Birthday coloring pages for toddlers and preschoolers

A small party on paper

Birthdays are one of the first special days children look forward to: their own, a sibling's or a friend's. Cake, candles and balloons are easy to recognize, even for a child who has only been to one party.

In this topic, the birthday cake has three candles and a friendly face, the puppy holds three round balloons, and the bear wears a pointed party hat. There are no numbers or words on the cake, so it fits any birthday, and no sprinkles, confetti or patterns to fill.

The birthday cake and the bear in a party hat are marked Very simple, for children of 2 and 3. The puppy with balloons is marked Simple, with a few more shapes for children of 4 and 5.

Ideas while you color

• Count the candles

  There are three candles on the cake. Count them together, then draw more with a crayon if the birthday child is turning four or five.

• Make a birthday card

  Cut out the finished drawing and glue it onto folded card. It makes a simple birthday card your child can give to the guest of honor.

• A balloon in every color

  The puppy's three balloons are big and separate, so each one can be a different color. Let your child pick them one by one.

• Set up a coloring corner

  At a party, print a few pages and put out crayons on a small table. It gives young guests something calm to do between games.