Color by Number Coloring Pages — So Much More Than What Meets the Eye

So many positive things have been said about coloring sheets and coloring apps in general. Lately, a new trend has emerged on the Internet and it is absolutely raging: color by number and paint by number coloring sheets and pages. Let’s put all these online apps aside for a moment, and focus on the benefits of color by number coloring books alone, especially for young users.

Okay, you are given a picture, the numbers are there within it, and you are already told what the color for a corresponding number is. How can it be beneficial? If nothing, it seems a bit simple and stupid, don’t you think? Well, not really!

First off, even though it may seem that children are quite restrained when coloring these coloring pages in terms of shapes, choice of colors and what not, color by number images can really be encouraging for some kids.

Namely, there are children who feel frustrated when given too many choices and opportunities to make decisions. For some of them, having to pick colors and plan the way to color a picture might come as torture, making them feel anxious and nervous. That is why these color by number coloring pages are more than welcome: you are already told what to do, therefore you can relax and perform the actions.

One more major benefit of color by number coloring pages is that not only young kids learn how to discern colors (in terms of primary and secondary ones), but they also learn how to put numbers in contexts other than counting. Here, numbers are presented as mere symbols that can and will occur anywhere else in real life.

Furthermore, color by number coloring pages can be used to teach maths in terms of subtraction, addition, multiplication and division. How? Well, instead of putting a 5 in a shape and telling children in the legend that fives are to be colored purple, put a problem such as 3+2 or 8–3 for example, and tell them in the legend fives are to be colored purple. They have to stop, think and calculate, which is an awesome way of tricking them into practicing math while they think they are merely playing.

Color by number coloring pages really come in handy when teaching little kids valuable lessons that can be applied to other things in life, such as following rules and finishing a task till the very end. In other words, color by number coloring pages have clearly defined rules, and that is the only way they should be completed; children know the rules, they should stick to them and in a way learn how to be patient, concentrated and how to obtain self-control. On the other hand, there is no way to see the “mysterious” final result unless you hang in there and finish the coloring of the image 100%. The final feeling of accomplishment and pride lingers later on in life, teaching the little ones that being focused and thorough gives satisfaction.