Colour By Code Worksheets for Teachers
Bring printable colour by numbers, letters and more foundational concepts into your classroom with fun worksheets created by teachers for teachers.
This collection of Australian curriculum-aligned teaching resources is designed to add an engaging element to your worksheets for maths, science, English 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 colour 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 Colour By Code Worksheet?
Haven't heard the term colour by code? That's OK! Maybe you've heard of colour by numbers or colouring by maths? Or maybe you call them mystery picture worksheets?
These fun worksheets allow students to pull out their crayons or coloured pencils to colour a picture based on a predetermined colour key or code, where each colour corresponds to a specific number or symbol. The goal is to match the numbers or symbols on the picture with the corresponding colours to reveal a mystery picture.
Colour by code refers to not just colour by numbers but also colour by parts of speech, synonyms, addition and other educational concepts!
History of Colour by Numbers
Ever wonder how colouring 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 colours.
In the 1950s, an American 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 colour by numbers in schools! His kits included pre-printed canvases, numbered paints and brushes, and his idea was soon adapted to make colouring books for kids.
In the versions for kids, numbers or symbols were added to line drawings instead of canvases, and young children could easily colour within the lines using crayons or coloured pencils!
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Addition and Subtraction Colour by Number Worksheets
Combine math and art with our addition and subtraction colour by number worksheets that feature problems with solutions up to 20.
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Place Value Colour by Number Worksheets
Share these place value colour by number worksheets with your students for a fun way to review place value up to the hundred thousands place.
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Colour by 2D Shape (Basic Shapes)
A set of five colour by shape worksheets.
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Multiplication Colour By Number Worksheet Pack
Use this set of multiplication colour-by-number worksheets to help your students learn these important number facts.
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Colour by Factor – Worksheet
Solve missing factor equations and colour a picture according to a colour-by-number guide.
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Unit Fraction Colouring Sheet
Crack the colour code and practise unit fractions all while colouring in fun images.
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Colour by Number - 4 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colouring 2D Shapes Worksheet
A worksheet to consolidate students' understanding of rectangles, squares, circles and triangles.
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Diphthong Colouring Activity Worksheets
Practise finding different vowel team diphthongs with this set of fun colour-by-code worksheets for your students.
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3 States of Matter - I Spy Worksheets
Recognise examples of solids, liquids, and gases with a pack of printable States of Matter I Spy Worksheets!
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Addition Practice Worksheets
Support student fluency with addition practice worksheets that build confidence with addition facts from 0–20 through fun, varied and engaging tasks.
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Alphabet Sounds Worksheets
Explore alphabet beginning sounds with this set of alphabet sounds worksheets to develop letter recognition.
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Subitising Worksheets Variety Pack
Incorporate these subitising worksheets into your lessons to give your students practise subitising collections up to 12.
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Area Model Multiplication – Colour by Number Worksheet Pack
Download this colour-by-number worksheet pack for your students to practise using the area model when multiplying multi-digit numbers.
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Half the Fun – Fractions Colouring Worksheet
A colouring worksheet to help students learn about half.
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Living or Non-living? Colour by Code Worksheet
Practise identifying living and non-living things with this colour-by-code worksheet.
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Colour By Number - Numbers 10-20
An engaging activity to consolidate your students’ recognition of two-digit numbers.
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Colour by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
Consolidate your parts of speech lesson by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in these colour by code worksheets.
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Colour by Number - 6 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Crazy Boxes – 2 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 2 times tables.
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Noun, Verb or Adjective? Colour By Code Worksheet
Use a colour by code Noun, Verb or Adjective worksheet to help students practise identifying parts of speech.
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Colour by Letter Worksheet Pack (SATPIN)
Help students with their recognition of the letters – s,a,t,p,i,n with this colour by letter worksheet pack.
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Colour by Missing Angles Worksheets
Get students to find the size of missing angles on right angles, straight angles and angles at a point with this maths worksheet with a difference!
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Parts of Speech Colouring Worksheet (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs)
Use this colour by part of speech worksheet as a fun Autumn activity with your students.
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Colour by Number - 2, 3, 5, 10 Multiplication
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Telling Time - Year 1 Maths Colouring Sheet
Practise telling time to the hour and half hour with a fun Telling Time Colour By Code maths worksheet!
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Colour the Periodic Table - Worksheet and Poster
Colour the periodic table with a printable colour-coding worksheet.
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Colour by Number - 2 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colour by Number - Mixed 1 - 12 Division
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of division facts.
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Equivalent Fractions – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Determine equivalent fractions while using the colour guide to reveal a mystery image.
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Colour by 2D Shape (Basic and Complex Shapes)
A detailed set of colour by shape activities.
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Time to the Minute - Colour by Code Worksheet
Practise how to tell time to the minute with a fun Colour in Maths worksheet.