Skeleton Dance Coloring Page

Curtains up! This skeleton dance coloring page puts three cheerful skeletons on stage for the Halloween show. A skeleton in a top hat and one with a ring of flowers each lift an arm high and reach down to hold the hands of a little skeleton in the middle. All three are grinning, and music notes float between them.

This suits kids from 6 to 12. The bones have many small parts, so it asks for more control than a simple pumpkin. Expect it to take about 30 to 40 minutes. It is a good one for a child who likes a bit of a challenge.

On the stage tonight

Heavy curtains frame both sides of the picture, and each is held back with a gold tie. A scalloped top curtain runs across the stage with five round buttons. Behind the dancers, a big moon rises in a starry sky. Nine small footlights sit in a row along the front edge.

Look at the outfits. The two big skeletons wear bow ties, and the small one has a tiny bow tie too. Everybody has large eyes with bright rings, which is a fun spot for color.

Skeleton dance coloring page color ideas

Bones do not have to stay white. A soft cream or pale yellow looks warm against a dark sky, and it stops the skeletons from fading into the paper. Add a light gray along one side of each bone to make it look round.

Red curtains are the classic theater choice. Deep purple or green would feel more spooky. Keep the sky dark so the bones pop, and color the moon a pale gold with darker craters.

The eyes are the secret here. Give each skeleton a different eye color, such as lilac, mint and pink. Those small rings of color will bring their faces to life. The flowers can be as bright as you like.

How to handle all those bones

Start with the background instead of the skeletons. Fill in the sky around the ribs with a sharp pencil, and the bones will appear on their own. If you leave them white, you are nearly done.

Slow down at the ribs and the fingers. A fine tip marker or a sharp colored pencil works best. Turn the page sideways if that makes your hand more comfortable.

Do the big curtain folds in long strokes from top to bottom. Press harder along one side of each fold to make the fabric look heavy.

A few facts about real skeletons

The small skeleton in the middle has a surprise for you. According to this overview of the human skeleton, a newborn has around 270 bones. Many join together as a child grows, leaving about 206 by adulthood. Your rib cage is made of 12 pairs of ribs. Ask your child to count the ribs drawn on the page and see how the cartoon version compares.

Keep the party going

Put on some music and try out the poses from the picture. One arm up, one arm down, then swap. Little kids love copying the skeletons, and it is an easy brain break for a classroom.

Teachers can turn the sheet into a labeling page. Ask students to write skull, spine, ribs and pelvis on sticky notes and place them on the drawing. Finish with a stage name for each dancer.

Want a quick version? Skip the sky. Color only the curtains, the hats and the bow ties, and leave everything else white. The bones will still stand out, and a 5-year-old can feel proud of a finished page in ten minutes. It is also handy for a busy classroom when the party is about to start and nobody has much time left at the table.

More bones to print

The skeleton coloring page has one big party skeleton in a graveyard. Kids who like bones will also enjoy the dinosaur skeleton coloring page, and it makes a nice science link too.

Questions