Mom and Daughter Coloring Page

On this mom and daughter coloring page, the two of them are baking at the kitchen counter. Mom holds the bowl and stirs while her daughter presses a heart cutter into a sheet of dough. A tray beside them already holds eight heart cookies, and both have a dab of flour on their noses.

Behind them, a window looks out on the garden. Shelves hold jars and cups, and a rolling pin rests on the counter. Kids from 5 to 11 can enjoy this for around 30 minutes.

Make the mom and daughter coloring page look like you

This drawing leaves a lot open on purpose. Before you begin, sit with your daughter and look at both faces. What color is your hair? Is yours curly or straight? Add a pair of glasses or some freckles if they fit. A family's own details are what will turn this into a keepsake.

The two of them wear aprons, and those can match. Kids love that. Choose one pattern, like dots or stripes, and use it on both. The cookie tray can then pick up the same color.

A kitchen in soft, cozy colors

Use pale yellow or mint for the walls, with white cabinets. Let the kitchen stay quiet and calm, so Mom and her daughter stand out. The jars on the shelf are a good place for small pops of color, such as red jam, orange peaches and brown beans.

• Cookies: golden tan, with pink or white icing on a few of them.
• Dough: a very pale cream, nearly white.
• Rolling pin and spoon: warm wood brown.
• Window: sky blue, with a bit of green for the garden.

Leave the flour on their noses white. It's a tiny joke, and it should stay easy to spot.

Handling two faces

Faces can scare some kids, because they feel one slip will ruin it. It won't. Use a very light skin tone first, and color softly so you can go over it later. Add a touch of pink to each cheek. Then do the hair last, and follow the way the strands curve, so the color doesn't go over the face.

Bake the same cookies together

This is one of those pages that wants to come to life. Sugar cookies are a great first baking project, because the dough is easy to roll and the cutters do the hard part. Have your child measure the flour and the sugar, which is good for fractions too. You handle the oven. Once they cool, ice them and set them on a tray, then count to see if you have eight.

Cooking side by side is also a good time to talk. Many parents find kids open up more when both pairs of hands are busy. Ask about a good thing that happened at school this week, or about what your child would like to learn to make next. Sugar cookies have a long history of their own, as you can read in this article on sugar cookies.

A recipe card keepsake

Use the back of the page to write out the family's favorite recipe. Add the date and each person's name. Over time you could build up a small book of these, each with its own drawing on the front. It's the sort of thing that gets passed down.

Ask Grandma to add a recipe of her own, too, in her own handwriting. Kids get a real kick out of seeing it, and the book becomes something that links three generations.

For a family that looks different

Not every home has a mom and a daughter, and that's fine. A son can color this just as well, and an aunt, a dad or a foster parent can stand in for Mom. Teachers can say so when they hand out the page. Have each child write who the two people are at the bottom of the sheet. What matters is who they love to spend time with.

Fill the card rack

The fold up Mother's Day card goes well with a plate of real cookies. For a page with animal moms, try the mama cat and kittens. There is more in our Mothers Day coloring pages.

Questions