many centuries. It stays green when most other plants look bare, so it stood for life in the coldest months. Ancient Romans used it during their winter festival, and it later became part of Christmas.

Here is a nice fact. Holly trees are either male or female, and only the female ones grow the red berries. Birds love them. They spread the seeds as they fly. The berries are not safe for people, so tell small children to look and not touch.

Crafts you can try

Holly leaves are easy to turn into paper crafts. Cut out a few leaves and a bunch of berries, then glue them on a clip or a card. Add them to a gift for a homemade touch. You can make a hair clip or a brooch with a piece of felt and some glue.

For a table decoration, color a few and cut them out. Scatter them along the middle of the table for your holiday meal. You can even write a guest's name on a leaf to make a place card.

This sheet also works well for a pattern lesson. Count the eight leaves first, then ask your child to draw a new row of leaf, berry, leaf, berry on the back. Try it. It is good practice for the hand, and it builds early math too.

The song "The Holly and the Ivy" is a nice one to play while you color. It is an old English carol, and it fits the page very well. Older kids can look up the words and learn the first verse.

Try a mirror test on the leaves. Each one has a center line and spikes along both sides, so ask your child whether the left side matches the right. It never matches exactly, and that is a good talk about how real leaves look.

Paper for cut outs

If you plan to cut the leaves out for crafts, print on thicker paper so they hold their shape.

More greenery to color

This holly coloring page belongs with our Christmas coloring pages. See the Christmas wreath for a full ring of green, or try the poinsettia for a bold holiday plant.

Questions