How to Create Your Own Color-by-Number Worksheets

Creating your own color-by-number worksheets for the classroom is an easy task that allows you to reinforce educational concepts in a creative way. For instance, instead of using a simple color key, you could incorporate math concepts such as even and odd, two- or three-digit numbers or even specific facts (all facts totaling 5, for example) to indicate which colors to use in certain areas. For a language-arts worksheet, you could incorporate synonyms and antonyms into the color key. Student color-by-number papers can teach a lesson while also serving as a quiet classroom activity.

Choose a graphic for the coloring sheet. You can copy a coloring book page or download a black and white image from the Internet. If you are creative, you could draw your own image.

Print out the image from a computer or use a copy machine to make a master copy of the worksheet. If standard-size copy paper does not give you enough room to write instructions for the students, use a larger size, such as legal-size paper. If legal-size paper is not available, you can print the color key information and any other instructions on a separate sheet of paper.

Write the color key information on the bottom of the page to guide the students. The color key should be simple and easy to understand. For example, you could say, "Even-numbered spaces -- color blue" or "Synonyms of the word 'pretty' -- color green."

Use a dark permanent marker to write the numbers or words designated in the color key on the master copy.

Make a copy of the worksheet for each student.