Santa Coloring Pages

Ho ho ho! These free Santa coloring pages show the man in the red suit doing everything he's known for: checking his list, loading the sleigh, squeezing down a chimney and sneaking a cookie. There's a simple Santa face for the youngest colorers, a busy workshop full of elves and toys, and a letter page so kids can send their wish list to the North Pole.

Santa designs you can print

  • Santa's face: a big beard, round glasses and a fur-trimmed hat, with large spaces to fill
  • Sleigh and reindeer: Santa flying over rooftops with a sack of presents behind him
  • Chimney deliveries: boots sticking out of a chimney, or Santa stepping out of the fireplace
  • The workshop: elves hammering toys, wrapping gifts and painting trains at long benches
  • Mrs. Claus: baking cookies, knitting stockings and helping read the mail
  • Milk and cookies: the plate left out on Christmas Eve, plus a thank-you note
  • Letter to Santa: a decorated border with blank lines for a wish list

Where Santa Claus comes from

The Santa story goes back to Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the fourth century in what is now Turkey and was known for giving secret gifts. Dutch families called him Sinterklaas, and that name turned into Santa Claus in America. The picture most people know today, a round, jolly man with a white beard who rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer and comes down the chimney, took shape in American poems and drawings during the 1800s. His suit hasn't always been red. Older pictures show him in green, blue and brown too, so your Santa can wear any color.

Activities with Santa coloring pages

  • Letter to Santa: fill in the letter page, color the border and leave it by the tree or mail it.
  • Cotton ball beard: glue cotton balls on Santa's beard and the trim of his hat after coloring.
  • Countdown chain: cut a finished Santa page into strips, loop them into a chain and remove one link each night.
  • Gift tags: print a Santa face at a small size, color it, cut it out and punch a hole for ribbon.
  • Door sign: color a Santa please stop here page and hang it on a bedroom door.

Frequently asked questions

Are these Santa coloring pages free?

Yes. Every Santa coloring page here is free to print and download for personal and classroom use.

What colors do I need for Santa?

Red for the suit and hat, white for the fur trim and beard, black for the boots and belt, and gold or yellow for the buckle. Pink or peach cheeks finish the face. A green or blue suit is fine too.

Do you have easy Santa coloring pages?

Yes. Pages marked Easy show just Santa's face or Santa waving, with thick lines and no small details.

Is there a Santa sleigh coloring page?

Yes. One has the sleigh parked on a snowy roof, and another shows it in flight with reindeer over a sleeping town. The harness and sack of toys have lots of small parts for older kids.