Community Coloring & Creating.....It's All The Rage In Libraries, Schools & Homes!

This week Naomi Gelfand, who is a teacher librarian in Washington DC shared such a fun idea with all of us on her Facebook page.

In her library, she created a Coloring Table with a giant coloring sheet on it, a lot like the coloring books that are all the rage right now.  

We see these coloring books everywhere....at bookstores, toy stores, educational events, library conferences, on Amazon, in classrooms....

and a lot in school and public libraries, even in Makerspaces and coloring stations.  

My daughter Brianna just sent me a coloring book with owls, which I love.  It has been such fun seeing what she is coloring in her new coloring book in Belgium too. 

But what made Naomi's special....that it was a giant mural type coloring sheet big enough for everyone to color and create together.  

I love the community that coloring creates in these spaces. 

I read in the post on Naomi's Facebook page that she bought her giant coloring mural on the Magic Mural website.  I went there to check it out and there were over 70 choices in the ColorMe! Murals.  

You can even choose from different sizes and create a custom size. These are made on a special material called QuikStik which acrlyric paints, markers and colored pencils can be used.  

We could also have our students create their own giant coloring sheets.  

On the Magic Murals website you can create a Custom Wall Mural.  All you have to do is upload a design that you want to turn into a giant coloring sheet.  

This would be a great project for a collaborative library or classroom project....or for your little artists who want to share their beautiful work with others.  I love the idea of having them theme or subject based too.  

Yesterday my friend Amy shared The Grommet with me which is a brand new website for me.  

She pointed out Pirasta...Really Big Coloring Posters which would be perfect too!  

You have to watch this video behind Pirasta....so fun to hear more about them.  

They have four designs right now....I order Funny Farm and put in my name for a couple Let's Color America when they get more.

When searching for a few other items on how libraries are bringing coloring to their spaces I found this from the New York Public Library.  I love how they put these on a panel inviting anyone to join in on the collaborative coloring mural.

These are from a company called Omy and this was shared on the Omy Facebook page.

You can find several Giant Coloring Pages from Omy here.

After seeing these, I did a little more searching.  These are really neat from a Etsy Store called tobechild.

I love how they stuck these Wallpapers in the picture above to the wall with glue.

 There are lots of different ways to use the Wallpapers....look at some that they mentioned in this list.

The Monster Mural's have tons of different designs that are fairly inexpensive.

After I first shared this post, others on Twitter and Facebook started sharing things too.   Sandra Noel shared a special coloring activity she has done at home...

with the Color-In Tablecloths from EggNogg, another new website for me. 

They have several other Color-In products available including Masks, Pocket Books, and Outfits perfect for your little clothing designers.  

My amazing teacher librarian friend Heather Lister shared this on Facebook which lead all of us to...

these great East Peasy and Fun Coloring Sheets from the ALA ThinkTank page. 

And Rebecca Hedreen shared on Heather's post these amazing Triskele Paper Globes from Hattifant.

We have hung rolls of white paper before in our house and my kids LOVED using it for all kinds of murals, craft projects, gift wrapping, table covering, pet signs, and so much more.

Read this post about using different types of papers with children....it gives good ideas too.

I'd love to put one up in our new place and that would look something like this.

And when you look on Amazon and at other places, you will find lots of options for different rolls of paper, giant pieces of paper, and anything paper you can think of.

So let your young artists show their own ideas and passions too....This is the best kind of art!

I loved seeing another picture of the coloring table and what Naomi's students are creating this week.

And look what is happening in other libraries....

Jennifer Rust Lauchlan's students are having a blast coloring in her library!  I love reading what she wrote about her coloring table...My coloring table has been a dud until now!  

She shared this advice too..

I printed it at Stapes as a budget friendly option for about $8.00.  It's a good thing because at this rate these kids are going to need another one every week or two. 

Kristine Millard suggested we use an overhead projector to blow up coloring sheets to make their own giant sheet.  I just love this idea!

And they could create their own designs and creations too with an overhead projector.

Kristina Holzweiss bought a poster book and hung them on the wall.  Her students love taking them down, coloring, and putting them back up with the thumbtacks.  

So simple but yet creating that community of coloring which is great fun for the kids. 

I can't wait to see what all of your students do too!