Box of Chocolates Coloring Page

This box of chocolates coloring page shows a big heart shaped box on a lace covered table, with a ribbon bow at the top. Inside are nine chocolates in frilly paper cups, plus one large heart chocolate in the middle with a tiny smiling face. A window with tied back curtains sits behind the box, a vase of roses stands on the right, and a small card with a heart lies on the left.

It suits kids aged 5 to 12, and adults who want a calm project will like it too. Expect 25 to 30 minutes, since every treat has its own small parts.

Inside this box of chocolates coloring page

This is a page for patient hands. The box itself is easy, but the frilly cups have small scallops and each chocolate has its own little shape. Younger kids can fill each chocolate in one solid color and leave the cups plain. Older kids can make every piece different, and that is where the fun is.

Make them look good enough to eat

You will want at least three browns: a very dark one for the smiling heart, a milk chocolate tone for the round pieces and a light tan for the star tops. Pale pink or white cups look fancy. Our sample uses a red box with a cream lining and a yellow bow, but a deep pink box or a shiny gold one would also be lovely.

White chocolate is worth adding. Leave a few pieces cream colored and add pink stripes. Try a strawberry cream with a red heart on top, or a mint with a pale green square. Your child can make up a flavor for each shape and write a key on the back of the page, just like the small map in a real box.

Small touches that help

• Add a tiny white gap on each chocolate, so it looks shiny.
• Color the frilly cups before the chocolates, and work around the circle.
• Rest and come back. Five pieces at a time is a good pace.
• Use a sharp pencil for the small stars, and save the pink curtains for last.

The sweet history of the heart box

Richard Cadbury, from the famous English chocolate family, is credited with the first heart shaped box of Valentine's chocolates, made in 1868. His fancy boxes had pretty painted pictures on the lids. People kept them after the sweets were gone, to store letters and small treasures. Guinness World Records lists it as the earliest box of Valentine's Day chocolates.

Chocolate itself is much older. It comes from the seeds of the cacao tree, and people in Central America were making a bitter drink from those seeds thousands of years ago. The Maya and the Aztec both prized it. Cacao beans were so valuable that the Aztecs used them as money.

Sweet bars came later, after sugar and milk were added in Europe. In Japan, there is a twist on the holiday. Women often give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day, and men return the favor a month later on White Day, March 14.

One warning for pet owners: chocolate is not safe for dogs or cats, so keep the real treats out of reach.

Math and games with chocolate

This box of chocolates coloring page gives kids a chance to practice sorting. Count how many of each shape are in the box and make a small tally chart. There are two stars, two squares and two swirled rounds. Older kids can turn the numbers into fractions. If 2 out of the 10 pieces have stars, what fraction is that?

You could also play a guessing game. One person silently picks a chocolate and the other asks yes or no questions. Is it round? Is it in the top row? Is it next to the bow? This is good practice in using careful words.

If you would like a small treat, use a real box as a reward. Let kids taste two kinds and describe them in three words each. It makes for a surprisingly good writing warm up.

More for your Valentine

The love letter coloring page would make a sweet pair with this one. Food fans may also like the pumpkin pie coloring page and the hot chocolate coloring page.

Questions