Ask a seven-year-old what’s funny and you’ll probably hear about burps, boogers and stinky feet. Gross humor is a normal part of childhood, and gross characters can be the key to getting reluctant kids coloring.
Why kids love gross
- Breaking rules safely. Gross stuff is "not allowed" at the dinner table, which makes it funny.
- Laughing together. Silly humor builds connection.
- Surprise. Unexpected, yucky details are memorable.
Hooking reluctant colorists
Kids who say coloring is babyish often change their minds with the right characters. Gross, goofy goobers feel more like a comic than a coloring book.
- Trace Then Color: Crusty Goobers is full of crusty, goofy characters
- Trace Then Color: Crusty Goobers 2 brings more
- Trace Then Color: Weird Creatures adds strange, funny beasts
See coloring for tweens.
Gross coloring ideas
- Slime. Bright green with white highlights and drips.
- Crust. Brown and yellow dots and speckles.
- Stink lines. Wavy green lines.
- Warts and bumps. Small circles in a darker shade.
- Mixed media. Glitter glue slime and cotton fuzz. See mixed media coloring.
Stories and writing
Gross characters are great for writing: "What does this goober smell like?" or "Where does it live?" Kids who resist writing often want to write about something funny.
Set a limit if you need one. Gross is great on paper, not at the dinner table.
Questions parents ask
Is gross humor normal?
Yes. Toilet and gross humor is common in kids, especially from about 4 to 10.
Will gross pages make my child more rude?
Usually not. They give gross humor a place to live.
What ages enjoy gross characters?
Mostly ages 5 to 12, and plenty of adults.
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.
