Giant Panda Coloring Page

A big adult bear walks across a rocky mountain trail on this giant panda coloring page. It has stopped mid step to look back at you, with a thick shaggy coat, a white rump and a small round tail. Snowy peaks rise behind it, a stand of bamboo grows on the right, and smooth stones line the path at the bottom.

This one leans toward the real animal. The eyes are small, the mouth is calm, and the fur has a rough edge you can follow with a pencil. Kids from about 6 to 12 can handle it, and most need 20 to 30 minutes. Younger children can still enjoy the big body shapes if a grown up helps with the bamboo leaves.

How to color black and white fur

Find the black parts first. They follow a pattern. On this bear the ears, the eye patches, all four legs and the wide band over the shoulders are dark. The band runs from the top of the back down into the front legs, so it looks like a vest. The jagged line down the middle shows where black fur meets white fur.

Plain black can look flat on a big shape. So try dark gray first, then add black along the bottom of the belly band and on the inside legs. Those two far legs behind the body should be the darkest parts of the page, since they sit in shadow.

Leave most of the white fur bare. A little pale gray or cream under the rear leg gives the body some weight. Use short strokes that go the same way as the small fur marks, and the coat will start to look thick.

Giant panda coloring page tips

• Color the sky and mountains first, so you do not drag your hand over dark crayon later.
• Keep the mountains pale blue or gray. Soft colors push them far away and make the bear look closer.
• Use a warm tan for the path, then add brown specks with the tip of a marker.
• Give the stones a light top and a darker bottom so they look round.

Markers work well on the bamboo, but they can bleed on the black fur, so put a spare sheet under the page if you plan to press hard or go over the same spot a few times. Colored pencils are the best choice for this picture because you can build up the dark areas slowly.

Facts about the real giant panda

The Smithsonian's National Zoo says wild males can weigh up to 250 pounds, while females rarely reach 220. These bears live in a few mountain ranges in south central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Their home sits between 5,000 and 10,000 feet up, which is why this picture has snowy peaks in the back.

Food fills the day. A panda spends 10 to 16 hours foraging and eating, then naps for two to four hours at a time. The zoo says there may be as few as 1,864 left in their native habitat.

Try a map activity

When the page is done, find China on a globe or map with your child. Point to the middle of the country and talk about what it might feel like to live high in the mountains. Then ask your child to draw one more thing this bear might find on the trail. A stream? A fallen log?

A teacher could use the sheet in a lesson on animal homes. Students can label the bamboo, the mountains and the stones, then write one sentence about each.

More bears to color

Want something softer? The baby panda coloring page shows a young cub resting on a branch. For something silly and sweet, print the panda with balloons coloring page next.

Questions