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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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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Dinosaur Math - Addition and Subtraction (Version 2)
Solve the addition and subtraction number sentences to color the dinosaur.
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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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Gumball Compound Words Worksheet
Help your students learn to read and identify compound nouns with a compound word color-by-code worksheet.
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Five Senses Coloring Worksheets
Help your students understand more about their five senses with a pack of printable 5 Senses coloring worksheets.
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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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Time to the Minute - Color by Code Worksheet
Review how to tell time to the minute with a fun Color By Code 3rd Grade math worksheet.
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Multiplication With Equal Groups – Color by Number Worksheet
Guide your students to determine a multiplication problem for an equal groups model with this color-by-number 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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Kindergarten Sight Word Worksheet - Color By Sight Word Snake
Build fluency with high-frequency words and give your students a fun way to practice with an editable kindergarten color-by-sight word worksheet.
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Rounding to 10, 100, and 1,000 Worksheet - Halloween Color-By-Number
Round each number to the place of the underlined digit with a fun Halloween color-by-number worksheet.
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Firefighter Color By Number Worksheet - Hundreds Chart
Print the perfect math activity for Fire Prevention Week with a printable firefighter hundreds chart color-by-number worksheet.
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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, Adjectives, Pronouns, Prepositions, and Adverbs) – Toucan
Practice identifying different parts of speech with this color by code 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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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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Measuring Angles – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Find the measure of each angle and use the color guide to reveal a mystery picture with this worksheet designed for 4th-grade students.
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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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Parts of Speech - Color by Code Worksheet
Follow the color code to reveal the mystery image with a fun color-by-code worksheet.
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Color By Code Worksheet - Synonyms and Antonyms
Reveal the hidden picture and practice using synonyms and antonyms with a vocabulary color-by-code 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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Number Recognition Worksheets - Sloth Color-by-Number
Provide your preschoolers with a fun color by number activity to practice number recognition, color recognition, and fine motor skills.
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Equivalent Ratios – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Practice how to find equivalent ratios with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Color-by-Number Valentine's Day Addition Worksheet
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Math practice with an addition color by number worksheet.
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Converting Ratios – Color by Number Worksheet
Reveal a mystery image by converting a ratio to a percentage with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Color By Long A — 2nd Grade Spelling Pattern Worksheet
Invite spring into the classroom and learn long A spelling patterns with a color by code worksheet for 2nd grade.
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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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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.