Back to School Coloring Pages
The first week is easier with something calm on every desk. Our free back to school coloring pages include first day of school signs, backpacks stuffed with supplies, a school bus at the corner, pencils, apples and all about me sheets that help a new class get to know each other. Teachers can print a set for morning work, and parents can use the sign pages for that first-day photo on the front step.
My first day of school sign with a blank gradeEasy
Apple on a stack of booksEasy
School supplies patternDetailed
Playground at recessDetailed
Busy hallway on the first day with lockers and cubbiesDetailed
Detailed classroom with desks and a globeDetailed
Child holding a sign on the front stepMedium
Classroom reading cornerMedium
Lunchbox with a sandwich and fruitMedium
School supplies spread on a deskMedium
Kids waiting at the bus stopMedium
School building with a flagMedium
Open backpack stuffed with suppliesMedium
Welcome back bannerMedium
Name tag frame to colorEasy
All about me pageMedium
Box of crayonsEasy
School busEasy
New pencil and eraserEasy
BackpackEasy
Back to school designs you can print
- First day signs: my first day of school lettering with a line to write the grade and date
- All about me: boxes for a self-portrait, age, favorite food, favorite book and a goal for the year
- School supplies: backpacks, pencil cases, glue sticks, scissors, rulers and stacks of notebooks
- School bus: the bus pulling up to a stop while kids wait with their bags
- Welcome banners: welcome back lettering for a classroom door
- Classroom scenes: desks, a reading corner, a globe and a wall calendar
- Name tags: decorated frames to color and write a name in
Back to school coloring pages for the first week
- Morning work on day one: a coloring page on each desk gives students something to do while you greet families and sort supplies.
- Get-to-know-you gallery: hang finished all about me pages on the wall and let students find three things they share with a classmate.
- First-day photo: color the sign the night before, then take a picture holding it. Do the same on the last day and compare.
- Calm the jitters: coloring the night before school starts gives nervous kids a quiet way to talk about what's coming.
- Cubby and folder labels: cut out the name tags and tape them to hooks, bins and folders.
When school starts in the US
There's no single national start date. Many districts, especially in the South and Southwest, go back in early or mid August. Others, mostly in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, wait until after Labor Day, the first Monday of September. Kindergarten usually begins the year a child turns five, though cutoff dates vary by state. Whatever the date, the first days are about routines: where to line up, where to hang a backpack and how to find the bathroom.
Frequently asked questions
Are these back to school coloring pages free?
Yes. Every back to school coloring page here is free to print and download for personal and classroom use.
Do you have a first day of school coloring page for each grade?
The sign pages leave the grade blank, so one design covers preschool, kindergarten and every grade after. Write the grade in marker before coloring.
What's on the all about me page?
A frame for a self-portrait plus prompts for name, age, family, favorite food, favorite thing to do and one hope for the school year. It fits on a single sheet.
Can teachers print these back to school coloring sheets for a whole class?
Yes. Print as many copies as you have students. They're useful for the first morning, for early finishers and for sub plans.