Using color by code printables is a fun way for young learners to practice different skills, such as letter recognition, math skills, and other essential skills. It is much more educational than a regular coloring page, but still has the same benefits of creating calm classrooms and strengthening fine motor skills.
What Are Color By Code Sheets?
If you are new to color by codes, let me explain to you what they are and why they are so great! Color by code worksheets are essentially printable coloring pages with a mystery picture. Students have to color the picture according to the code.
Why Use Color By Code Pages?
There are many benefits of coloring for kids. Coloring helps your brain and body relax. Coloring induces the same state as meditation. It generates mindfulness, which allows your brain to work the rest of the day. If you are thinking that you can’t just let your kids color because the admin will walk in and not agree, then add some learning to your coloring with a color-by-code.
According to Sage House Therapy, “The amygdala controls the stress response, and reducing activity in the amygdala can reduce negative emotions and feelings of stress and depression.” Coloring also helps strengthen fine motor skills, which is so important for their hand development and all the writing they will do in school! With many schools using technology throughout the day, giving young children the opportunity to relax without a device and work on those fine motor skills is important.
What are some other reasons that I love color by codes?
- Coloring is a great activity for strengthening fine motor skills, something that seems to get pushed out as schools go more rigorous than before
- It is a fun way to practice important skills like math, English language arts, phonics, sight words
- Students have to pay attention and stay within the lines. If they get out of the line, it might mess the picture up.
- They are no prep! You can print and go, which also makes them the perfect activity for those last minute sub plans.
- They are great after a long, busy day when your young learners are tired! They are relaxing, yet you are still practicing important skills.
- They are great independent work, morning work, and early finishers.
- They focus on key skills you are teaching and reviewing in your classroom.
- Fosters hand-eye coordination
- Build student confidence by reviewing past skills
- All ages enjoy them; don’t forget older children do too!
- It is a fun activity! Seriously, all my past students have loved doing color by codes!
When To Use Color By Code Coloring Pages
I find the best time to use a color by code page is after a time when students are not in an organized, structured setting. For example, when they return from lunch, special classes, or recess is a good time to pull out the color by code worksheets. It is a great way to transition from those loud, unstructured settings back into the classroom, where you want them to focus and wind down and get ready for learning. Color by code activities are also great for morning work and early finishers.
Differentiate With Ease
You can easily differentiate for your students with color by code sheets. Our color by code printables offer a variety of different skills so that you can use what matches your learners!
Add To Your Sub Days
Color By Codes are easy to add to your lesson plans for a substitute. These are also easy to keep on hand when you have emergency sub plans prepped and ready to go. The last thing you want to think about when you need to make lesson plans for a last minute sub day is what to plan. Color by codes are an easy way to make sure your students review what you have been teaching. They are a good worksheet alternative to keep your kids learning in an engaging way.
Looking for color by code worksheets? Here is a breakdown of what we offer! Our color by code sheets were made with first grade students in mind; however, they can be used for kindergarten students ready for more of a challenge or second grade students who need first grade review.
Color By Codes Focused on Math Skills
There is a variety of math color by code sheets that you can use for math centers, early finishers, homework, sub days, or independent work.
1. Ten Frames Color By Code Sheets
These ten frame color by code worksheets include worksheets to practice number sense with identifying ten frames and twenty frames. Students match the ten frame and twenty frame to the number and color accordingly.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
2. Telling Time Color By Code Sheets
Students practice reading the time on an analog clock and color in the correct time. The skills include telling time to the hour, half-hour, and five minutes.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
3. Place Value Color By Code Sheets
These color by code sheets focus on finding the number in expanded form, base ten blocks, standard algorithm, hundreds, tens, and ones.
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Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
4. Addition Math Color By Code Sheets
These number worksheets are great for first and second grade students who are building their math fact fluency. There are sheets that include adding within five, ten, fifteen, and twenty so you can easily differentiate for what your students need!
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Seasonal Color By Code Sheets
We have color by codes to match the different seasons as well. The different themes make them even more fun to color! Plus, they are still aligned to the Common Core so that your students are still learning and reviewing!
Fall Color By Code Sheets
Our fall-themed color by code pages are aligned to the first grade common core. They are aligned to what you would typically teach in the fall months, like addition and subtraction within 10 and 20, ten frames, twenty frames, subitizing with dice, short vowels, and digraphs. Some of this should be review for last year’s kindergarten students.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Winter Color By Code Sheets
The winter color by code sheets include 1st grade math skills like ten frames, shapes, addition and subtraction within 20, and 3 digit addition. It also includes short vowels, long vowels, consonant blends, and vowel teams. This set also has sight word activities!
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Spring Color By Code Sheets
The spring set includes more phonics and math skills since it is later in the school year! Phonics skills include: short vowels, long vowels, soft c and g, double consonants, vowel teams, trigraphs, digraphs, suffixes, and r-vowels. Math skills include: 2-D shapes, 3-D shapes, addition and subtraction within 20, missing addends, and telling time.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Summer and End Of Year Color By Code Sheets
What better time to use color by codes than the end of the school year? These color by codes are review of the school year. Math skills include: 2-D shapes, 3-D shapes, addition and subtraction within 20, addition with three addends, and telling time. Phonics skills include: beginning blends, trigraphs, digraphs, long vowels, short vowels, vowel teams, and ending blends. You can also include these in summer packets you may send home with your students over the summer.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Back To School Color By Codes
The back to school color by code sheets focus on simple review of past kindergarten skills. They have number printables that focus solely on simple number recognition. There are also pages that focus on ten frames, twenty frames, addition to ten, subtraction to ten, cvc words, and first grade sight words. I also love to use these during the first few weeks as school because it shows me how students take their time, how they pay attention to detail, and who has mastered specific skills already and which skills we will need to work on and review during the school year.
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
Download Your Free Color By Code Sheets
Make sure to download your free color by code sheets! These free printable color by code sheets are aligned to different math and phonics skills for addition within ten, ten frames, short a words, and digraphs.
