In short
- There are coloring books for every age now, with grown-up themes and details.
- Color alone, with a friend or with the grandkids: everyone gets their own page.
- No wrong colors: play, keep your pages and give yourself a little break.
Remember your first box of crayons? The waxy smell. The purple one that always broke first.
Coloring is part of almost every childhood. Then, somewhere along the way, most of us put the crayons away. Here’s the nice part: you can pick them up again whenever you like, and nobody will ask you to stay inside the lines.
Today there are coloring books for toddlers, teens, grown-ups and grandparents. Here’s why so many adults are coloring again, and six easy ways to make it your own.
1. Know it’s not just for kids
In most bookstores you’ll now find a whole shelf of coloring books for grown-ups: cozy animals, gardens, seasonal scenes, lettering pages. They’re made for adult hands and adult tastes, with more detail and more room to play.
Coloring needs no excuse. Plenty of people simply enjoy it, at 8 or at 80.
2. Say hello to your inner kid
For many grown-ups, coloring feels like a short trip back to Saturday mornings at the kitchen table. Same pencils, same tongue poking out at the corner of your mouth.
Kids find joy in simple things, like a finished page they can’t wait to show someone. Coloring is an easy way to give yourself that same small pleasure as an adult.
3. Color together
Coloring can be a solo moment or a social one. Plan a coloring evening with a friend, or join a coloring group in your town or online.
It works across generations too. Grandparents and grandkids can share one table, each with their own page, swapping pencils and opinions on which green is best.
4. Keep what you make
There’s something lovely about a finished page. You made it with your own hands, and it’s yours to keep.
Hang it on the fridge door or tuck it into a card for someone you love. Write the date in a corner. Years from now, it’ll be a tiny time capsule.
5. Give yourself a little break
Days fill up fast. A coloring book left on the coffee table is a small invitation to pause.
It can be short. A quiet half hour just for you, on a weekend morning or after dinner, is plenty. Many people find it a nice way to slow down at the end of the day.
6. Play with your colors
Everyone has favorite colors, and on a coloring page there’s no wrong one.
Try a page in warm yellows and oranges. Then color the same design in cool blues and greens, and see how different it looks. Mix shades and keep the combinations you like best.
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Warm colors
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Cool colors
Tip: not sure where to start? Pick just three colors you love and use them on the whole page.
Your turn
All it takes is a page you like and a set of colored pencils. Choose one that makes you smile and color just one corner of it this weekend.
Looking for the time? Read How to make time to color, even in a busy week. Happy coloring!
Questions about coloring as a grown-up
Is coloring for adults a thing?
Yes. There are coloring books made for teens and adults, with grown-up themes and more detail, from cozy animals to gardens and seasonal scenes.
What should I color with as an adult?
Colored pencils are the easiest place to start. Markers and gel pens add bold color and sparkle, and crayons are great for texture.
Can I color with my grandkids?
Of course. Give everyone their own page at the same table and share the pencils. Books with simple scenes work well for both ages.
More pages to color?
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