First Coloring Books for Toddlers
A practical guide to first coloring books for toddlers ages 1-3
- When should you introduce crayons and colored pencils?
- Which coloring books work best for ages 1-3?
- How do you turn those first marks into play, learning, and joy?
Everything about first coloring books for toddlers ages 1-3
A coloring book made especially for toddlers
First Coloring Book for Toddlers Ages 1-3
- Ages1-3
- Drawings111
- Pages114
- Size8.5 x 11 in
- Big, simple pictures, drawn by hand
- Thick outlines a child can actually see
- One drawing on every page
- 111 different drawings on familiar, interesting subjects
- A child colors and learns new words at the same time
- Ten drawings from the book can be printed right now, free and without signing up
What is inside
See all 111 drawings
Land animals
- Lion
- Elephant
- Zebra
- Parrot
- Crocodile
- Monkey
- Kangaroo
- Rhino
- Flamingo
- Lemur
- Hummingbird
- Giraffe
- Koala
- Frog
- Alpaca
- Bunny
- Owl
- Hedgehog
- Goat
- Bat
- Raccoon
- Bear
- Fox
- Chicken
- Chameleon
- Cow
- Beaver
- Eagle
- Hamster
- Cat
- Dog
- Squirrel
- Duck
- Deer
- Mouse
- Bee
- Dragonfly
- Snail
- Butterfly
Sea animals
- Shark
- Dolphin
- Whale
- Crab
- Octopus
- Jellyfish
- Sea turtle
- Angelfish
- Seahorse
- Seal
- Clown fish
- Shellfish
- Axolotl
- Pufferfish
- Shrimp
- Manta ray
Fairy-tale characters
- Mermaid
- Unicorn
- Dragon
- Crown
- Dwarf
- Griffin
- Troll
- Fairy
- Magic cauldron
- Wizard's hat
- Magic potion
Vehicles
- Car
- Helicopter
- Airplane
- Hot air balloon
- Ship
- Submarine
- Rocket
- Scooter
Sports and play
- Skateboard
- Kite
- Badminton
- American football
- Camera
- Drum
- Beach ball
Everyday things
- Sunglasses
- Beach umbrella
- Beach hat
- Globe
- Present
- Gamepad
Flowers and nature
- Maple leaf
- Rose
- Mushroom
- Clover
- Sunflower
- Pine cone
- Cactus
- Lily of the valley
- Lotus
- Tulip
Food
- Cake
- Ice cream
- Watermelon
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Orange
- Cherry
- Avocado
- Strawberry
- Pear
- Pineapple
- Lemon
- Pumpkin
- Donut
Buy the paperback on Amazon · $6.99 Which paper size do you print on? You pay here, and the link arrives by email right after checkout. Print it at home as many times as you need.Get the printable file · $3.99
Sold and shipped by Amazon. We earn from the sale.
What parents notice in their reviews of the book
- A child finishes one picture on their own and turns the page for the next one
- Large, simple pictures color in almost without effort, and a child starts to trust their own hand
- Right for the age, which is what parents mention more often than anything else
- One book is enough for a long drive, a waiting room or a rainy afternoon
- Light enough that it leaves the house with you
- Children look through the pages even without crayons and ask what each animal is called
- Enough different subjects, from a mermaid to a submarine to a donut, that a child can pick
- Bought for the youngest in the family, when the older ones have moved on to harder coloring books
- Finished pages get cut out, dated and kept
5 out of 5 on Amazon, 19 ratings. Written by us from the reviews left on Amazon, in our own words. Both paperback editions are there and anyone can read the originals.
What an independent reviewer said about the book
Each picture is thoughtfully placed in the center of the page, and features bold and curved outlines, helping little ones color within the boundaries.
Readers' Favorite gave First Coloring Book for Toddlers Ages 1-3 five stars and found that it takes the youngest children into account. The reviewer notes the large, simple drawings, the clear thick outlines, and the picture placed in the center of the page, which suits a right handed and a left handed child equally. The many familiar objects and characters give a child variety and room to practise, and the words under the drawings, which can be colored too, add something to learn. In the reviewer's words the book helps a child build skills step by step and lets parents see the progress as the pages go by.
Maalin Ogaja, reviewer for Readers' Favorite, October 2024
Video about the book
Filmed by one of the parents who bought the book, on a table at home, with no editing. Cover, back cover, and page after page, so you can see the line thickness and how much of the sheet one drawing takes up before you decide.
What is in the book
- 111 drawings, all hand drawn by professional illustrators
- Thick outlines and large shapes, so a child who is still learning to aim can see a clear result
- One drawing on every page, so nothing competes for a child's attention
- The word under each picture can be colored too, which brings first words and letters into the coloring
- Every picture sits in the center of the page, comfortable for a left or a right handed child
- Animals, sea creatures, fairy-tale characters, vehicles, flowers and food
- A page at the front where a child writes their name
- 114 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches
Buy the paperback on Amazon · $6.99 Which paper size do you print on? You pay here, and the link arrives by email right after checkout. Print it at home as many times as you need.Get the printable file · $3.99
Who it is for
Made for the stage between the first deliberate mark and the first shape colored on purpose, which for most children falls between one and three years old. It works as a first coloring book at home, in preschool and daycare, where one book keeps a whole group busy, and as a birthday or holiday gift when you do not know the child well.
What comes after this book
Once a child colors inside the line without effort, the next step is a step by step drawing book, where the child builds the picture themselves.
The book also has its own page in the publisher's catalog, with the full description, all 111 drawings and parents' questions: coloring book for toddlers ages 1, 2 and 3.
What makes a good coloring book for toddlers different from an ordinary one
- Develops fine motor skills, creativity and concentration
- Keeps a child busy for a long time and gives them happy moments
- Works in preschool and daycare, not only at home
- Makes a good gift for a birthday or any celebration
- The word under each picture can be colored too, so first words and letters come along with the coloring
Questions parents ask
Is this too hard for a 1 year old?
No. The drawings were made deliberately simple for the youngest end of the range. At one a child may scribble across the shape, while closer to three they often begin to stay inside it. The same book is meant to work across all three years.
How thick is the paper?
It is standard book paper, printed by Amazon, and some parents have wished for something heavier. Crayons and colored pencils suit it well, and they are the better choice for this age anyway.
Crayons, markers or colored pencils?
Thick crayons at the beginning. They mark with very little pressure, they are easier on the page, and they leave a wide mark that a child can actually see. Markers give a brighter result. Colored pencils call for a more precise finger grip, which usually comes later.
Is this a good “My First Coloring Book” for a 1, 2 or 3 year old?
Yes. It was made as a child's very first coloring book: one large picture on every page, outlines about as thick as a crayon, and a familiar subject to name. There is a page at the front for the child's name, so it really becomes their own first book.
Can I use this book in a preschool or daycare?
Yes, and it is one of the places it works best. Every drawing sits on its own page, so a page can be pulled out and handed to a child, and one book keeps a whole group busy. The subjects are ordinary things a child can name, which is why teachers use them for first words as well as for coloring.
Does this work as a gift?
It does, and it is a safe one when you do not know the child well. The range is wide, one to three, so the book does not stop being useful in a month. It costs less than most toys and it keeps a child busy for a long time rather than for one evening.
Is there a Spanish edition?
Yes. The same 111 drawings with the words in Spanish underneath. It is a separate book, not a bilingual one, so the page stays uncluttered.
The same 111 drawings with the words in Spanish underneath, as a separate book.El Primer Libro de Colorear para Bebés de 1 a 3 Años
Try ten pages free
Ten drawings straight out of the book, in two paper sizes. Print one, hand your child a crayon, and you will know within five minutes whether this kind of page suits them.
If the pages suited your child, the whole book has 111 of them.
Buy the paperback on Amazon · $6.99 Which paper size do you print on? You pay here, and the link arrives by email right after checkout. Print it at home as many times as you need.Get the printable file · $3.99
First Coloring Book Finder
Find the right first coloring book. Four questions, about thirty seconds. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent anywhere.
Question 1 of 4
How old is your child?
Four stages a child goes through before learning to color confidently
A child does not start coloring right away. At first they simply leave random lines and scribbles on the paper. Little by little the movements come under control: the child learns to draw lines and copy simple shapes. Then they aim the crayon more and more accurately, and only after that do they begin to color more confidently inside the outline. The ages here are only a guide, not a strict boundary: every child develops at their own pace.
about 12 to 18 months
Holds a crayon in a fist and makes marks on paper on purpose
about 18 months to 2 years
Scribbles without being shown first, and can copy a line someone else draws
about 2 to 3 years
Copies a vertical line, a horizontal line and a circle when shown
about 3 to 4 years and up
Copies a circle accurately, and a cross closer to four years old
What this site is
A guide to the very first stage of drawing, from the first scribble to the first shape a child colors on purpose. Every claim about what a child can do at a given age is tied to published developmental milestones, and the sources are listed at the bottom of this page. The site is run by Magic of Discoveries LLC, a small children's book publisher in Miami, Florida, and it features one coloring book of our own.
Why a first coloring book is not just a smaller coloring book
- Line thickness decides everything. A thin outline disappears under a crayon held in a fist, and the child sees no result.
- One drawing per page. Two or three subjects on a sheet split the attention of a child who can hold it for a few minutes at most.
- The drawing has to fill the sheet. A small picture in the middle of a large page asks for accuracy the hand cannot deliver yet.
- The subject has to be recognizable. A toddler colors what they can name, and naming it is half the reason they stay at the table.
- Crayons and colored pencils to start with. They leave a clear mark with light pressure and suit a hand that is still learning.
Where the developmental facts come from
Ages on this site are typical ranges, not deadlines. Children reach these points at their own pace, and a few months either way is ordinary.
- Learn the Signs. Act Early.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Hand and Finger Skills: 2 Year OldsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org
- Developmental MilestonesStatPearls, National Library of Medicine
- Developmental Milestones: Fine Motor and Visual Motor SkillsChildren's Hospital of Orange County
The book in other countries
The book is sold in fourteen countries. Seven of them have their own page, written in the language of that country.
United Statesamazon.com
United Kingdomamazon.co.uk
GermanyEnglish words · Spanish wordsamazon.de
FranceEnglish words · Spanish wordsamazon.fr
SpainEnglish wordsamazon.es
ItalyEnglish words · Spanish wordsamazon.it
NetherlandsEnglish words · Spanish wordsamazon.nl
PolandEnglish words · Spanish wordsamazon.pl
Swedenamazon.se
Belgiumamazon.com.be
Irelandamazon.ie
Japanamazon.co.jp
CanadaSpanish wordsamazon.ca
Australiaamazon.com.au