Why?
To be honest, I've written this post a million times in my head, but couldn't quite put pen to paper, as they say, to get my point across in a positive way....so today, today I'm going to try.
Why? Why should children, between the ages of 5 and 10 years old be allowed to color?
* First instinct as someone who was once a child, because it is fun.
* Next instinct as a mom, because it is fun.
* Third, as a teacher, because it is fun.
* My fourth thought, as a human being, because it is fun.
* My fifth point, WHY are we even asking this question? Sadly schools are all about OVER-TESTING, we need to bring back some more F.U.N.
Period end of discussion. No, not really, I have more to say, but you might see the trend in my thoughts, because it is fun. 
In a world that now sells ADULT COLORING BOOKS at every grocery check out stand, we have PROOF that many generations were denied this pleasure, this wonderful, creative, stress relieving amazing pleasure! Like puzzles, how many of your students have no idea how to start a puzzle? To sort the edges, to clump by color? Sorry, I wander, that will be a post for another day.
Five Reasons Elementary School Children Should Color
1. Coordination - Coloring is a favorite pastime activity for children, so we can use that excitement to better develop their eye hand coordination. Research shows that practicing basic coordination skills like sharpening crayons, recognizing and deciding what color to use on their paper and the proper way of holding crayons for different results can help children dramatically down the line with other, more difficult skills required of them in the classroom.
2. Improved Handwriting - Children need hand strength and dexterity to hold and manipulate a pen or pencil. Using free coloring time can allow children to develop muscle strength and eliminate the need for future correction of an incorrect pencil hold.
3. Concentration - Concentration is one very important skill that comes naturally to a child coloring. Children that spend their time coloring learn patience and develop a sense of pride in the accomplishment of a finished product. Concentration and focusing skills then transition over to reading and writing skills. Learning to color within the lines teaches boundaries, that directly transition into learning to write, with both print and cursive.
4. Relaxation - In our new, technologically advanced world, children have images and sounds bombarding them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.... coloring allows children time to decompress. The soothing nature of coloring helps aid in learning self-relaxation skills. Coloring is also a wonderful activity before bedtime. When a child is at school, it's non-stop... learning, reading, math, lining up, other children, hands to ourselves, time to eat lunch, time to go outside, etc. etc. etc. Being able to calm one's self down and not get out of control in the little day to day requirements we ask of our students is a necessary skill.
5. FUN - Yes, coloring is academic and necessary for younger, primary children, but it is also fun for your intermediate students. In our OVER-TEST-DRIVEN classrooms, these children are still 9 and 10 years old. NINE.AND.TEN.YEARS OLD.....life will become hard enough as it is, soon enough for our students. A 10 minute coloring brain break, or 20 minute indoor recess coloring break will not kill them, or your data.
There you go, my personal top five favorites, but yet, there are still more.... self expression, creativity, color recognition, therapy for feelings and frustration, motor skills, the list goes on and on. However, mull this over.....
With over 12 million adult coloring books purchased in 2015, don't you think we need to bring coloring back for our children?
I have created many Coloring eBooks that are available in my TpT store. Even against some early criticism, I held firm in my believes that children need time to color and express themselves. When you go to my TpT store, you can even sort by Free to try a page or two for yourself! Below are some of my favorite sheets from Coloring Pages for St. Patrick's Day.
*** A GREAT CLASSROOM IDEA ***
Terrific for your Emergency Sub Tub for morning work, let the substitute teacher have a few minutes to read your plans while the children color!
{12 million coloring books sold in 2015. USA Today and The Washington Post.}
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