National Coloring Book Day (with FREE Coloring Book Download)

Tomorrow, August 2nd, is National Coloring Book Day.

In just about any store you visit these days, you’re bound see adult coloring books. They’re everywhere! Their rising popularity attests to something many of us have not-so-secretly believed all along: coloring isn’t just for kids. I don’t think you ever outgrow it.

Few things are more relaxing than pulling out your favorite set of markers, gel pens, or colored pencils ⁠— although I admit, I think I’ll always be partial to the scent of crayons ⁠— and settling down with a beautiful design, to color away the day’s stresses. And it’s no wonder: according to Dr. Scott Bea, a clinical psychologist, when we are coloring “[w]e are not disturbed by our own thoughts and appraisals,” he says. “The difficulties of life evaporate from our awareness, and both our bodies and our brains may find this rewarding.”

These benefits are actually proven by research. A clinical study from 2005 demonstrated that “structured coloring of a reasonably complex geometric pattern may induce a meditative state that benefits individuals suffering from anxiety.” The effect occurred when subjects colored plaid or mandala-type designs, but not when they drew or colored on blank paper.

In the first years of our marriage, my husband and I were college students who definitely did not have extra money to go out often. On the bookshelf in our tiny college apartment filled with hand-me-down furniture (including a couch dragged in from the curb before the city sanitation department could take it), we kept a stack of coloring books and a 64-color box of Crayola crayons. We were in our twenties, married, “grown-ups” by most definitions ⁠… and on a fairly regular basis, we colored away the hours as we spent an evening talking about everything and nothing.

Years later, when our children were young, we watched as they started with uncontrolled scribbles ⁠— of which they were terribly proud! ⁠— and slowly, over time, eventually developed the fine motor skills to stay in the lines. We’d print page after page after page of whatever animal or cartoon character they loved at the moment, to feed their endless appetite for putting color on paper. Even now, it is fascinating to see how two children can begin with the same picture, and end with such different results.

If you’re like most parents, your children began to color long before they started writing letters and numbers ⁠— and it wasn’t just fun. Those crayons (or magic markers) helped them in a number of ways. Coloring is probably how they learned to hold and manipulate writing instruments. It gave them a boost in developing hand/eye coordination and better control over the movement of their hands and fingers. They learned focus, and to express their creativity by exploring different and fantastical (e.g., the pink cow with the yellow spots) color combinations. The inevitable small frustrations they experienced? Well, those probably helped them develop a bit more patience.

Because tomorrow is National Coloring Book Day, our sponsor, A Reason For, is allowing us to share a special FREE download today: a 16-page coloring book version of Baby Is Sleeping, one of the readers in their 95-book Guided Reading program. This is the first time any of these Guided Reading titles have been available in a black-and-white format suitable for coloring! free printable coloring book

Download the PDF: 'Baby is Sleeping' Coloring Book

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We hope you’ll download a copy today … and please be sure to share this with friends who have kids, so they can get their own copy! This Guided Reading program is so unique because every book is based on scripture. Imagine, teaching your child to read with Bible stories! With this special coloring edition, not only do kids have an opportunity to express their artistic side, but it’s also a sweet reminder of the story of Christ’s birth and a fun, creative way to help hide God’s Word in their hearts.

I encourage you to set aside time in the next few days, and whatever age your kids may be, give them a chance to remember the simple joy of coloring. And why not join them, while you’re at it? Here are some additional resources you may want to check out:

Beth G