Popsicle Coloring Page

This popsicle coloring page has three happy treats standing in a cooler full of ice. The tall one in the middle wears three bold stripes. On the left, an orange pop has a swirl that winds around it, and the one on the right is dipped in a thick coat with sprinkles on top. Each has big shiny eyes and a tiny open smile.

It is a great pick for kids from 3 to 8, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Large, smooth shapes make up most of the sheet. A young child can stay in the lines without much stress.

A closer look at the picture

The sky is made of wide rays that shoot out from behind the pops, so the whole page seems to shine. A smiling sun sits in the top corner, with a cloud across from it. Three little pops fly through the sky like tiny kites.

Down below, the cooler has a thick white lid and a striped front. Its sign says ICE COLD, in big letters you can fill in. Sixteen ice cubes pile along the rim, and two round citrus wheels sit among them. Peek between the cubes and you can see the wooden sticks poking down into the ice.

Popsicle coloring page color ideas

Start with flavors. Ask your child what each one should taste like, then pick colors to match. Cherry, orange, grape and lime make a strong start. The middle pop looks classic in red, white and blue, which also works well for a Fourth of July table.

The dipped pop is fun to plan. Brown on top makes it look like chocolate, and pink below could be strawberry. Each sprinkle is its own tiny shape, so try a few bright colors there.

For the sky, take turns with two colors, ray by ray. Yellow and cream feels hot and sunny. Pink and blue feels more like a candy shop.

Small tips for cool colors

• Leave the shine in each eye alone. It keeps the faces looking awake.
• Color the ice cubes very lightly in pale blue, or leave some white.
• Do the sticks in tan, then add one or two brown lines for wood grain.
• Rub a pink crayon softly on each cheek for a gentle blush.

A note for markers: this page has big areas, so thin paper can get soggy and tear. Crayons or colored pencils hold up better.

A sweet bit of history

Here is a story kids like, since a child is the hero. Frank Epperson of Oakland, California, said he made the first ice pop in 1905, when he was 11. As he told it, he left a lemonade soda drink with a stick in it out on the porch on a cold night. By morning, it had frozen solid. In 1923 he got a patent for his frozen treat on a stick. You can read more about the history of the ice pop online.

The treat goes by other names around the world, which makes a nice geography game. In the UK it is an ice lolly, in New Zealand an ice block and in Mexico a paleta.

Make it real

Pour fruit juice into small paper cups, cover each one with foil and push a craft stick through the middle. Freeze them overnight, and then peel the paper away. Ask your child to pick the color first, so the drawing and the real thing match.

Teachers can run a quick vote. Make a chart of favorite flavors, have each child add a mark and count them up together. It is an easy first lesson in reading a graph.

Very young kids can sort colors instead. Cut out the three big pops, then ask which one is the tallest.

More cold treats

The ice cream cone page is a natural next step. To see more smiling food, print the kawaii summer coloring page.

Questions