Winter Coloring Pages

What is in this collection

Winter is more than one holiday, so these pages work from the first frost to the last thaw. The snowman wears a top hat and a long scarf. The mittens are joined by a string and have a heart and a snowflake on them. A round penguin stands on the ice in a knit hat, and a chubby polar bear sits in the snow.

For a cozy feeling, try the hot chocolate page, with marshmallows floating on top. Older kids will enjoy the big six arm snowflake, which looks a lot like a mandala.

Winter coloring pages for every age

The youngest kids should start with the polar bear or the mittens. They have big shapes, thick lines and only a few small parts. A three year old can have fun with a single crayon.

Kindergarten and first grade kids often like the penguin and the snowman. There are hats and scarves to pattern, which is good practice for careful coloring.

For kids of eight and up, the snowflake gives a nice challenge. It takes planning to keep all six arms matching. Teens and adults use it to relax, too.

Coloring snow and white animals

White subjects can puzzle young artists, since white crayon barely shows. The trick is to color the background instead. A pale blue sky makes a white snowman or a polar bear pop right off the page. Add soft gray or light blue along one side of a round shape, and it starts to look solid.

Here are a few other tips that work well on these pages.

• Use the side of a crayon for big skies. It is fast and smooth.
• Draw hidden snowflakes with a white crayon, then color over them with light blue. They appear like magic.
• Try printing on light blue paper for an instant cold sky.
• Glue on cotton balls for fluffy snow, or sprinkle a little salt on wet glue for sparkle.

Snow day and classroom ideas

Teachers use winter pages from December through February. They pair well with lessons on weather, on animals of the Arctic and Antarctic, and on the water cycle. Try matching each animal to a map. Polar bears live in the far north, while most penguins live in the far south, so the two never meet in the wild.

At home, a coloring page is a good way to warm up after playing outside. Make a cup of cocoa, sit at the table and color together. Kids can also write a short story about the snowman, or count every snowflake on the page.

Please print as many copies as you like for home, class or library use. The simple rules are on our free use license page.

Fun facts about snow

Snowflakes form when water vapor freezes onto tiny specks in a cloud. Nearly all have six sides, and their shape depends on the temperature and the moisture in the air around them. You can read more on Wikipedia.

Snow is also a good insulator. Air trapped between the flakes holds in warmth, which is why many small animals stay safe under a thick blanket of snow all winter long.

Winter coloring pages for long indoor days

Cold weather means more hours inside, and that can get loud. A short coloring break helps everyone reset. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, put on quiet music and let each child choose a page. Grown ups can join in too. The snowflake is calm and pleasant at any age.

You can also turn one page into a longer project. After the coloring is done, cut out the penguin or the polar bear and stand it up with a folded paper stand. Add a box lid, some cotton and a few paper trees, and you have a small snow scene for the shelf.

Try a winter journal, too. Staple a few colored pages together with blank sheets between them. On each blank sheet, your child can write or draw what they did that week. Did it snow? Who came to visit? What did you drink to warm up?

Kids who cannot go outside can still watch the weather. Hang a page by the window and add a tally mark on each snowy day. By March, you will have a simple record of the whole season.

Keep exploring

When the holidays come, visit our Christmas coloring pages for reindeer, stockings and trees. Animal fans can browse all of our animal coloring pages too. Every page has its own short guide with color ideas, tips and an activity to try after the coloring is done.