The best winter coloring pages for January are the ones with no Christmas in them: snowmen, penguins, polar bears, foxes in the snow, mountains and a snowflake mandala. Below are 14 free pages that work all winter long, each in four detail levels (the snowflake mandala comes in one version), a five-day plan for the cold days after the holidays, and tips for coloring snow and ice. A page takes 10 minutes at the easy level and an evening at the expert level.
Quick answer: what to print in January
- For toddlers and preschoolers: the snowman and the penguin, easy level.
- For school-age children: playing in the snow and the polar bear, medium level.
- For teens and adults: the snowy mountains or the wolf, detailed or expert level.
- For a calm ten minutes: the snowflake mandala in blues and silver.
Why do people look for winter coloring pages in January?
Because December's pages are all about Christmas, and by the first week of January the tree is down and the decorations are back in the box. Winter itself is not over: in the Northern Hemisphere, January and February are the coldest, darkest months, with school breaks, snow days, sick days and long weekends indoors. Winter pages keep the season without the Christmas theme, so they work in any classroom and any family.
The 14 best free winter coloring pages
| Page | Why it suits winter | Best level for children |
|---|---|---|
| Snowman | The classic, and easy to finish | Easy |
| Playing in the snow | Sledding and snowballs | Medium |
| Hills | Color the hills white and the sky gray: sledding country | Easy |
| Penguin | Black, white and orange: simple colors | Easy |
| Polar bear | A white animal: good for practicing shading | Medium |
| Fox | Bright orange against white snow | Medium |
| Wolf | Grays and blues, for older children | Detailed |
| Owl | Long winter nights | Medium |
| Hedgehog | Curled up for the winter | Easy |
| Bear | Ready for a long sleep | Easy |
| Rabbit | A white winter coat, or a brown one | Easy |
| Snowy mountains | Peaks, pines and sky | Detailed |
| Forest | Color it as a snowy forest | Medium |
| Snowflake mandala | A calm pattern in cool colors | One version |
The snowy village, the Christmas penguins and the reindeer work in January too, if nobody minds a few wreaths and a decorated tree left over from Christmas.
A five-day winter coloring plan
One page a day for a school week, a snow week or the last week of the winter break:
- Monday: the snowman. Add a scarf in the child's favorite colors, and a name on the hat.
- Tuesday: the penguin and the polar bear. Talk about where each one lives: penguins in the far south, polar bears in the far north.
- Wednesday: playing in the snow. Color it, then go outside, or remember the last time it snowed.
- Thursday: the fox or the owl. One bright animal against a white page.
- Friday: the snowflake mandala. Everyone colors one, and they go up in the window together.
At the end of the week, punch holes in the five pages and tie them with ribbon: a small winter book.
How do you color snow, ice and white animals?
Snow is the hardest thing to color because it is mostly white paper. A few tricks make it look like snow, not like a gap:
- Leave the paper white for the brightest snow, and color the shadows instead: pale blue or light purple along one side of each drift, under the snowman's chin, at the bottom of each footprint.
- Color the sky dark (dark blue, purple or gray) so white snow and white animals stand out.
- For a polar bear, use pale yellow or cream on the body and light gray or blue in the shadows. A pure white bear on white paper disappears.
- Ice and icicles: light blue with white highlights. A white gel pen or white crayon on top of the blue adds shine.
- Cold colors, warm accent: a winter page looks most wintry in blues, purples and grays, with one warm color, such as a red scarf, an orange fox or a lit window.
Our guide to colored pencil techniques shows how to shade gently with layers, and the crayon tips for kids cover pressing lightly for pale colors.
Ideas for snow days and sick days
- Snow day: print three or four pages at once so the morning has a plan. Our rainy day screen-free activities work just as well when it snows.
- Sick day: easy-level pages and a stack of crayons in bed. See quiet sick-day activities.
- Window art: color snowflake mandalas and tape them to the window, facing out, so the street sees them too.
- For adults: a detailed winter page with a hot drink is a good antidote to January. Our ten-minute mindful coloring routine fits into short winter evenings.
What if January is summer where you live?
In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America, January is the middle of summer. Children there still love penguins and snowmen, often precisely because they never see snow. For a summer January, see our summer holiday coloring journal, and for every month of the year, our holiday coloring pages calendar.
Frequently asked
Are these winter coloring pages free?
Yes. All 14 pages can be downloaded and printed at home at no cost, for home, a classroom or a group. Each one comes in four detail levels, except the snowflake mandala, which comes in one version.
Which winter coloring pages are best for preschoolers?
The snowman, the penguin, the hedgehog and the bear at the easy level. They have thick outlines and big shapes, so a three- or four-year-old can color them in five to ten minutes with chunky crayons.
Are there winter coloring pages with no Christmas theme?
Yes. The penguin, polar bear, fox, wolf, owl, hedgehog, bear, rabbit, hills, mountains, forest and snowflake mandala have nothing to do with Christmas, so they suit any classroom from January to March. The snowman and playing in the snow pages are winter scenes with no Christmas decorations in them.
How do I make white snow show up on a coloring page?
Color around it. Leave the snow white, color the sky dark and add pale blue or purple shadows to one side of every snowy shape. The contrast is what makes snow look white.
Try it with your own photo
The best winter page is your own snow day: the children with their snowman, the dog in the snow, your street after a storm. Coolorio turns a photo into a printable coloring page in four detail levels, delivered as a PDF to print at home. Photos are deleted after 7 days. See how it works to make your first page.
Try it with your own photo
One phone photo becomes a page that looks like your family. The first one is free.
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