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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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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I Spy CVCe Words - Worksheet
Identify words that contain the magic e with this printable black and white worksheet.
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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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Colour by Number - 12 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colour by Number - 7 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Colour by Number – Repeated Addition
An engaging activity to prepare students for understanding the concept of multiplication.
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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 – 11 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 11 times tables.
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Crazy Boxes – 8 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 8 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 – 10 Times Tables
A fun multiplication worksheet where students create a colour pattern using 10 times tables.
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Roll and Colour Worksheet - One More, One Less
An interactive worksheet to practise finding the number that is 1 more and 1 less than a given number.
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Read and Colour Worksheet – Common and Proper Nouns
A worksheet to practise identifying common and proper nouns.
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Colouring by Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Initial Letter Colouring Worksheet
Identify the first letter for each picture and then colour it in.
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Trick or Treat Digraphs Worksheet
Sort Halloween Digraphs and colour them by code with a fun Halloween Phonics worksheet.
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Rounding Decimals – Differentiated Colour by Code Worksheet
Guide your students to round decimals to the nearest tenth and hundredth with this differentiated colour-by-code worksheet.
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Decimal Designs – Differentiated Decimal Rounding Worksheet
Guide your students to round decimals to different places and create a beautiful design with this differentiated worksheet.
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Continents and Oceans - Roll and Colour Game
Learn to identify the continents and oceans of the world with an engaging partner game.
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Easter Hundreds Board Mystery Pictures
A set of 9 Easter-inspired mystery hundreds charts.
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Pop Art Products - Basketball Colour By Number Worksheet
Bring some pop art into the classroom with a multiplication colour-by-number worksheet.
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Synonyms and Antonyms Worksheet - Colour by Code
Explore pairs of synonyms and antonyms with this colour-code 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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Colour by Syllable Type - Worksheet
Practise identifying the six syllable types in common words with this colour-coding activity.
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I Spy Syllable Types - Worksheets
Identify and colour words according to their syllable types with this set of six worksheets.
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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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100 Chart Mystery Picture Puzzle
Practise identifying numbers within 100 with this set of 44 number cards and hundreds board.
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Roll, Add and Colour - Easter Basket
A fun roll, add and colour sheet featuring an Easter basket.
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Roll, Add and Colour - Easter Bilby
A fun roll, add and colour sheet featuring an Easter bilby.
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Colouring by Larger Numbers - Operations
Colouring pages to be used when working with operations.
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Colour by Number - 1 x Multiplication Facts
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.