Free Color by Number
Free instant PDF — no signup, no watermark. The preview above is exactly what prints; every type, picture, and difficulty draws a different sheet.
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Save to PinterestA color-by-number worksheet is a picture divided into spaces, each keyed to a color by its number — color every space to reveal the picture. This generator also makes color-by-addition and color-by-multiplication sheets, where solving each problem tells you which color the space takes.
- Modes:
- Classic numbers, addition, or multiplication
- Pictures:
- Heart, star, flower, butterfly, fish, rocket — plus seasonal pumpkin, turkey, Christmas tree, snowman, gingerbread person, mitten
- Difficulty:
- Adjustable per mode
- Paper sizes:
- US Letter and A4
- Cost:
- Free — no signup, no email, no watermark
How to use this color by number generator
Pick a worksheet type, a picture, and a difficulty — the preview updates instantly and shows the exact page you'll get. Click Download PDF and print on plain white paper. On a plain color-by-number sheet each space shows a number; on the addition and multiplication versions each space shows a problem to solve first. Either way, the color key at the top tells you which color goes with each number, and the picture appears as you color.
What's included on each sheet
Every sheet is a single full page: a color key across the top and a picture drawn as a mosaic of numbered spaces below it. The spaces are outlines only, ready for crayons, colored pencils, or markers. On the addition and multiplication sheets, each space holds a fresh math fact whose answer picks its color, so the picture doubles as a page of fact practice with its own built-in, verified answer key. Alongside six everyday pictures there are six seasonal ones — a pumpkin and a turkey for fall and Thanksgiving, and a Christmas tree, snowman, gingerbread person, and mitten for Christmas and winter.
Tips for printing and coloring
- Color the key's swatches first with the same crayons you'll use, so matching each space to its color is quick.
- On the math versions, solve every space in pencil first, then color — it's easier to spot a mistake before the color goes down.
- Start with the largest color regions to see the picture emerge, then fill in the small details.
- Print the same picture as plain number, addition, and multiplication to reuse one picture across three ability levels.
- Heavier paper (24 lb or cardstock) stops marker bleed-through and feels closer to a store-bought activity book.
- Before Thanksgiving or the winter break, print the turkey or the Christmas tree as a color-by-addition sheet — a holiday activity that is also a page of fact practice.
Customization options
Worksheet type
Color by number prints a plain number in each space — best for the youngest colorists. Color by addition and color by multiplication print a math problem in each space; the child solves it and colors by the answer, turning the picture into addition or times-table practice.
Picture
Choose a heart, star, flower, butterfly, fish, or rocket any time of year, or a seasonal pumpkin, turkey, Christmas tree, snowman, gingerbread person, or mitten. Each is a hand-designed mosaic that uses its own set of colors — from three colors on the simplest pictures up to five on the rocket and most of the seasonal pictures — and every picture prints its own color key.
Difficulty
Easy keeps the numbers small (sums to about ten, times facts to five). Medium moves into the teens and times facts to nine. Hard uses bigger sums and two-digit products. Difficulty changes the math on the addition and multiplication sheets; the plain number sheet stays the same.
Paper size
US Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) or A4 (210 × 297 mm). The picture is recomputed to fit whichever sheet you choose, and the same problems print on either size.
Frequently asked questions
What is a color by number worksheet?
It's a picture split into small spaces, each holding a number. A color key tells you which color goes with each number, so you color every space by its number and a picture appears. This generator makes them free as printable PDFs — plain number sheets plus color-by-addition and color-by-multiplication versions where you solve a math fact first.
Are these color by number printables really free?
Yes. Every sheet is completely free — no signup, no email, no watermarks, and no limit on how many you generate, download, or print.
How do color by addition and color by multiplication work?
Each space shows a math problem instead of a plain number. You solve it, and the answer is the number you look up in the color key. So a space showing "3 + 4" is colored with whatever color the key lists for 7. It turns a coloring page into addition or times-table practice while the picture still appears at the end.
Can I choose the picture?
Yes — pick from twelve: a heart, star, flower, butterfly, fish, or rocket any time of year, or a seasonal pumpkin, turkey, Christmas tree, snowman, gingerbread person, or mitten. Each picture is drawn as a mosaic of numbered spaces, and every picture uses its own set of colors, shown in the key at the top of the sheet.
Are there Christmas or Thanksgiving color by number pages?
Yes. Choose the pumpkin or the turkey for fall and Thanksgiving, or the Christmas tree, snowman, gingerbread person, or mitten for Christmas and winter. Like every picture here, they're drawn by the generator itself rather than clip art, and each one works as a plain color-by-number, color-by-addition, or color-by-multiplication sheet at any difficulty, on US Letter or A4.
What ages are these best for?
Plain color-by-number suits preschool and kindergarten (colors and number recognition). Color-by-addition fits roughly grades 1–2, and color-by-multiplication fits grades 3–4. The difficulty setting adjusts the size of the numbers, so one picture can grow with a child.
How is the picture made? Is it clip art?
No clip art — every picture is drawn by the generator itself as a grid of colored spaces, and the math facts are generated fresh for your settings. That's why each combination of type, picture, and difficulty produces its own distinct sheet with its own answer key.
Is the color key correct?
Yes. Every math fact on the sheet is checked to make sure its answer really does match the color the key assigns — the answer key is generated and verified automatically, so a solved space always ends up the intended color.
What paper size do the sheets print on?
Choose US Letter (8.5 × 11 inches) or A4 (210 × 297 mm). The picture is recomputed to fit the sheet, and the same problems print on either size — print at 100% scale on plain white paper.
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