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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Subtraction Across Zero - Colour By Number Worksheet
Practise subtraction across zeros with a fun colour-by-number worksheet.
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Colour By 3D Objects - Worksheet
Practise identifying 3D objects and their attributes with a printable code-based colouring task!
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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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Equivalent Fractions – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Determine equivalent fractions while using the colour guide to reveal a mystery image.
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Colour By Code Worksheet - Synonyms and Antonyms
Reveal the hidden picture and practise using synonyms and antonyms with a vocabulary colour-by-code worksheet.
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Basketball Mystery Grid - Addition to 20
Consolidate the skill of adding single-digit numbers up to twenty with a basketball-themed colour-by-number worksheet.
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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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Colour It! Need or Want Worksheet
Identify examples of needs and wants with this colour-coding activity.
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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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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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Colour by Number - 2, 3, 5, 10 Multiplication
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colour by Number - 2, 3, 5, 10 Division
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of division facts.
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Colour by Number - 8 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colour by Number - Numbers 0-9
An engaging activity to consolidate your students’ recognition of one-digit numbers.
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Crazy Boxes – 4, 6, 7, 8 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 4, 6, 7 and 8 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 12 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 12 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 11 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 11 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 5 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 5 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 4 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 4 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 3 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 3 times tables.
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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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Colour by Parts of Speech Worksheet – Toucan
Consolidate your parts of speech lesson by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions and adverbs on the toucan.
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Colouring by Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Colour By Code - Simple or Compound Sentence Worksheet
Use a Colour By Code Simple or Compound Sentence worksheet to help your students practise identifying simple and compound sentence types.
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Colour By Code Comma Splice Handout
Use a Colour By Code Comma Splice Handout to practise identifying and correcting comma splices.
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Colour By Code - Comma Use Worksheet Pack (2-4)
Practise identifying correct and incorrect comma use with a colour-by-code Comma Use Worksheet Pack.
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Colour by Pronouns Worksheet Pack
Use this set of colour-by-pronouns worksheets to help your students learn these important parts of speech.
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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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States of Matter - Colour by Code Worksheet
Engage your students and have fun identifying the states of matter with a colour-by-code worksheet.