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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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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Synonyms and Antonyms Worksheet - Color By Code
Help Gran choose her next quilt design with a Synonyms and Antonyms Color-by-Code 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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Coloring 2-D Shapes Worksheet
Practice identifying rectangles, squares, circles, and triangles with this 1-page 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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Equivalent Ratios – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Practice how to find equivalent ratios with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Finding the Whole From a Percent – Mystery Image Worksheet
Practice how to find the whole from a percent with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Subitize and Color – Worksheet
Practice subitizing to five with this color-by-number worksheet.
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Presidents' Day Color by Number - Addition
Practice adding single-digit numbers with sums to 20 with a Presidents’ Day 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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Color-By-Number Valentine's Day Division Worksheet
Practice two-digit division with a Valentine's Day color-by-number worksheet!
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Valentine's Mystery Picture - Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Math practice with a multiplication mystery picture worksheet.
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Football Multiplication Mystery Picture
Use the color-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Football Mystery Grid Worksheet - Parts of Speech
Follow the color-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a Football-themed mystery image.
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Groundhog Day Addition - Color By Number
Boost addition skills and bring some fun into the classroom with Groundhog Day color-by-number addition worksheets.
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What is the Syllable Type? - Color By Syllables Worksheet
Practice identifying the six syllable types in common words with this color-coding activity.
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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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Rounding Decimals – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Round decimals to the nearest whole, tenth, hundredth, and thousandth while revealing a mystery image with this 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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Christmas Color by Number - Multiplication Worksheets
Boost multiplication skills and celebrate the holiday season with this color-by-number multiplication worksheet set.
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Christmas Color-By-Addition-Fact Worksheets
Boost addition skills and bring a bit of Christmas magic into the classroom with Christmas color-by-number addition worksheets.
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Christmas Color by Number Pack
Use knowledge of numbers to 10 to color in these Christmas color by number worksheets.
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Christmas Color by Vowel Sound Worksheets
Use color by vowel sound worksheets for a bit of holiday fun in the classroom.
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Identifying Christmas Shapes - Coloring Pages
Use knowledge of 2D shapes to color in these Christmas-themed shape coloring pages.
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Thanksgiving Mystery Pictures - Addition to 99
Celebrate Thanksgiving and practice adding 2-digit numbers up to 99 with a set of four Thanksgiving-themed color-by-number worksheets.
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Thanksgiving Multiplication - Mystery Picture Worksheet
Have fun with your Thanksgiving Math practice with a multiplication mystery picture worksheet.
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Thanksgiving Color by Code - Vowels
Use this color by vowel sound Thanksgiving worksheet as for a bit of Turkey Day fun in the classroom.
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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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Halloween Division Mystery Picture - Multi-Digit
Have a bit of Halloween math fun with a division color by number worksheet.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals – Differentiated Mystery Image Worksheets
Have students practice adding and subtracting decimals with this mystery image worksheet.