Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Christmas Colouring Pages

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    Christmas Colouring Pages is a free printable set of eight Christmas colouring in pages. Children choose their own colours and bring each picture to life. It needs only pencils, crayons or felt tips, and there is nothing to cut out or set up.

    It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print the pages you want and put out the colouring things. Keep the notes for grown ups close by in case they are useful.

    What is on the sheet

    Children colour in Christmas pictures with whatever they have to hand, such as pencils, felt tips or crayons. There is no right or wrong colour choice. Some children will fill every space carefully, while others will make bold, loose marks. Either is fine. The sheet suits quiet time at home, a wet playtime, a class activity or a calm moment during the Christmas holidays. Each page is a chance to practise control, choice and patience.

    Ways to make it your own

    Make a colour plan

    Before starting, choose three or four colours and lay them out. Talk about why you picked them. A small palette often gives a tidy, striking result.

    Try different tools

    Use pencils for one page, felt tips for another and wax crayons for a third. Notice how each one feels and looks on the paper.

    Make cards and decorations

    Once a page is finished, fold it into a card, display it on a wall or window, or give it to a relative. Ask an adult to help with any cutting.

    Build a Christmas gallery

    Collect the finished pages and show them together at home or in the classroom. Let each child say something about the choices they made.

    Why colouring is worth doing

    Colouring looks simple, but it asks a lot of small hands. Children hold a pencil or crayon, decide where to put it, and control how hard to press. These are the same hand skills they use later for handwriting. Colouring also gives children a calm, focused task, which many families and classrooms value in the busy weeks before Christmas.

    Colouring also links to art and design in the National Curriculum for England, which includes using colour, line and pattern, and using a range of materials creatively. Choosing colours is a real design decision. Children decide what goes with what, what stands out, and what feels festive. Talking about those choices helps them describe their own work.

    Christmas facts for curious colourers

    • Christmas Day is on 25 December every year.
    • Many families decorate a Christmas tree. Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round, which is one reason they are popular at this time of year.
    • In the UK, Father Christmas is also known as Santa Claus.
    • Christmas crackers are a popular part of Christmas dinner in the UK. They often hold a paper hat.
    • Mistletoe is a plant that grows on the branches of trees, and people hang it indoors at Christmas.

    Skills and curriculum link

    • Fine motor control
    • Pencil grip
    • Colour choice
    • Concentration
    • Creativity
    • Patience

    Ideas for helpers

    • Start smallSuggest colouring one area first, then pausing to look. Children who feel overwhelmed often settle once they have a small, clear starting point.
    • Praise the choicesSay what you notice, such as a bold colour or careful edge. This works better than saying whether something is right.
    • Offer limited coloursA small box of colours can help a child who finds choosing hard. A full tin can suit a child who loves variety.
    • Colour alongsideTake a page yourself and colour beside your child. Children often copy calm, unhurried effort.

    Key words

    • Colour schemeThe set of colours you choose to use together in a picture.
    • ShadeTo make parts of a colour darker or lighter by pressing harder or softer.
    • OutlineThe line around the edge of a shape.
    • PatternA design with shapes, lines or colours that repeat.
    • Warm coloursColours like red, orange and yellow.
    • Cool coloursColours like blue, green and purple.

    How to use it

    1. Print the pages you would like to use. You can print one at a time or all eight.
    2. Set out pencils, crayons or felt tips. Put a mat or spare paper underneath if you are using felt tips.
    3. Let your child choose a page and pick their colours. Do not tell them which colours to use.
    4. Encourage slow, steady colouring. A break is fine, and so is leaving a page to finish later.
    5. Talk about the finished picture, then display it or keep it in a folder.

    Help, stretch and game ideas

    If it feels too hard

    Start with one small area, such as one shape, and pick just two or three colours. Hold the pencil with a relaxed grip and colour slowly in one direction. Take a short break if hands get tired. Do one page today and come back to the others later.

    To stretch confident children

    Choose a colour scheme before you begin, such as only warm colours or only cool colours. Then try shading, pressing lightly then more firmly with the same pencil, to show light and dark. Add a pattern of your own around the picture if there is room.

    Make it a game

    Colour dice. Pick six colours and give each a number from 1 to 6. Roll a die and colour one small area in the matching colour. Keep rolling until the picture is finished. Nobody knows how it will look until the end, so compare the surprising results.

    Talk about it

    • Why did you choose those colours?
    • Which colour do you think looks most like Christmas, and why?
    • How would the picture look if you used only cool colours?
    • Which part did you enjoy colouring the most?
    • Who would you like to give this picture to, and why?
    • What would you add to the picture if you could?

    Take it off the page

    Paper chains

    Cut strips of coloured paper and join them into loops to make a chain. An adult should do any cutting with scissors for younger children.

    Christmas colour hunt

    Walk around the house or classroom and find three things in each Christmas colour you can spot. Talk about which colours appear most.

    Design a wrapping paper

    Use a plain sheet of paper and make a repeating pattern with crayons or stamps. Choose just two or three colours so the pattern stays clear.

    Who it is for

    Parents

    Print a page, sit nearby and let your child lead. There is no need to correct or finish for them. Keep the pages for rainy afternoons, quiet time or the days when Christmas excitement needs a calm outlet.

    Teachers

    Use it as a settling activity, an end of term reward, a wet playtime option or a display task in December. It links to art and design strands on colour and line, and gives a calm break between busier Christmas activities.

    Home educators

    The pages are easy to fit into a flexible day. Use them alongside Christmas stories, cards or crafts, and let children return to a page over several days. Keep finished work in a folder to look back on.

    Where colouring leads next

    Before colouring pages like these, children enjoy scribbling, mark making and filling large shapes with crayons. They gradually build the hand strength and control needed to stay inside outlines and choose colours with purpose.

    Afterwards, children can move on to drawing their own pictures, adding detail, and using shading and pattern. Those skills feed into handwriting, art lessons and design work, where careful hand control and confident colour choices both matter.

    Questions parents and teachers ask

    Is the Christmas Colouring Pages sheet free?

    Yes. It is free to print from the Mini Minds Hub. You can print it as many times as you like for use at home, in the classroom or with a group of children.

    How many colouring pages are there?

    There are eight Christmas colouring in pages from Jaques of London. You can print them all together or choose a few at a time and save the rest for another day.

    What should children use to colour?

    Any colouring tool works. Pencils give good control, crayons are easy to hold, and felt tips give bright colour. Put spare paper under felt tips in case ink soaks through.

    Should I print in colour or black and white?

    Either will work. To save ink, choose black and white or draft mode in your printer settings. Check the print preview first. Children add the colour themselves, so a plain print is all they need.

    What age is it suitable for?

    It suits a wide range of ages. Younger children may prefer chunky crayons and need more help. Older children can plan a colour scheme, try shading and add patterns of their own.

    Can I use it in a classroom?

    Yes. It works well as a calm activity at the end of term, on a wet playtime or alongside other Christmas tasks. Print enough copies for the group and set out shared colouring tools.

    Does a child need to finish a page in one go?

    No. Children can colour for as long as they like and come back later. Short, relaxed sessions are often better than pushing to finish, especially for younger children.

    Preview the full PDF

    Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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