How it works
The picture is a grid split into areas with thick outlines. Each area holds one calculation; pupils work it out, find the answer in the colour key and colour the area. Background areas stay white.
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Teaching guide: colour by number maths
Colour by number maths worksheets turn a page of calculations into a puzzle: every area of the picture has an addition, a subtraction, a times table fact or a division, and the key says which colour goes with each answer. Get the sums right and the picture appears. This free worksheet generator makes A4 sheets for Grades 1 to 3 with our own pictures (houses, rockets, cats, robots, fish…), always different and with a coloured answer key.
- For
- Elementary 1st, 2nd, 3rd (ages 6-8)
- Subject
- Mathematics › Arithmetic
- Includes
- Student sheet and answer key
- Format
- A4, to print or save as PDF; new exercises every time
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Available in
- Catalan, Spanish, English
Student worksheet 
Answer key Addition and subtraction
Within 10 and within 20 in Grade 1 (with and without crossing ten), then two-digit numbers to 100 in Grade 2, without and with carrying or exchanging. Additions and subtractions can be mixed in one picture.
Times tables and division
The 2, 5 and 10 times tables in Grade 2 and every table in Grade 3; divisions are always exact, the times tables backwards. Both can be mixed in one picture.
No guessing
Each colour has its own answers and no answer belongs to two colours, so every calculation fits one colour only. Calculations are spread over the areas with no pattern to give them away.
Made to measure
The custom level sets how far additions and subtractions go and whether they need carrying, or which times tables are used; the random level gives every picture different values within your limits.
Black and white friendly
The pupil's sheet is just lines and numbers. In the answer key each colour prints as a pattern with its name, so it still reads clearly in black and white.
Frequently asked questions about colour by number maths worksheets
Which ages are these worksheets for?
Grades 1 to 3 (Years 2 to 4). Grade 1 adds and subtracts within 10 and within 20; Grade 2 works with two-digit numbers, without and with carrying, and the 2, 5 and 10 times tables; Grade 3 covers every times table and exact division.
How do pupils know which colour to use?
The colour key is under the picture: each colour with one or two answers. Pupils work out the calculation in an area, find the answer in the key and colour the area in that colour. Areas whose answer says "leave white" stay white.
Can an area have two right colours?
No. The answers of one colour never appear under another colour, and each area has a single calculation, so only one colour is right for each area. The answer key shows the coloured picture and the answer in every area.
How many calculations are there in each picture?
It depends on the size you choose: a small picture has about 15 calculations and two fit on a sheet; a medium one about 25, and a large one about 35. You can add as many pictures as you like to the same worksheet.
Can I print them in black and white?
Yes. The pupil's sheet only has the outlines of the areas, the calculations and the colour names, and pupils do the colouring. In the answer key the colours are different patterns with their names beside them.
Which other worksheets go well with these?
To practise the same calculations in columns, use the column maths worksheets; for the tables, the times tables worksheets and the mental maths drills. The same pixel pictures appear in the grid drawing worksheets. Find every resource under maths worksheets.
Is any pupil data sent anywhere?
No. Worksheets are generated in your browser and templates are saved in your browser's memory.
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