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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Grammar Grid - Parts of Speech Mystery Picture (Crab)
Follow the colour-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a mystery image.
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Number Recognition Worksheet - Sloth Colour-by-Number
Use the number colour coding on this colouring sheet to create a cute sloth-themed picture.
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Valentine-Themed Mystery Picture - Division Facts
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Maths lessons with a division colour by number worksheet!
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Valentine's Mystery Picture Addition
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Maths with an addition mystery picture worksheet.
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Valentine's Mystery Picture - Multiplication Colour By Number Worksheet
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Maths with this multiplication mystery picture worksheet.
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Subitise and Colour
Practise subitising to five with this colour-by-number worksheet.
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Rounding Decimals Mystery Picture Worksheet
Round decimals to the nearest whole, tenth, hundredth and thousandth while revealing a mystery image with a fun colour-by-number worksheet.
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Colour It! Need or Want Worksheet
Identify examples of needs and wants with this colour-coding activity.
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Colour It! Good or Service Worksheet
Identify examples of goods and services with a colouring activity.
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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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100th Day Mystery Picture Worksheets
Follow the colour-coded number guides to fill in the hundreds chart square and reveal 3 special 100th Day of School mystery pictures.
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Colour by Syllable Type - Worksheet
Practise identifying the six syllable types in common words with this colour-coding activity.
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Living or Non-living? Colour by Code Worksheet
Practice identifying living and non-living things with this colour-by-code worksheet.
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Colour By Vowel Sound - Winter Worksheet
Use a chilly colour by vowel sound worksheet to bring a bit of Winter into the classroom this season.
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Christmas Colouring - Simple Multiplication Colour by Number
Boost multiplication skills even at the end of a school year with this colour by number multiplication worksheet set.
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Christmas Colouring - Simple Addition Colour by Number
Boost addition skills even at the end of a school year with this colour by number addition worksheet set.
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Christmas Colour by Vowel Sound Worksheets
Use colour by vowel sound worksheets for a bit of Christmas fun in the classroom.
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Gingerbread Vowels - Colour by Code Worksheet
Use this colour by vowel sound Christmas worksheet as for a bit of holiday fun in the classroom.
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Christmas Colour by Number Worksheets
Use knowledge of numbers to 10 to colour in these Christmas-themed colour by number worksheets.
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Colour By Shape Christmas Worksheets
Use knowledge of 2D shapes to colour in these Christmas-themed colour by shape worksheets.
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Silent Letters Worksheets - Read, Find and Colour
Identify silent letters in words with this set of three find and colour worksheets.
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Colour-by-Code Parts of Speech- Back to School Worksheet
Use this colour by part of speech worksheet as a back to school activity with your students.
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2-Digit Addition Colour by Number - Halloween Mystery Picture
Celebrate the coming of Halloween and practise adding 2-digit numbers up to 99 with this set of Halloween mystery picture worksheets.
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Christmas Colour By Number - Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures Activity
Print the perfect maths activity for Christmas: a set of 12 Christmas-inspired mystery hundreds charts.
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Halloween Division Mystery Picture - Multi-Digit
Have a bit of Halloween maths fun with a division colour by number worksheet.
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Multiplication Mystery Picture - Ice Cream
Use the colour-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Multiplication Mystery Picture (Pencil)
Use the colour-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Read and Colour Worksheet – Possessive Nouns
Practise identifying possessive nouns with this worksheet.
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100 Chart Mystery Picture Puzzle
Practise identifying numbers within 100 with this set of 44 number cards and hundreds board.
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2D Shapes Colouring Worksheets
A cute worksheet where students need to identify and colour the shapes the correct colour.
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Colour by Sight Words - 5 Words - Bee
A fun colouring activity to use when working with sight words.
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Colour by Sight Words - 6 Words - Toucan
A fun colouring activity to use when working with sight words.