Coloring books have become a favorite pastime for everyone in the United States in the last few years. Tons of complex adult coloring books have made their way into the market. With these, they have made way and redefined what coloring books look like for people of all ages. Using educational coloring books as a tool for learning is a great method of teaching and exercising brain-based skills while also having fun.
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Why Choose Coloring Books?
One of the first things I ask myself when I give my students or children is, “how will this benefit them educationally?”. In this particular case, educational coloring books not only help them learn but also sharpens other skills. For example, coloring assignments stimulate creative thinking and writing, helps young children build better handwriting skills, and improves their focus and hand-eye coordination. Tack on learning all of the coloring books’ content makes this method of education all the more powerful.
Best Coloring Books (Ages 3+) at a Glance
Educational coloring is a great way to help your children love learning. It gives them the tools they need for school. Plus, one of the best things about Amazon is the Prime account, which each of these books comes with free shipping!
Best Coloring Books Reviewed
When looking through (literally) thousands of coloring book options on Amazon, I looked specifically for things I would either purchase for my classroom or children. These various coloring books range in ages from 3 and up to around 10. Further, each page features something specific to teach about.
1. My First Animal Coloring Book for Kids
I really love this coloring book. Not only does the My First Animal Coloring Book feature a ton of cute animals to color, but it also includes early learner writing spaces to learn how to spell and write the animals they are coloring. They will love all the different pages; each features animals like the sloth, monkeys, giraffes, whales, zebras, rabbits, and more! Along with the illustrations and learning how to write the names, each page gives a language breakdown of the word and its meaning. This coloring book is meant for those between the ages of four and eight.
2. The National Parks Coloring Book
The educational value of learning about our nation’s national parks helps your child broaden their horizons about some of the most beautiful places on earth. This is perfect for the child who is an explorer and loves art and nature. This coloring cook features (over twenty pages) twenty-four United States National Parks, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Olympic, Acadia, Hot Springs, Grand Teton, and a ton more. The drawings within this coloring book are extremely detailed and ideal for older children and adults. However, that does not mean it cannot be enjoyed by the younger child who might be more advanced in their coloring skills.
3. My Best Toddler Coloring Book
This is one of the best educational coloring books I have found for small children ages 3 and up. My Best Toddler Coloring Book comes with tons of coloring illustrations with pages covering letters, numbers, and animals; you may find that your toddler will never want to leave the coloring table. Coloring with your small child in this activity book will help them learn how to recognize various letters, numbers, and animals. Take what they learn with their new activity book and do different activities to incorporate for learning. For example, take a trip to the zoo or aquarium.
4. I Am Confident, Brave & Beautiful
While this I am Confident coloring book is specific to young ladies, this is an inspiring coloring book to help girls feel confident in themselves. With over 22 pages, each colorfully illustrated page features different affirmations” such as I am Brave” and “I am Curious.” Each affirmation is accompanied by illustrations that show empowering images of girl scientists, explorers, and athletes.
While this isn’t a typical topic of a coloring book, this will certainly be something that is encouraging and that your child will enjoy coloring in. The publisher states that this book is ideal for those three and up; however, I believe this book would best serve young ladies around the middle to high school age range.
5. The Anatomy Coloring Book
This Anatomy Coloring Book is a whole lot of science coloring fun! The review on Amazon boasts that this item has been the #1 selling anatomy coloring in the U.S. for the last 35 years. It is a great way to teach your students or kids the art of Anatomy. This book will address the many details of bone structure and muscle groups creatively. Kids will also practice science-specific terminology and a color-coded key system. Students will quickly learn the human body’s art through this new book and its over 162 pages of information.
6. My Alphabet Toddler Coloring Book with The Learning Bugs
You will share and enjoy many hours of fun together when coloring in this book; your child or students will find it easy to learn all of their colors, numbers, and shapes. These coloring books are great additions to any classroom, and they come in a series should you add to them for more educational fun. I really like that this fun coloring book has large print. It makes it easy for younger children to write and color in. All of the concepts introduced within this book are based on various things that kids must know once they start Kindergarten.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are coloring for yourself or enjoying coloring with your kids or students at school, at home, or gameschooling, this is certainly something that you can share in doing together. Kids enjoy having adults in their lives involved in their work and activities, and most importantly, in their learning process. So go ahead and pick out your favorite one and get to coloring with the kids!
