TraceAges 3+
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Christmas Characters
For little hands still building pencil control.
View on AmazonLook inside this Christmas bookChristmas activity plans
Christmas coloring and tracing books for ages 3 to 5
At 3 to 5, most children are still building pencil control. A book that gives them a finished picture every time keeps it fun.
Why tracing first
Tracing a dotted outline builds the same hand control as drawing, without the frustration of a blank page. Then coloring is the reward.
What to look for
Big, simple characters; one picture per page; subjects they already love. Trace Then Color: Christmas has all three, with Santa, snowmen, elves and more.
Try before you buy
Print the free gingerbread man, penguin or snowperson. If they enjoy it, the book has fifty more like it.
When to move on
When your child starts asking how to draw things on their own, usually around 5 or 6, the step-by-step book is the next stage.
Free printables for this plan
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TraceAges 3+
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Dinosaurs
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TraceAges 3+
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Cats & Dogs
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TraceAges 3+
Trace Then Color: Mermaids, Unicorns, And Other Cute Stuff
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Ideas for the rest of December
Stocking stuffers
Which book fits a stocking, and what to pair it with.
Read the plan →Christmas Eve box
A calm evening activity: a book, pencils, a hot chocolate.
Read the plan →Classroom party
A drawing station for a class party using the free sheets.
Read the plan →Winter break
Ten screen-free afternoons from Boxing Day to New Year.
Read the plan →Ages 5 and up
Step-by-step or grid drawing for school-age kids.
Read the plan →