Free starter packs

Five packs. One for your child's age.

Each pack is one PDF with the coloring pages and worksheets that fit what the hand can do at that age, and a parent card on page one: what is inside, why, and what to do with it for ten minutes a day.

One PDF per ageA4, black line, prints on any printerColoring pages + worksheetsFree, no email needed

Which one sounds like your child?

Ages 2–3Holds the crayon in a fist and scribbles across the whole sheet.Pack 2–3: First strokes →Ages 3–4Colours in areas now, but the hand tires quickly.Pack 3–4: The hand loosens up →Ages 4–5Wants it to be “right” and sticks with it.Pack 4–5: Focus and detail →Ages 5–6Wants to know how things work and asks for “big kid” tasks.Pack 5–6: Before school →Ages 6–8Colours for a long time, alone, and wants it to look good.Pack 6–8: Patterns and calm →
Ages 2–3

First strokes

„Holds the crayon in a fist and scribbles across the whole sheet.“

For the child who has just discovered that a crayon leaves a mark. Staying in the lines is not the point; finishing something and wanting another one is.

What is in the file

  • 10 coloring pagesbig areas and a line weight drawn for this age; every page carries a parent note on what it builds
  • 1 parent cardwhat is inside, why, the week’s ritual and the signs it is time for the next pack

Why it works at this age

Extra-thick outlines and only a few areas, so a stroke over the edge still looks intended. The child finishes a page in three minutes and asks for another. That is the whole method at two: short, finished, again.

This week’s ritualOne page, one crayon, five minutes. Name what they are colouring and let them pick the colour. A purple dog is correct.
Signs they are ready for the next oneThey colour inside one big area instead of across the sheet. They tell you what they are colouring. Then take the 3–4 pack.
⬇ Download pack 2–3 11 pages · A4 · 0.8 MB · free · no sign-up

Every page for ages 2–3 →

4 of the 11 pages
Ages 3–4

The hand loosens up

„Colours in areas now, but the hand tires quickly.“

For the child who has moved from scribbling to colouring. They are learning to control pressure and move the whole arm, which is what writing will stand on later.

What is in the file

  • 8 coloring pagesbig areas and a line weight drawn for this age; every page carries a parent note on what it builds
  • 6 worksheetspre-writing, dot-to-dot and puzzles for the same age, with a tip for the grown-up on every sheet
  • 1 parent cardwhat is inside, why, the week’s ritual and the signs it is time for the next pack

Why it works at this age

The colouring pages have big areas and a few smaller details. The pre-writing sheets train the same thing by another route: wide tracks, waves, circles. The dot-to-dots add the first numbers. Alternate them; three pages a week is enough.

This week’s ritualOne pre-writing sheet first (two minutes), then a colouring page. The hand is loose and the colouring goes better.
Signs they are ready for the next oneThey stay with one page for ten minutes. They keep the line inside the track. Then take the 4–5 pack.
⬇ Download pack 3–4 15 pages · A4 · 1.8 MB · free · no sign-up

Every page for ages 3–4 →

4 of the 15 pages
Ages 4–5

Focus and detail

„Wants it to be “right” and sticks with it.“

For the child who can colour and has started to care about the result. This is where planning, concentration and fine finger movement get trained.

What is in the file

  • 8 coloring pagesbig areas and a line weight drawn for this age; every page carries a parent note on what it builds
  • 6 worksheetspre-writing, dot-to-dot and puzzles for the same age, with a tip for the grown-up on every sheet
  • 1 parent cardwhat is inside, why, the week’s ritual and the signs it is time for the next pack

Why it works at this age

The colouring pages have more parts to keep track of. Pre-writing 4–5 moves to finer shapes (lazy eights, spirals) that lead straight into letters. Puzzles teach planning: a maze is walked with the eyes first, then the pencil.

This week’s ritualA maze or puzzle to start, a colouring page to finish. If they cross out a mistake and carry on, that is correct. Don't fix it.
Signs they are ready for the next oneThey get through a maze without a dead end. They copy a shape from a pattern. Then take the 5–6 pack.
⬇ Download pack 4–5 15 pages · A4 · 3.2 MB · free · no sign-up

Every page for ages 4–5 →

4 of the 15 pages
Ages 5–6

Before school

„Wants to know how things work and asks for “big kid” tasks.“

For the kindergartner. The hand can do it; now it is stamina, precision at the edges and counting that get trained, the things they will need every day a year from now.

What is in the file

  • 8 coloring pagesbig areas and a line weight drawn for this age; every page carries a parent note on what it builds
  • 4 worksheetspre-writing, dot-to-dot and puzzles for the same age, with a tip for the grown-up on every sheet
  • 1 parent cardwhat is inside, why, the week’s ritual and the signs it is time for the next pack

Why it works at this age

The colouring pages have details and patterns that take staying power. Dot-to-dots to 15 rehearse the number line, the sudoku puzzles teach rules. It is all still play, but play with an end and a result.

This week’s ritualOne page a day, always finished. Let them say what was hard. That is the start of the self-assessment school will ask for.
Signs they are ready for the next oneThey count dots to 15 without skipping. They colour a detail without crossing the edge. Then take the 6–8 pack.
⬇ Download pack 5–6 13 pages · A4 · 2.4 MB · free · no sign-up

Every page for ages 5–6 →

4 of the 13 pages
Ages 6–8

Patterns and calm

„Colours for a long time, alone, and wants it to look good.“

For the school-age child. This is no longer about motor skills; it is about concentration, winding down and the pleasure of a finished thing. Mandalas and detailed scenes are the best rest after school.

What is in the file

  • 8 coloring pagesbig areas and a line weight drawn for this age; every page carries a parent note on what it builds
  • 1 parent cardwhat is inside, why, the week’s ritual and the signs it is time for the next pack

Why it works at this age

A repeating pattern holds attention without effort and calms, the same principle adult mandalas work on. Detailed scenes teach planning colours ahead. None of it needs supervision.

This week’s ritualTwenty minutes after school, no screen, music or silence. Don't touch their colour choices or their order.
Signs they are ready for the next oneThe packs end here. Every 6–8 page and mandala on the site comes next.
⬇ Download pack 6–8 9 pages · A4 · 1.9 MB · free · no sign-up

Every page for ages 6–8 →

4 of the 9 pages

How a pack is meant to be used

Ten minutes, one page, no lesson.

1

Print one page, not the pack

One sheet on the table is an invitation. Fifteen sheets is homework.

2

Worksheet first, coloring page after

Two minutes of pre-writing loosens the hand; the coloring goes better and the child lasts longer.

3

Don’t correct

A line over the edge and a crossed-out mistake are part of learning. Praise finishing, not precision.

4

Next pack when the child shows you

The card lists three signs it is time. Age is only a guide.

Not sure which age? Take all five.

One zip, 63 pages, 10.1 MB. Start with the one that fits today and keep the rest.

⬇ Download all five

Questions parents ask

Is it really free? What is the catch?

It is free and there is no catch. The pages are the same ones you can open one by one under All pages and Worksheets. The packs just save you the clicking.

My child is five but has only just started coloring. Which pack?

The one that matches what the hand can do, so 3–4. The age on the pack is a guide, not a rule. Each card lists the signs it is time to move on.

Can I print it for a class or a playgroup?

Yes, as many copies as you need. Selling the pages or uploading them elsewhere is not allowed. Details on the terms page.

Is this different from the pack that comes by email?

Yes. The email pack is 10 pages across all ages, a taster. The packs here are for one age each and include worksheets.