This template shows some common shapes for discussion, colouring and to make into shape matching puzzles. Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in the shapes. Make a shape sorting game. Print twice. One sheet will be your base. Colour the shapes and cut out. Let children match their cut-out shape to the [...]

Colouring in gets a bad rap these days. Once very popular, these days they are accused of imposing unnecessary rules, stifling creativity and making children feel like failures. But is this really so? Like everyone else, my opinion comes from a mix of childhood memories, adult observations, and reading other’s opinions. As a child, I [...]

This is a really interesting article on creativity. Intelligence and creativity “IQ scores are going up while creativity is going down” from The Creativity Crisis by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman in Newsweek. One of the frequent questions that came up when we were dealing with schools was why some children with very high IQ [...]

There is an article on a site that promotes homeschooling that pretty much summarises the reasons why I think home-schooling is not such a good idea. It was always the homeschoolers that convinced me, not its detractors. With a title “5 reasons why you don’t need to teach math” http://education.penelopetrunk.com/2012/08/16/5-reasons-why-you-dont-need-to-teach-math/ we don’t get off to [...]

This article was commissioned and published in 1996 as an article to parents of gifted children struggling to understand why gifted children often seem to drop out of school for no reason while their less intellectually inclined classmates pass them by. The term gifted is problematic but nobody seems to be able to come up [...]

A teacher once told me that you had to make it clear to children that there is no alternative to going to school because that’s just the way life is – after all, she had no alternative, she had to go to school everyday as her job to earn money to pay the bills. If [...]

It’s not nice, the discourse between homeschooling advocates and those who oppose it. And the not-niceness goes both ways. I’ve just read this A response to the completely asinine “7 reasons I’d never homeschool my teen” by Rebecca English, which sent me to an article that I’d probably never come across otherwise. “7 Reasons I’d [...]

There is some irony in people being able to have a conversation with a cat or dog, but being unable to have a conversation with a baby.

I spent my early years in regional Queensland. It was a world of hot summer Christmases marked with greeting cards and stories of snowflakes and reindeer. And the characters in the books I read lived in a different climate and landscape, with different-styled houses and schools, and they used a different version of English. And [...]

There’s an article ‘Unschooling’ – education fad or real alternative? https://theconversation.com/unschooling-education-fad-or-real-alternative-12548 on theconversation website. I always find it ironic that although I see merit in many of the “unschooling” theories, and am highly critical of many school practices, I end up defending the role schools play in education. Over the decades I’ve spent a lot [...]

Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about all the different types of scissors – safety scissors with blunt ends for children, dressmaking scissors, small embroidery scissors, manicurist’s nail scissors, hairdresser’s scissors, garden scissors. Big scissors are often called shears. What occupations can you think [...]

This is a template of a ruler to colour and discuss. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, mathematics Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about rulers and the different types – your school ruler, a tradesman’s ruler… Would you include tape measures as rulers? How many uses can you think [...]

Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about what you do with hammers. Who do you know who has one or more hammers? What are hammers made of? Is the handle made of something different to the head of the hammer? Do you have different [...]

Here is an elephant template and a connect the dots. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about elephants and where they live. What is special about elephants? Do you have some story books about elephants?

Children are fascinated by keys. Here are two templates for keys, and a lock and key to decorate and discuss. a modern key Click image for the full-size template an old fashioned key Click image for the full-size template padlock and key Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: [...]

This card is an ideal keepsake for young children to make and give to parents and grandparents for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas or birthdays.  They can use a photo of themselves or a family pet. Instructions: You will need 1 A4 sheet of coloured card for base 1 sheet of A4 coloured paper for [...]

This is a list of the number templates. Use them individually to focus on a particular letter or number. Colour them, cut them out, use them as part of a bigger picture, decorate with drawings of things that are related to that number (eg shape, number of legs / wheels,  etc.) Print the set of [...]

This template shows a Tiger Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: Talk about where you see tigers. Have you seen tigers in a zoo? Do you have tigers in any of your books? One of our family favourites is Terrible Terrible Tiger Tiger-related Toys [...]

This template shows a Whale Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: Talk about whales and where they live. Have you heard the sounds that whales make? Do you know any different types of whales? Have you ever been whale watching? Template created by and [...]

This template shows a Zebra Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: What’s special about zebras? Black and white. Stripes. Where do they live? Can you think of other animals that live in the jungle? Do you know what they eat? Have you seen a [...]

This template shows a Teacup Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in. You could draw patterns or pictures on the side. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: We use cups every day – what different cups do you have and what do you put in them? Are some better for hot [...]

This template shows a Wheel Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in.  Wheels can be cut out and pasted on the side of a cardboard box to make a car or truck. Related skills: language, fine motor, maths. Discussion Topics: Talk about all the places we have wheels – the obvious ones [...]

Babies and children are surrounded by words and letters. The unusual thing about numbers and letters is that they can change if they are turned around – an upside down M becomes a W, and upside down 6 becomes a 9. Our alphabet and number templates are bare to allow you plenty of scope for [...]

This is a series of templates shows the side view of a diesel engine. They will appeal to children who are serious about their trains. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Print on standard paper or card. [...]

This is a series of templates shows the side view of a steam engine, carriages.  It will appeal to children who are serious about their trains. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size [...]

This template shows a Steam engine and carriage on rails. Click image for the full-size template This is a quite complex steam engine and carriage with a lot of detail for close colouring in. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: You can talk about the different parts of the engine, the rails, the sleepers. [...]

This template shows an Icecream Sundae Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in.  Colour the icecream, draw on fruit, nuts or other decorations. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: Icecream Sundaes are special occasion foods – not good for you to have every day but great for a treat. Do you [...]

This template shows a Snail Click image for the full-size template Print and colour in. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: Talk about where you see snails, go for a snail hunt in the garden. What do snails eat? What eats snails? Talk about how some people eat them. What do we mean when [...]

Use these Mother’s Day templates to make cards and posters. Print these ready made Mother’s Day cards for children to decorate Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template or cut out these letter templates to spell out MUM, MOM etc to make cards or posters Click image for the full-size [...]

This template shows a Bowtie Click image for the full-size template Decorate the bowtie with paints, crayons, coloured pencils.  Talk about the colour, patterns – dotted, striped, etc. Related skills: language, fine motor. Discussion Topics: Who wears bowties? Magicians? Entertainers? Men? Clowns? Do you or any of your toys wear bowties? Template copyright

Three pizza templates – blank to draw or glue on your own ingredients, or ready-made to colour. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Talk about pizzas and the different toppings you can put on them. What [...]

Easter templates for cards, posters and decorations. Easter means eggs, rabbits, chick, and even the Easter Bilby.

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) live in burrows beside rivers and lakes in Australia.

A caterpillar in two parts to colour and cut Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Caterpillars come in lots of shapes and sizes. Do you have caterpillars in your garden? What are they eating? Colour the template.

This template shows a kangaroo. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, gross motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about kangaroo and where they are found. Kangaroos are marsupials. They keep their babies in their pouch. Kangaroos are popular characters for children’s books and toys. Kangaroo Books and Toys ToysOnline [...]

This template shows a crab. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, gross motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about crabs and where they are found. Talk about eating crabs and what they taste like. Pretend to be a crab. Walk or crawl like a crab. Make pincer movements with [...]

This template shows a crocodile. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, gross motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about crocodiles and where they are found. Talk about safety and the need to respect wild animals. Pretend to be a crocodile using your arms to imitate the jaws. Find out [...]

I’ve always loved puppets. They’re different to dolls because they demand action. They need a person to give them movement and a voice – and they also encourage playfulness and communication. Puppets are good for imagination, story telling and vocabulary, communication, and fine motor skills. Puppets are not gender specific toys; they don’t encourage children [...]

Here is a pair of socks – colour and make your own designs. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. Talk about all the different types of socks we have. Do you always wear matching socks?  Do you care if they match and how? Matching colours? [...]

This Santa has hinged arms and legs. Click image for the full-size template Instructions: You will need A4 paper or cardColouring pencils or crayonsScissorsHole or Eyelet PunchStuds for paper (split and fold out) Method: Print the Santa above (click on the image to get the template) Colour in Santa Cut Santa out Punch holes on [...]

Here are some templates for Christmas: Santa, a Santa bear, toy sack, Santa’s sleigh, and Rudolf.  There is also a slight template and a matching join-the-dots sleigh. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the [...]

This template shows three different types of cheese. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about the different shapes and types of cheeses. What is your favourite? Cheese is usually made from the milk of cows, but can be made from milk from goats, sheep [...]

This template shows three different types of bread Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about the different shapes and types of breads.There are many names for shapes of breads – including loaf, cob, roll, bap, baguette. Do you like wholemeal, white, sourdough and other [...]

The templates are of appliances found in the kitchen – a microwave, stove or cooker, refrigerator, and kettle. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Discuss how we [...]

These templates are of computers and including keyboards for colouring, writing letters on keypads and practice typing Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour [...]

Sweets, Candy, Lollies – this template can be used for coloring, but the wrapper has been left blank so children can choose patterns and colours.

Template of the words Dad and Daddy. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Use these templates for Father’s Day or birthdays. What do you call your Dad?  Can you think of other words that people call their fathers?

Template of dancing shoes to colour. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Do you like dancing? This template shows some dancing shoes and musical notes. What is different about dancing shoes?

These templates show a variety of sports equipment. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Which sport uses each of the items in the drawing? The sports cup [...]

Template showing whole apple pie, a cut piece and an apple. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Do you like apple pie? What other fruits can you put in a pie?

Template showing theatrical masks. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about acting and pretending to be someone else. Can you make some masks? Have you seen some actors on a stage?

These cards can be used for coloring, games, spelling and more! Simply print out the templates (card stock works best) and cut along the dotted lines. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size [...]

Templates with different types of shoes – lace-ups, high heels, thongs/flipflops… Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. How many different pairs of shoes do you have?  Which shoes do you wear to different [...]

Template of a skirt to colour plain or draw a pattern. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Do you wear a skirt? Don’t forget to include kilts and other skirts worn in different cultures.

One template of a snake to colour and one to connect the dots Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the snake and connect the dots. Talk about snakes, where they live, the part they play in nature, and safety.

Volleyball and Soccerball. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion: Talk about the different balls used in different sports. They are different sizes, made of different materials, some are different shapes and [...]

Cat and dog with Vet’s sign, syringe and stethoscope – all ready to see the vet! Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Do you have pets?  Have you taken them to see the vet? Veterinarians diagnose and treat sickness, disease and injury in all types of [...]

Add a design, then colour this t-shirt. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about the designs you make. You could do special designs for Christmas, birthday or other occasions.

Colour this tree and its surroundings. You could draw animals or children playing underneath. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about trees and their importance. What animals need trees? Do you have a favourite tree in your garden or in the park? Talk about [...]

Tulips – single or set of three Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the tulips – red, yellow, pink? You could use these to make Happy Mother’s Day decorations. Have you seen tulips growing in a garden. They grow in cold [...]

Here are some templates of farm animals – a cow, horse and join-the-dots horse. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Talk about different farm animals, their shapes and sizes and where they live. Related Templates: Farmyard [...]

Print the page, decorate, and fold in half lengthwise to make a Chinese Lantern. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Instructions: Print the page, decorate, and fold in half lengthwise to make a Chinese Lantern. Cut from fold along dotted lines. Fold edges back lightly to crease, then straighten. Roll [...]

Template of a chocolate bar Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Do you like chocolate?  When do you have it? How often should you eat it? Talk about health aspects, food as treats, cleaning teeth.

Template of a cap with COACH on the front, a whistle and a megaphone Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about sports and the part coaches play.  How do you feel about them? Some people like having a coach, others don’t. What do you [...]

Here are some templates of birds to colour including a kookaburra, cockatoo and ibis. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Talk about different bird, their shapes and sizes and where [...]

A candy cane for coloring and a stripeless candy cane that children can decorate and color. The same templates are also available as colour-by-number activities for older children. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine [...]

Interested in cars? This blank template of a car is perfect for coloring/designing your very own Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size templateClick image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: What colour is your car? Colour this car the same – or in your own [...]

Interested in planes? Here is a template for a passenger jet and a small plane with a single propeller. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: What colour are the planes you see? Colour these planes the same – or in your own [...]

Interested in buses? This blank template of a bus is perfect for coloring/designing your very own Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: What colour are your local buses? Colour this bus the same – or in your own colours. Talk about the parts of the bus – where [...]

These templates have a variety of fruit. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template [...]

These templates have a variety of vegetables.

Here are two bicycle templates. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Decorate the bicycles. Talk about different sizes and style of bicycles.  Who in your family rides a bike? Talk about how riding sometimes is better for you and the environment than [...]

This is a template of a farm scene with barn and vegetable beds Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour in the pictures. You can add some chickens, ducks, cows or other animals. Talk about the different crops that are grown on farms – and chickens and animals. [...]

This is a template of a cupcake Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Decorate the cupcake and its wrapper. Make some cupcakes together… or just get some cupcake wrappers and pretend. Why do you think they are called cupcakes?

These templates are for cooking and baking. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the template. Talk about who cooks in your family, who cooks as a job and television chefs. Talk about safety when using cooking equipment and sharp knives and [...]

This is a teddy bear template with corresponding color-by-number template in two versions: “easy” and “hard”. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. This activity helps with number recognition and the abstract idea of [...]

This is  a penguin template with corresponding color-by-number template in two versions: “easy” and “hard”. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. This activity helps with number recognition and the abstract idea of using [...]

Christmas tree templates, blank and decorated so that you can draw them just the way you like them!  Plus a join the dots and maze. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, maths [...]

This template is a variation on the Snakes and Ladders game. This is a easy, fun game for children and families to play together. Included in the PDF version (downloadable here for members) are instructions on how to play. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, maths Discussion Topics: Print on [...]

These templates are of an artist’s tools – the easel, palette and paintbrush Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates.  Talk about art and artists. Do you know [...]

The faces of these three dog templates have been left blank so that you can draw them just the way you like them! Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. Talk about dogs, different [...]

Here are a range of templates of cats – cute cats and a Halloween black cat Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates. Talk about cats, different types, [...]

These shape matching cards can be used for matching games, memory games, to practice vocabulary and more! Color them before playing or play with them as is. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, spatial Discussion Topics: Name the different shapes.  You can also write [...]

These fruit and vegetable matching cards can be used for matching games, memory games, to practice vocabulary and more! Color them before playing or play with them as is. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image [...]

These animal matching cards can be used for matching games, memory games, to practice vocabulary and more! Color them before playing or play with them as is. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, [...]

Use this template to make a calendar for one month, or print twelves and make a calendar for a who year. These make great personalised gifts. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, maths Discussion Topics: Decide which month you are going to make and write the dates in the box [...]

Here are a range of templates for butterflies – plain and with patterns Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template [...]

These template shows a campsite with tent, logs, fire and trees with a close up of the fire in the second template. Click image for the full-size template Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, gross motor, language Discussion Topics: Colour the templates and talk about camping, the food you take when [...]

The outdoor environment offers fresh air and freedom to run, to climb, to shout, and to otherwise interact on a grander scale than indoors. The outdoors also offers a quiet freedom that children, and perhaps adults, never get indoors. Hours spent playing in the sandpit, experimenting with water, making mudpies and watching bugs and butterflies [...]

Language is what makes us human.  It underpins our social interactions, intellectual development and pursuits, negotiations and understanding of the world.  During a child’s first year, we watch them develop from having no language to quite effective communication. By their first birthday, they can talk to us in quite a complex way even if we [...]

Making something themselves encourages children to see themselves as producers and not just consumers. On a large scale, it encourages them to think about how things are made and why someone would make them. During these activities, it gives them opportunities to experiment with colour and texture, and to see what happens when you mix [...]

Motor skills are the ability to initiate and control movement impulses. Signals within the body’s nervous system that coordinate movement for activity are divided into gross motor and fine motor. Gross motor and fine motor interact and overlap one another, each area having its own importance and influencing the other’s development. Gross motor skills use [...]

Cognitive skills are the intellectual skills to analyse and understand new ideas, making sense of things, fitting new ideas into what we already know. These are the basis of learning, reasoning and creative problem solving. Research shows that strong cognitive skills developed in the early years help children become confident and independent learners. A sense [...]

Music is to be listened to, danced to, sung to, played and enjoyed. Even very young babies respond to music and it doesn’t need to be simplified for them. Not only will they enjoy the same music adults do, complex classical and orchestral music helps the development of pathways in their brains which will help [...]

This template shows a witch flying on a broomstick in front of a full moon – a fun coloring activity for older children on Halloween. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language Discussion Topics: Witches feature in lots of stories – good witches and bad witches. Template created by and copyright [...]

This template shows the Number 7 Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, maths Discussion Topics: What’s special about 7? 7 is a prime number. That means that you can’t divide it evenly by anything other than 1 and itself. Template created by and copyright : gayled

This template shows the Number 6 Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, maths Discussion Topics: What’s special about 6? If you turn it around it looks like a nine. You can divide it by 2 and also by 3. Template created by and copyright : gayled

This template shows Number – 0, zero or nought. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor, language, maths, spatial Discussion Topics: Zero is a special number. How could we count or measure distance if there was no zero? Template created by and copyright : gayled

This template shows a headstone with a cat, bats and a full moon perfect for Halloween. Click image for the full-size template Related skills: fine motor Discussion Topics: Template created by and copyright : nighstar mayfair