Color by number generator

Print a color-by-number sheet from an original pixel picture, with plain numbers for little ones or addition, subtraction and times-table facts that reveal each colour, plus a colored answer key.

1 · Picture

Original 16×16 pictures drawn for this site.

Background squares stay white with no number: less coloring, quicker to finish.

2 · What goes in each square

Square shows

A color number in each square. Best for ages 4–6.

Paper size

Color by Number

Name ____________________Date __________
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
  • 1 red
  • 2 pink
  • 3 white
Ink & Grid Puzzlesinkandgridpuzzles.com/color-by-number/

Ready-made samples one click, then print

Colour by number, square by square

Colour-by-number sheets turn colouring into a careful, satisfying puzzle: every square has a number, the key says which colour it is, and a picture slowly appears. These sheets use a 16×16 grid of squares, like pixel art, which keeps the shapes bold and the squares big enough for crayons and pencils.

Choose from original pictures drawn for this site: a heart, a fish, a house, a rocket, a butterfly, a flower, a sailboat and an ice cream. Turn on Leave the background blank for a quicker sheet, or off for a full-page challenge.

Math color by number

Switch the squares from numbers to maths facts and the sheet becomes self-checking practice. Each square shows a sum, a subtraction or a multiplication, and its answer is the colour number in the key. If a child gets a fact wrong, the picture looks odd, which is a gentle nudge to check.

  1. Add: facts with answers from 4 to 20.
  2. Subtract: facts within 20, answers 1 to 12.
  3. Multiply: times-table facts from the 2s to the 10s.
  4. Press New sums for a fresh set of facts on the same picture, so a whole class can have different sheets.

Printing tips

The puzzle prints in black and white; the key has small colour swatches and colour names, so it works on any printer. The colored answer key prints on its own page. For the brightest result, print the key on a colour printer with background graphics turned on.

Questions people ask

What ages is color by number for?

Number sheets suit ages 4–6. Addition and subtraction sheets suit ages 6–8, and multiplication sheets suit ages 7–10.

How does math color by number work?

Each square shows a maths fact. Work out the answer, find that number in the key, and colour the square in that colour. When all the facts are right, the picture appears.

Where do the pictures come from?

They are original 16×16 pixel pictures drawn for this site.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. The puzzle sheet is black and white, and the key lists colour names next to each number, so children can colour from a black-and-white printout.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Print colored key prints the finished picture in colour on its own page.

Can every child get different sums?

Yes. In Add, Subtract or Multiply mode, press New sums before each print. The picture stays the same and the facts change.