16 Heart Coloring Pages (Free Printable PDFs)

Hearts for each skill level

A heart is one of the first shapes a child learns, so we made sure there is something for every level. The simple heart is a large outline with a light border, which is all a two year old needs. The kawaii heart has a smiling face and little friends around it, and the rainbow heart has nested bands to fill in order.

The second group adds a story to the shape. There is a heart of flowers, a heart with wings, a heart tree covered in small heart leaves, and a heart lock and key. For a slower page, try the patterned heart, the heart wreath or the zentangle heart.

Heart coloring pages by age

• Ages 2 to 4: The simple heart and the kawaii heart. Hand your child one big crayon and let them fill the shape.
• Ages 4 to 7: The rainbow heart and the heart balloons teach color order and patterns.
• Ages 8 to 12: The heart with wings and the heart with stars have more to plan.
• Teens and adults: The zentangle heart and the heart mandala are calm, detailed pages.

Print a heart in one click

Press PDF on any card to get that drawing. Press Download all at the top of this page to get every drawing in one file, with one drawing on each sheet. The pages fit US Letter paper. On A4, choose Fit to page. No printer? Press Color on any card and fill it in on a phone, tablet or computer.

Ways to use a heart page

A colored heart makes a quick card. Fold the sheet in half, color the heart on the front, and write a short note inside for a grandparent, a teacher or a friend who needs cheering up. You do not need a holiday to do it.

Hearts also work well for early learning. Young kids can practice cutting along the outline of the simple heart, since the curves and the point are good practice for small scissors. Then glue the heart to colored paper. A class can cut out one each and build a big paper chain or a wall display.

Teachers often use hearts in a lesson on kindness. Give each child a page and ask them to write one kind thing they did this week inside the shape. Hang them along a hallway. For Valentine's Day, pair these pages with our Valentine's Day coloring pages.

Colors and patterns to try

Red and pink are the classic picks, but a heart looks great in any color. Try a cool blue and purple heart, or a sunny yellow and orange one. On a patterned page, use two colors that sit close together for a soft look, or two opposite colors for a bold one.

For a soft shine on a big heart, press hard along the edges and lightly in the middle. Leave a small white curve near the top, and the shape starts to look round. On the zentangle heart, finish one section at a time so the page does not feel too big, and let some sections stay white for a rest.

Kids who want a challenge can add their own patterns to the simple heart: stripes, dots, zigzags or tiny stars. It turns the easiest page in the set into something quite different, and no two come out the same.

Heart pages through the year

Hearts are not only for February. In spring, the heart tree and the heart of flowers suit a lesson on growing things. Around Mother's Day and Father's Day, a colored heart with a short message makes a free gift that a child can finish alone. At the end of a school year, a class can sign a big heart for a teacher.

Birthdays work too. Color the heart balloons, write the guest's name across the middle, and tuck the page into a card. If your child is missing someone, a heart page is a simple way to send a little love through the mail. Grandparents tend to keep these for a long time.

The heart lock and key is a fun one for older kids who like secrets. Ask them to write a kind wish on the back and fold the page shut. The heart with stars suits a bedtime talk about the things you are thankful for today.

The rainbow heart as a first color lesson

The rainbow heart is really two activities in one. Six hearts nest one inside the other around a tiny smiling heart, and a letter key tells you which rainbow color goes where. Before your child starts, line up the six crayons and say the color names out loud together. A child who does not know letters yet can still match the first sound. R is for red.

Very young kids may stop after one band, so try one color a day and stretch it over a week. When the page is finished, find a picture of a real rainbow and compare. Real rainbows keep the same color order every time, with red along the outside edge.

Color how you feel

Kids do not always have words for a hard day, and a heart can give them another way to say it. Hand your child the simple heart and ask them to fill it with colors that show how they feel right now. Let them make their own code. Yellow may be happy, blue may be sad and red may be mad, or the whole thing might mean something else to them.

A big idea hides in this small job. One heart can hold more than one color, just as one person can feel two things at once. If your child wants to tell you about it, listen. If not, leave it alone. Some teachers keep a stack of these in a calm corner for the same reason.

Letters worth mailing

The love letter page has an open envelope, a heart seal and a note you can write on, so it does half the work of a real letter. Help new writers with a simple frame: Dear Grandpa, I like you because. Have them write in pencil first, then color around the words.

The teddy bear with a heart is a sweet get well card for a sick friend. Classes can make a set for a nearby care home, but call ahead and ask what they would like.

Your real heart is a muscle

Older kids often ask why a heart drawing looks nothing like the real thing. A real heart is a muscle about the size of your fist, and it pumps blood around your body all day and night without you thinking about it. Have your child find the beat on the inside of their wrist with two fingers and count for a while. Then jump in place for one minute and count again. The beat gets faster, because working muscles need more blood.

A note for parents

Very young children often need just one shape and one color to feel proud of a page. If your child scribbles outside the line, that is normal, and it is how hand control grows. Praise the choice of color, not how neat it is. Keep a few simple hearts in a drawer for quiet moments, a doctor's waiting room or a slow restaurant.

All pages are free for home, class and library use. See our free use license for the simple rules.

Questions