At 5, most children are heading into kindergarten. Their coloring often shows a big jump in control and planning. Many can stay mostly inside lines, trace with confidence and spend a good while on a page they love.
What to expect at 5
- Mostly coloring inside lines, with some slips at edges
- A tripod or near-tripod grip for many children
- Tracing confidently, including details
- Following color instructions with two or three steps
- Planning color schemes
- Adding their own details and backgrounds
- Focus of 15 to 30 minutes on a favorite activity
Pages for 5-year-olds
More detail is welcome now: patterns, accessories, small parts. Favorites include robots with lots of buttons, unicorns with flowing manes and letter characters.
- Trace Then Color: Alphabet Monsters: letters plus monsters, perfect for kindergarten.
- Trace Then Color: Cartoon Robots: shapes, parts and patterns.
- Trace Then Color: Unicorn Animals: manes and horns to pattern and blend.
Challenges for 5-year-olds
- Color mixing by layering crayons. See color mixing for kids.
- Warm and cool colors. See warm and cool colors.
- Shading lightly on one side. See easy shading.
- Color by instruction. See listening games.
- Writing a name or label on their page.
Kindergarten connections
Coloring supports skills kindergarten teachers value:
- Pencil grip and control
- Following directions
- Focus and finishing tasks
- Color, shape and letter knowledge
- Independence: getting supplies out and putting them away
See coloring and kindergarten readiness.
Supplies for 5-year-olds
- Crayons and colored pencils
- Fine and broad washable markers
- A pencil and eraser for tracing
- A small sharpener
Questions parents ask
My 5-year-old’s coloring is still messy. Is that a problem?
Kids vary a lot. If they are enjoying it and slowly improving, that is what matters.
Should my 5-year-old color every day?
Not necessarily, but regular short sessions help skills grow.
What if my 5-year-old prefers drawing?
Wonderful. Drawing and coloring both build skills. Step-by-step drawing books are a great option; see BestDrawingBooks.com.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
