About these Christmas coloring pages
Christmas coloring pages are a cozy tradition in December: a stack of printed pages, a box of crayons and an afternoon by the tree. Our free Christmas pages include Christmas trees with presents, Santa and his sleigh, reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread houses, stockings by the fireplace, ornaments and cards that say Merry Christmas. Easy pages suit toddlers; detailed winter scenes and Christmas mandalas keep teens and adults busy.
Print them on US Letter or A4 for school parties, family gatherings and quiet evenings, or color them online with a tap. A finished page makes a perfect handmade Christmas card for grandparents, teachers and friends.
A December activity for the whole family
Coloring is one of the few activities that toddlers, teenagers and grandparents can do at the same table. Put out a mix of easy and detailed Christmas pages and everyone finds one that fits.
Many families make it a countdown: one Christmas page each day of December, hung on a string across the room. By Christmas Eve the whole wall is a colorful advent calendar made by the kids.
Christmas symbols and what they mean
Each classic Christmas picture has a story, which makes coloring a good time to share it.
- The Christmas tree: an evergreen that stays green all winter, a symbol of life and hope
- Stars: often placed on the top of the tree, recalling the star in the Nativity story
- Stockings: hung by the fireplace for small gifts and sweets
- Candy canes: red and white striped sweets shaped like a shepherd's crook
- Gingerbread houses: spiced cookie houses decorated with icing and candies
- Wreaths: circles of evergreen branches hung on doors to welcome guests
Christmas facts to share while you color
- Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in most countries and on January 7 in many Orthodox churches.
- Decorating a Christmas tree became popular in Germany and spread widely in the 1800s.
- In the story, Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by reindeer; real reindeer live in the cold north and both males and females grow antlers.
- Red and green are traditional Christmas colors, from holly berries and evergreen leaves.
- Christmas is called Navidad in Spanish, Noël in French and Weihnachten in German.
- Many families leave milk and cookies for Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer.
Which Christmas page for which age
- Toddlers (2–3)
- One big tree, a star or a snowman with thick lines; green and red crayons are enough.
- Preschool (3–5)
- Trees with presents to count, stockings, candy canes and simple Santa pages.
- Kids (5–10)
- Santa's sleigh, gingerbread houses and snowy village scenes.
- Teens and adults
- Detailed winter landscapes, ornaments with patterns and Christmas mandalas.
Coloring tips and color ideas
- Use the classic palette: deep green, bright red, gold and white.
- Leave snow white and add light blue shadows on one side for a frosty look.
- Make ornaments shine with a small white highlight on each ball.
- Gold and silver gel pens make stars, bells and tinsel sparkle.
- Color gingerbread light brown and add white icing lines and colorful candies.
- Try a winter night: dark blue sky, white stars, warm yellow windows.
Ideas for home, school and parties
- Handmade Christmas cards: fold a colored page in half and write a message inside.
- Advent wall: one page a day in December, hung across the room.
- Gift wrap: color a page and use it to wrap a small present.
- Classroom party: a coloring station while the class waits for the holiday.
- A family Christmas book: upload photos from the year and make a personalized coloring book as a gift.
How to print Christmas coloring pages
- Open the page you like and press Print it. A PDF opens, sized for US Letter; the A4 PDF is next to it.
- In the print window choose "Fit to page" or 100% scale, and plain white paper. Thicker paper (100 to 120 gsm) is better for markers and paint.
- Print a few copies: kids like to try different colors on the same picture.
- Prefer screens? Press Color it online and color with a tap on a phone, tablet or computer.