Coloring is still a realistic activity for young children. It's easy, simple, not to messy (unless your little Rembrandt starts coloring in the flowers on the wallpaper), and most children will not need to be supervised while coloring. It's great for a rainy day or when your little one is in bed with a bad cold.

Coloring books are portable---take them anywhere! It's is even an activity that can be done in the car, which makes it great for a long car trip when going on vacation or to visit out-of-town family and friends.

Coloring is relatively inexpensive! You can buy coloring books in most supermarkets, discount stores like Wal-Mart or Target, and dollar stores. But the most inexpensive kind of coloring book is the one you make yourself using free printable coloring sheets that you can find on numerous websites offering free printables, such as
Mom's Break and
The Craft Cafe.

It is easy to make a coloring book! Here's what you need:

1. Free printable coloring sheets (download from your favorite free printable website and print on plain computer paper)

2. A three-hole punch, or a hand-held one-hole punch

3. Curl ribbon, string, or yarn

4. Scissors

As an option, create front and back covers by printing one of the free printable coloring sheets on card stock. Card stock is heavier that regular computer paper. You can find card stock at office supply stores such as Office Depot, and sometimes at discount stores such as Wal-Mart or Target.

Assembling the Coloring Book

If you are going to use card stock for the front and back cover, then choose one or two of the free printable coloring pages and print on card stock. Set these aside.

Print the free printable coloring sheets on plain white computer paper. Print as many as you
like. Set aside.

If you are using a three-hole punch, then begin by punching holes in the front cover. Be sure that the image is facing up, so that you punch holes along the left-hand side of the page. Punch the holes in the back cover by turning the page image side down, so that you punch holes along the right-hand side of the page. Then punch holes in the coloring pages. Do three or four at a time so that the three-hole punch doesn't jam.

If you are using a hand-held single-hole punch, then you will need to mark where the holes are going to go. Use spacing that is similar to paper that you would put in a three-ring binder. Mark holes on the front cover, down the left-hand side, and mark holes on the back cover, down the right-hand side. Punch all holes marked. Now mark the coloring sheets using the same spacing as the front/back covers. Punch only a few pages at a time so that the hole punch doesn't jam.

Put the coloring book together: back cover (image side down); coloring sheets (image side up); front cover (image side up).

Use curl ribbon, string, or yarn to loosely tie the pages together. Be sure to tie loosely enough so that the pages will lay flat when you open the coloring book. (Here's a tip:
If you don't have any curl ribbon, string, or yarn, then use twist ties that come with plastic bags!)

For an illustrated tutorial for making a coloring book using free printable coloring sheets, go to: http://www.jansfreecontent.com/printables/July-4th-Coloring-Book.htm

Use this idea to make coloring books for any occasion, holidays, birthdays, or just to have on hand for those times when your little one asks you "Mommy, what can I do now???"