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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Equivalent Fractions – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Determine equivalent fractions while using the color guide to reveal a mystery image.
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Homophone Mandala Flower Worksheets
Have your students create a colorful mandala flower while simultaneously demonstrating their understanding of common homophones.
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Color the Synonyms and Antonyms Worksheet
Explore vocabulary with this synonyms and antonyms worksheet for 3rd and 4th grade students.
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Grammar Grid Mystery Picture Worksheet- Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives (Bunny)
Follow the color-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a mystery image.
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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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Color by Coin - Coin Identification Worksheet
Identify quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies by coloring each picture according to a color guide.
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Measuring Angles – Mystery Picture Worksheet
Find the measure of each angle and use the color guide to reveal a mystery picture with this worksheet designed for 4th-grade students.
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Fall Color By Part of Speech Worksheet - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
Use this color by part of speech worksheet as a fun fall activity with your students.
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Gumball Compound Words Worksheet
Help your students learn to read and identify compound nouns with a compound word color-by-code worksheet.
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Color by Missing Angles – 4th Grade Math Worksheets
Get students to find the size of missing angles on right angles (90°), straight angles (180°), and angles at a point (360°) with this 4th grade math worksheet with a difference!
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Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet Pack
Use this set of multiplication color-by-number worksheets to help your students learn these important number facts.
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Suffixes - Color By Code Worksheet
Reveal the hidden picture and practice using the inflectional endings -s, -es, -ies, and -ves with a color-by-code worksheet.
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Color by Number Addition and Subtraction Worksheets
Combine math and art with our color by number addition and subtraction worksheets that feature problems with solutions up to 20.
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The Number of Days in Each Month - Color By Code Worksheet
Help your little learners remember the number of days in each month with a color-by-code worksheet.
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Halloween Shapes - Color By 2D Shapes Worksheet
Don’t get too spooked while trying to identify 2D shapes with a printable Halloween Shapes Color by Code worksheet!
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Color by Number - Division Facts Mixed (1–12)
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of division facts.
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Color by Parts of Speech Worksheet – Chameleon
Practice identifying different parts of speech with this fun color-by-code worksheet.
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Is It Half? Differentiated Fractions Coloring Sheet
Introduce your students to the concept of halves as well as equal and unequal parts with this fractions coloring sheet.
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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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Mental Math Addition and Subtraction - Color by Number
Build confidence with mental math addition and subtraction through an engaging color-by-number activity.
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Fractions Greater Than 1 Worksheet Pack (Color-by-Number)
Use our Fractions Greater Than 1 Worksheet Pack to give your students a fun way to practice converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers.
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Color by Letter Worksheet Pack
Help students with their recognition of the letters – s,a,t,p,i,n and c,k,e,h,r with this color by letter worksheet pack.
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Unit Fraction Coloring Sheet
Crack the color code and practice unit fractions all while coloring some fun images.
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Telling Time - 1st Grade Math Coloring Sheet
Practice telling time to the hour and half hour with a fun Telling Time Color By Code worksheet!
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Plant Adaptations - Color by Number Worksheets
Learn about the adaptations of plants in the rainforest, tundra, and desert with color-by-number worksheets.
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Parts of Speech - Color by Code Worksheet
Follow the color code to reveal the mystery image with a fun color-by-code worksheet.
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Count the Quarters - Worksheet
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine the number of quarters needed for a given amount.
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Color by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives - Whale
A fun activity to use when learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
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Color by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives - Octopus
A fun activity to use when learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
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Identify Sentence or Fragment Worksheet Pack
Use an Identify Sentence or Fragment worksheet to help your students build their sentence writing skills.
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Color by Pronouns Worksheet Pack
Use this set of color-by-pronouns worksheets to help your students learn these important parts of speech.
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States of Matter - Color by Code Worksheet
Engage your students and have fun identifying the states of matter with a color-by-code worksheet.