Animal Coloring Pages

From the Butterfly Among Blooming Flowers page, cut around the spread wings once the coloring fun is done. Trace the wing outline onto black cardstock to make a thin frame, then back each wing panel with squares of colored tissue paper. Tape the whole thing to a sunny window. This animal coloring activity catches the morning light like a small stained-glass panel.

Sea Turtle on the Beach gives the parts for a 3D version. Cut the head, flippers, and tail away from the page once the page is finished, and set them aside. Fold a paper plate gently in half so it bows into a shallow dome, then unfold it and glue the cut-out limbs around the rim. The dome makes the shell sit proud of the table. Sand-colored cardstock underneath finishes the beach scene of this coloring project.

Majestic Lion Face works best with the mane area left blank during this creative coloring task. Cut yellow, orange, and brown yarn into 1-inch strips, then run a thin line of glue around the lion's face and press the yarn down so it splays outward. Two layers give the mane real fluff. We tried this once with strips too long and the whole thing drooped, so shorter pieces win in a relaxing coloring session like this.

Print the Busy Bee on a Flower page twice and cut out the bees. Glue them onto card stock with small cotton balls behind, fanning out like a swarm around the big bloom. A quick burst of coloring fun.

Owl Perched at Night gets a real branch added in. Find a small twig from the garden, about 8 inches long, and tape it to a piece of construction paper. Cut out the owl, then fold a small rectangle of paper accordion-style. Glue one side to the back of the owl, the other to the paper behind. The owl pops forward over the branch in a coloring adventure that adds real-world texture, and the whole thing comes together in 15 minutes of coloring time.

Penguin with Its Chick becomes the centerpiece of a shoebox diorama. Cut both penguins out after the page is finished and glue each one to a small folded paper tab so they stand upright. Paint the inside of a shoebox pale blue, glue down strips of white card stock for ice floes, and fill the bottom with cotton balls for snow. A scrap of blue cellophane scrunched at one end suggests open water. We piled too much cotton in our first attempt and the penguins kept tipping over, so a thin layer works better. The whole coloring project ends up on a shelf rather than a folder, a coloring experience worth saving.

Clever Fox in the Forest can spring off the page. Cut the fox out, then fold a thin strip of paper into a small accordion. Glue one end to the back of the fox and the other end onto a folded card. The fox bobs forward when the card opens. A creative coloring twist that ends as a card to send for a bit of coloring fun.

There's something about Dolphin Leaping from the Waves that begs to move rather than stay flat on a page. Print and color the dolphin two or three times so there is a small pod, cut each one out, and thread thin string through a hole punched at the top of each. Tie the strings at varied lengths from an embroidery hoop or wire hanger. Hung from a bedroom ceiling, the coloring activity drifts and turns whenever a window opens, a coloring sheet that finds its way into a real room.

Shark Gliding Through Water suits a paper lunch bag puppet. After coloring, cut the head and the open jaw away from the rest of the page. Glue the upper jaw to the bottom flap of a brown paper bag and the lower jaw beneath, so the mouth opens and closes when the flap moves. Small white paper triangles inside finish the teeth. A shark coloring page that bites.

Frog on a Lily Pad makes a strong flyswatter front. Cut the frog out, glue it onto the flat side of an ordinary flyswatter, and aim at summer flies. A coloring activity that earns its keep.

Gentle Standing Elephant turns into a small breath-powered toy. Color it on heavier card stock, then cut a slit where the trunk meets the face. Push the mouthpiece of a plain party blower through from behind. Blown into from the back, the trunk unfurls and curls. We had low expectations of this elephant coloring activity and were quietly delighted when it actually worked.

Powerful Standing Tiger needs the stripes left blank during the first round of coloring. Fill the body in warm orange and leave the white stripe areas alone. Once dry, brush a thin layer of black paint along the side of a hand and press it across the body where the stripes belong. Fingerprints make smaller stripes around the face. The hand stamps never line up perfectly, which is part of the charm of this animal coloring project.

Panda Munching Bamboo gets a texture upgrade. Once the coloring sheet is finished, glue thin cotton balls onto the white patches of the body for fluffy fur. Cut green tissue paper into narrow leaf shapes and glue them along the bamboo stalk so they layer over the printed lines. A small bit of extra coloring time on the leaves adds real depth.

Giraffe with a Long Neck gives the centerpiece of a small safari scene. After the page is finished, cut the giraffe out and glue it to a folded paper tab inside a shoebox so it stands upright. Cut tree shapes from green and brown card stock, add long strips of yellow paper for tall grass, and tape a yellow sun to the back wall. If other animal coloring pages are on hand, finish a lion or a zebra to keep the giraffe company. The dog wandered through twice while we were assembling ours and the trees took a beating, but the giraffe survived. A coloring adventure that ends up in a shoebox on a shelf.

Polar Bear by the Mountains takes on a different feel against black cardstock. Cut around the bear and the mountains once the page is finished, then glue the whole scene onto black paper. Dot glow-in-the-dark puffy paint across the sky for stars and along the snow for highlights. The bear keeps padding across the ice long after the lights go out, a coloring experience worth saving and a bit of coloring fun for nighttime.

Rabbit Among Tall Grass works as a treat bag front. Cut the rabbit out, glue it to a pastel paper bag with the ears popping over the top, and add a cotton ball tail. A coloring activity that holds Easter candy.

Peacock with Tail Feathers Spread wants to actually fan out. Once the page is finished, fold the spread tail accordion-style from one side to the other, and glue a popsicle stick to the back of the bird. Pinch the bottom of the tail together and tape it shut. The fan opens with a flick. A bit of coloring challenge in the folding, but pretty coloring fun on a hot afternoon.

Two Flamingos Standing Tall makes a wearable headband. Print on heavy card stock if possible, then cut around one flamingo along the long neck and legs. Measure a strip of pink construction paper around the head and tape the ends. Glue the flamingo to the front so the curved neck arches up off the band. Long flamingo legs flop forward less than expected. A wearable result from a relaxing coloring session and good for 15 minutes of dress-up coloring time.

There's a softness to Fluffy Kitten Close-Up that rewards a tactile finish on the coloring sheet. After the eyes and nose are done, pull cotton balls into thin wisps and glue them along the cheeks, forehead, and tops of the ears. Two layers thick is plenty. The cotton catches in the printed fur lines and ends up almost three-dimensional. A close-up animal coloring page that ends up huggable.

Wolf Howling at the Moon casts a clean shadow puppet. Tape the cut-out wolf to a thin stick and aim a flashlight at a dark wall. An animal coloring page that howls in silhouette.