Many adults love to color. One thing I have found over the years is that by laying out a few coloring pages and some crayons many adults will keep their hands busy, and their mind active, when someone is providing extensive information by lecture. No, I do not lecture for extended periods of time. I do, however, invite in speakers who may have a tendency to drone on about things participants might not be so interested in (remember, I work for the government). In addition, even of they are interested in the topic being presented, having colors and coloring pages available can help with students who learn in a tactile fashion. Studies seem to indicate that having something to engage a tactile learner’s hands helps to engage a tactile learner’s mind.
OK, so how can I do this within a low-budget? The key is planning ahead. At the beginning of the school year keep an eye open for markers and crayons going on sale. If you watch closely you can purchase 16 count crayons for 50 cents a package and sometimes for as little as 25 cents. Purchase 20 boxes for ten bucks and you are probably set for a year, if not longer. Coloring pages appropriate for adults can be found for little to no cost around the web. coloringprintables.net has a wide variety of coloring pages which can be downloaded in a .pdf format for FREE. For an example of one, select this Abstract page. If you want a wide variety of digital pages to choose from you may also purchase a book of 50 coloring pages online at www.art-is-fun.com for $10.00 U.S. The author provides written consent to print out two pages per participant for educational purposes.
By far, the best resource I have found is Doodle Art Alley, a website dedicated to providing a wide variety of coloring pages at no cost (that’s FREE). Hundreds of coloring pages are categorized so they can easily be located. Christmas just around the corner, they have Christmas coloring pages. Looking for a cool mandala for a cultural diversity class, they have over ten. It’s a great site and did I mention they are free. Unfortunately, they are restricted by some agency’s browser security restrictions. Therefore, I will have a few posted on a rotating basis in the resource section of this website. A special Shout-Out to Lesley Williams for sending me this resource.
Have any additional resources for coloring pages. That’s right, you need to e-mail me at poortrainer@gmail.com
