Preschool Coloring Pages - Why is it Important For Preschoolers to Color?

So why do we always search for preschool coloring pages and make our preschoolers color them?

I know that, for me, I was always looking for coloring pages as a way to reinforce a lesson or provide something entertaining for my kids to do while they waited for a meal or for an appointment. There are many other logical reasons though:

1. It helps them develop their fine motor skills as they try to grip their crayon and color correctly. This helps them exercise and develop the muscles in their hands.
2. As they try to color within the lines, they help define their hand-eye coordination. I always enjoyed watching my children scribble when they toddlers and I can remember when each of them realized that they were supposed to stay within the lines. They worked really hard at this each time.
3. It allows them a way to express themselves. If you let them draw their own picture before they color it, then they will express even more what they are thinking or who they are. Allowing this freedom of expression, along with the first two reasons listed, all help prepare the children for writing their own words. By allowing freedom of expression, they learn that they have some control and that there are other methods of communication, not just by using your words.
4. For many, it is an introduction to colors and color combinations. Do you remember how fascinated you were to find out that yellow and green make blue!!! I can still remember this lesson from kindergarten.
5. They receive a sense of accomplishment in their work that is designed by them. My toddler doodles, and that is fine with me, but she is always coming up, to me after finishing one of her drawings, with a huge smile on her face, just waiting for me to tell her how beautiful her picture is. My son is the same way!!

These are just a few benefits that I can think of off the top of my head. When I am looking for coloring pages, I always make sure they are fairly basic pictures. I don't want to print off a coloring page that has a whole lot of thin lines or that is big and daunting. My preschoolers always use the jumbo crayons and I want a page that will have thick black lines to accommodate them. Below you will find some great free printable coloring pages for preschoolers. All the images are in the public domain. They have simply been enlarged and converted to a pdf format for easing coloring and printing. Enjoy!