Free Christmas coloring pages: 9 printable sheets for kids

The short answer: These free christmas coloring pages come in one printable PDF with nine full-page designs: a Christmas tree, a snowman, a stocking, a gingerbread man, ornaments, a JOY wreath, presents, a big snowflake and Merry Christmas lettering. They have bold outlines that work for toddlers and big kids alike.

Below you'll find what's inside, printing tips and easy ways to turn finished pages into cards, ornaments and gifts.

Want to print now? Jump to the free download.

What's inside the free Christmas coloring pages

Each page has a "Colored by" line at the bottom, so you can tell whose masterpiece is whose when the fridge fills up.

How to print the coloring pages

1. Download the PDF and open it in any PDF viewer or browser.
2. Pick the pages you want, or print the whole set.
3. Choose US Letter, portrait and 100% scale. On A4 paper, choose "fit to page".
4. Use plain paper for crayons and colored pencils. Use cardstock for markers and paint.
5. Print a few extra copies of the favorites. Siblings usually want the same one.

Ways to use Christmas coloring pages

Coloring pages are more than a rainy-day filler. Here are some easy ideas for December:

• Advent activity: Put one page in a numbered envelope for some of the nights on your advent calendar ideas list.
• Kids' table at Christmas dinner: Tape a page at each child's seat with a cup of crayons. It buys the grown-ups a quiet first course.
• Homemade cards: Color the stocking or wreath, cut it out and glue it to a folded piece of cardstock.
• Tree ornaments: Print the ornaments page on cardstock, color, cut out, punch a hole and add ribbon.
• Gift wrap: Color a few pages and use them to wrap small gifts for grandparents.
• Window art: Color the snowflake lightly, then tape it to a window so the light shines through.
• Christmas Eve countdown: Hand out one page each hour on Christmas Eve while dinner cooks.

Coloring also slots into a bigger plan for the season. Our list of 75 Christmas activities has more cheap and free ideas to mix in. For a non-holiday set, print our free unicorn coloring pages.

A coloring station for parties and classrooms

Hosting a holiday party with kids, or running a class party? Set up a small coloring station:

1. Cover a table with butcher paper so stray marks don't matter.
2. Put out a stack of printed pages, sorted by age.
3. Add crayons, washable markers, stickers and safe scissors for older kids.
4. Hang a string and clothespins nearby to display finished pages.
5. Keep wet wipes close for marker fingers.

For the grown-ups, our list of Christmas party games has ideas that keep everyone involved.

Safety tips for holiday crafts

Most coloring is low-risk, but holiday crafts often add glitter, glue, small decorations and button batteries. The American Academy of Pediatrics shares holiday decoration safety tips for families, including keeping sharp, breakable and small-part decorations away from young children.

• Use washable, non-toxic crayons and markers for young kids.
• Skip loose glitter and tiny sequins for children under three.
• Keep button batteries from decorations and toys well out of reach.
• Supervise scissors and glue guns.

Why Christmas symbols make good coloring pages

Many of the shapes on these pages have a long history. Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages, and wreaths go back to ancient Greek and Roman times, as HISTORY's overview of Christmas explains. Talking about where a symbol comes from while kids color is an easy, low-pressure way to share family traditions.

Coloring tips by age

Kids get more out of the same page when the challenge fits their age. A few ideas:

• Ages 3 to 4: Offer chunky crayons and two or three colors at a time. Big shapes like the snowman and the presents are best. Praise effort, not staying in the lines.
• Ages 5 to 6: Add washable markers and stickers. Ask them to give the gingerbread man a face, or to color each present a different color.
• Ages 7 to 9: Try colored pencils and simple patterns. Stripes, dots and zigzags look great on the ornaments and the stocking.
• Ages 10 and up: Challenge them to shade the snowflake from dark to light, or to use only three colors on the whole page. Older kids also like adding backgrounds, such as a snowy night sky behind the tree.

For a family evening, everyone can color the same page and vote on a winner in silly categories: most colorful, most creative, best use of glitter glue.

Plan the rest of December

Coloring pages cover a quiet afternoon. For the rest of the season, the Holiday Season Bundle keeps gifts, budgets, menus and hosting plans in one place. If you mainly want to keep gift spending under control, start with the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner.

When the coloring is done, try one of our Christmas crafts for kids.