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  • Color your stress away with help from these 10 online resources
girl drawing with pencils on stencil
  • Things to Do

Color your stress away with help from these 10 online resources

Grab the pencils and get creative with stay-in-the-line graphics of dinosaurs and Disney characters for kids or detailed mandalas for the adults.

By Jess Feldman March 27, 2020 at 1:23 pm

girl drawing with pencils on stencil
© olllinka2 / stock.adobe.com

Whoever said coloring is just for kids clearly never experienced the psychological effects of a global pandemic.

Research from Michigan-based nonprofit health organization Beaumont Health, as well as several other studies, suggest that coloring has therapeutic effects, including reducing stress and anxiety, strengthening focus, motor skills and vision and even improving sleep if adapted as a bedtime ritual. Plus, for the little ones it’s an entertaining activity to keep them occupied for hours on end.  

No matter your age, pick up your pens, pencils and markets, and get to doodling with these free, printable stencils.

Crayola Coloring Pages
It comes as no surprise that Crayola has a wide variety of downloadable coloring pages available. With categories like spring-themed scenery, Disney characters and more, the entire family will find something that suits their interest. 

PBS for Parents
Discover a world of color with nearly 900 options for children ages 2 through 8. Thanks to PBS, you’ll unlock free, printable coloring pages, activity cards and even face masks your kids can cut out, doodle on and utilize around the house. 

Just Color
Within this resource, you’ll find easy-to-follow stencils of butterflies, slightly more challenging printouts of characters like Katnis Everdeen from teen-favorite Hunger Games and art-therapy-focused options for adults too. In total, there are nearly 5,000 options to choose from. But don’t worry, the drop-down menu makes it easy to find printouts that fit your mood.

Van Gogh Museum
For all budding artists out there, the Van Gogh Museum is offering free coloring pages of the legend’s work online. Teens can practice their consistency and precision by coloring in self-portraits of Van Gogh himself, intricate sceneries from his hometown and more.

Super Coloring
It’s all about the details with Super Coloring, an online database full of every possible printout you can imagine. If your child is obsessed with dinosaurs, you’re in luck, as there are 405 options to choose from on this site, ranging from a complex Spinosaurus to a simple stencil of a Tyrannosaurus.  

 

stencil of a mandala
© Katikam / stock.adobe.com

Monday Mandala
Find solace in Monday Mandala, an online resource filled with thousands of mandalas that help clear the mind and ease the soul. Plus, every single printable illustration is designed by artists from across the globe in places like the United Kingdom, Pakistan and India. 

Coloring 4Kids
Is your youngster practicing the letters of the alphabet? Look no further than coloring4kids.com, as the website is full of educational tools for little learners, including printouts of each letter paired with a symbolic object. Plus, there are more detailed options for older kids too.  

Hello Kids
While this website gives you the option to print out everything from Princess Elsa to an intricate mandala, kids, teens and adults alike also have the option to get in touch with their graphic design skills and doodle using the digital tools. Then, when the image is done, you can choose a funky background color and print out the masterpiece for all to see. 

Free Coloring Pages
Well, the website name says it all for this one. In addition to coloring pages, you’ll find channel mazes, preschool activities and connect-the-dot games to print out and keep your kiddos’ minds engaged while at home this spring. 

Print and Color
Specifically for the kids, Print and Color includes printouts in categories like anime, princesses, movies, comics, video games and so much more. Whether your middle schooler wants to doodle an old-school Pokémon character or the latest Avengers characters, the choice is theirs.

Looking for more fun ways to entertain yourself and your family? Click here and subscribe to our Things to Do newsletter. 

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