Feeling & Painting Coloring Pages

Coloring page story

Leo was a thoughtful little boy who sometimes had big feelings that got stuck inside, like bubbles that couldn't pop. Leo had a tricky day at preschool. His tower fell down, and his favorite crayon broke. He felt all jumbly inside—a little bit sad, a little bit mad, and very wobbly. When he got home, his dad gave him a special paint-by-number set. But this one was different. The key said: 1=Mad Red, 2=Sad Blue, 3=Worried Gray, 4=Happy Yellow. The picture was a simple outline of a boy. Leo didn't want to talk. He just wanted to paint. He grabbed the Mad Red first. SCRUB, SCRUB, SCRUB! He filled in the boy's stomping feet with angry red. Then he took the Sad Blue. Drip, drop, drip. He painted big blue teardrops on the boy's face. He filled the boy's tummy with Worried Gray, a swirly, cloudy mess. The picture looked as jumbly as he felt. He felt a little better getting the colors out, but the picture still made him feel sad. His dad sat quietly beside him. "That looks like a very hard day," he said softly. Leo nodded. "What about Number 4?" his dad asked, pointing to the Happy Yellow. Leo thought for a moment. He remembered his dad giving him a big hug when he got home. That was a happy feeling. He took the yellow paint and painted a big, bright, happy hug all the way around the boy in the picture, covering some of the red and blue and gray. Then he painted a little yellow smile. The picture wasn't all sad anymore. It was a picture of a boy who had a hard day, but who also felt loved. And talking about his color-filled picture helped all the stuck bubbles inside him finally pop.

Coloring page Age Appropriateness

This design is highly appropriate for ages 3-5. Its simplicity is its strength. The abstract representation of feelings (teardrops, tummy swirl, hug outline) allows for discussion, while the shapes themselves are large and very easy to color. It avoids complex imagery and focuses on a core, comforting concept.

Coloring Page Coloring Instructions

This little boy had a hard day. Can you see the teardrops on his face? Maybe you can color those blue for 'sad.' And his tummy feels all worried and swirly. What color is 'worried' to you? But look! The best part is the big, warm hug all around him. Let's make that a super happy and bright color, like a sunny yellow, to show he is loved and safe.

Coloring Page Printing Tips

This is a great page to print on sturdy cardstock. After coloring, it can be hung on the wall as a reminder that hugs make hard days better. Use standard print quality; the bold lines will be very clear.

Recommended Tools

This page is perfect for exploring how colors feel. Offer a wide range of crayons and let your child pick the colors that feel 'sad,' 'worried,' or 'happy' to them. There are no wrong answers! The simple shapes are easy for any tool, from markers to colored pencils.