Color By Code Worksheets for Teachers
Bring printable color by numbers, letters and more foundational concepts into your classroom with fun worksheets created by teachers for teachers.
This collection of curriculum-aligned teaching resources is designed to add an engaging element to your worksheets for math, science, ELA and more! Best of all, each printable has been carefully reviewed and selected by an expert on the Teach Starter teaching team, so you know it's ready for your classroom, your lesson plans and your students!
Not familiar with the term color by code, or just looking for some fresh ideas to use these worksheets in the classroom? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is a Color By Code Worksheet?
Haven't heard the term color by code? That's OK! Maybe you've heard of color by numbers or coloring by math? Or maybe you call them mystery picture worksheets?
These fun worksheets allow students to pull out their crayons or colored pencils to color a picture based on a predetermined colour key or code, where each color corresponds to a specific number or symbol. The goal is to match the numbers or symbols on the picture with the corresponding colors to reveal a mystery picture.
Color by code refers not just to color by numbers but also coloring by parts of speech, synonyms, addition and other educational concepts!
Coloring by shape is a type of color by code worksheet!
History of Color by Numbers
Ever wonder how coloring by numbers became so popular?
The exact history of these sheets is hard to track down, but as far back as the early 20th century, people were "painting by number" as a recreational activity. Then an activity mainly for adults, it involved painting pre-drawn canvases with numbered sections that corresponded to specific paint colors.
In the 1950s, an artist called Dan Robbins developed a commercial version of the concept called "Paint by Numbers" that helped the idea go mainstream and give life to what we now call color by numbers in schools! His kits included pre-printed canvases, numbered paints and brushes, and his idea was soon adapted to make coloring books for kids.
In the versions for kids, numbers or symbols were added to line drawings instead of canvases, and young children could easily color within the lines using crayons or colored pencils!
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Color by Number – Repeated Addition
An engaging activity to prepare students for understanding the concept of multiplication.
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Color by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives - Whale
A fun activity to use when learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
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Frog in a Pond - Color by Numbers
Color by numbers is a fun and easy way to help students recognize digits 1-6.
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Color By Numbers - Underwater Scene
A fun way to practice recognizing the digits 1–8.
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The Number of Days in Each Month - Color By Code Worksheet
Help your little learners remember the number of days in each month with a color-by-code worksheet.
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Telling Time - 1st Grade Math Coloring Sheet
Practice telling time to the hour and half hour with a fun Telling Time Color By Code worksheet!
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Following Directions Worksheets - Reading a Clock Review
Practice telling time to the half-hour, quarter-hour, and five-minute mark with a pack of printable Following Directions worksheets.
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Color By Code Worksheet- Telling Time to 5 Minutes
Practice telling time to the nearest five minutes with a fun Color By Code worksheet.
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Diphthong Coloring Activity Worksheets
Practice finding different vowel team diphthongs with this set of fun color-by-code worksheets for your students.
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Color by Missing Angles – 4th Grade Math Worksheets
Get students to find the size of missing angles on right angles, straight angles and angles at a point with this 4th grade math worksheet with a difference!
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Homophone Mandala Flower Worksheets
Have your students create a colorful mandala flower while simultaneously demonstrating their understanding of common homophones.
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Decimal Designs – Differentiated Decimal Rounding Worksheet for 5th Grade
Guide your students to round decimals to different places and create a beautiful design with this differentiated worksheet for 5th grade.
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Color by Number - Division Facts Mixed (1–12)
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of division facts.
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Plant Adaptations - Color by Number Worksheets
Learn about the adaptations of plants in the rainforest, tundra, and desert with color-by-number worksheets.
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Color by Parts of Speech (Nouns, Verbs, Prepositions, and Adjectives) – Owl
Identify nouns, verbs, prepositions, and adjectives with this color-by-code style worksheet.
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Subtraction Across Zero - Color By Number Worksheet
Practice subtraction across zeros with a fun color by number worksheet.
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Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet Pack
Practice those times tables with a fun set of multiplication color by number worksheets.
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Color By 3D Shapes - Worksheet
Practice identifying 3D shapes and their attributes with a code-based coloring task!
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Real-World 3D Shapes - Coloring Worksheet
Explore three-dimensional shapes in the real world with this coloring worksheet.
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Suffixes - Color By Code Worksheet
Reveal the hidden picture and practice using the inflectional endings -s, -es, -ies, and -ves with a color-by-code worksheet.
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Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet - Kangaroo
Hop your way through multiplication mastery with a multiplication color-by-number worksheet.
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Pop Art Products - Basketball Color By Number
Bring some pop art into the classroom with a multiplication color-by-number worksheet.
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Basketball Mystery Grid - Addition to 20
Practice adding single-digit numbers up to twenty with a basketball-themed color-by-number worksheet.
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Comparing Decimals – Color by Number Worksheet
Compare decimals and create a beautiful stained-glass picture with this color-by-number worksheet.
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100 Grid Color by Number — 100th Day of School Activities Pack
Follow the color-coded number guides to fill in the hundreds chart square and reveal 3 special 100th Day of School mystery pictures.
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Dividing Whole Numbers – Color by Number Worksheet
Solve long division problems and color the grid according to the key to reveal a mystery picture.
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2-Digit Addition Color by Number- Halloween Mystery Picture
Celebrate the coming of Halloween and practice adding 2-digit numbers up to 99 with a set of addition color by number worksheets.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals – Differentiated Mystery Image Worksheets
Have students practice adding and subtracting decimals with this mystery image worksheet.
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Continents and Oceans Roll and Color Game
Learn to identify the continents and oceans of the world with a Continents and Oceans Roll and Color Game.
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Multiplication Mystery Picture (Pencil)
Use the color-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Living or Nonliving? Color by Code Worksheet
Practice identifying living and nonliving things with this color by code worksheet.
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Count the Quarters - Worksheet
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine the number of quarters needed for a given amount.