It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and what better way to celebrate than with cozy moments of coloring, laughter, and learning? Our delightful “12 Days of Christmas: Days 4-1 Coloring Pages” bundle is here to bring holiday cheer straight to your home or classroom. These pages are designed with little hands and big imaginations in mind, perfect for preschoolers and early learners!
Get ready to join the magical countdown with whimsical scenes inspired by the classic carol, featuring calling birds, French hens, turtle doves, and that very first partridge in a pear tree! Each page encourages creativity, storytelling, and festive fun—making this bundle a merry treat for families, teachers, and children alike. Gather your crayons, put on your favorite Christmas jingle, and let’s color our way to Christmas together!
Inside this festive bundle, you’ll find four charming coloring sheets inspired by the “12 Days of Christmas” carol’s magical countdown, from four calling birds to the very special partridge in a pear tree. Each page is lovingly illustrated to encourage creativity, spark holiday joy, and invite young artists to explore Christmas traditions from around the world. These coloring pages make the perfect activity for cozy afternoons, Christmas parties, or classroom celebrations—and they’re sure to become treasured keepsakes for years to come!
Can you count all four birds and sing a little song with each one? Try making up your own birdy carol as you color!
Practice saying ‘Bonjour!’ like the French hens and count the treats on the table. What colors do you think their scarves should be?
Trace the heart shape made by the turtle doves’ wings. Can you spot and color all the ornaments hiding in the holly leaves?
How many pears can you find in the tree? Draw more animal friends for the partridge to play with and make up a story about their Christmas party.
The ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ carol has been sung in holiday movies, TV specials, and Christmas concerts around the world, making it a timeless favorite for families to sing together each year.
In storybooks and animated specials, Christmas birds like turtle doves and partridges often symbolize love, friendship, and togetherness—much like the heartwarming tales found in “Home Alone” and “The Polar Express.”
Many Christmas traditions, from hanging ornaments to singing carols by the fire, are inspired by songs like ‘The 12 Days of Christmas,’ bringing families and friends closer during the festive season.
You might spot playful birds and woodland animals in classic Christmas illustrations, just like in beloved books such as ‘The Night Before Christmas’ or in the magical scenes from ‘The Nutcracker.’
The ’12 Days of Christmas’ is a traditional English Christmas carol first published in 1780. Each verse adds a new gift, counting down from twelve to one, making it a fun and educational song for children learning about numbers and patterns.
French hens, featured on day three, are a nod to the special breeds of chickens found in France. In the carol, they represent generosity and good gifts shared at Christmastime.
Turtle doves are a symbol of love and peace during the holidays. In many cultures, seeing a pair of turtle doves is believed to bring good luck and lifelong friendship—perfect for celebrating the spirit of Christmas.
The partridge in a pear tree is the most famous gift of all! In old stories, partridges were known as caring, protective birds, and the pear tree is a symbol of abundance and new beginnings.
Calling birds, sung about on day four, originally were ‘colly birds,’ meaning blackbirds. Over time, the song changed to ‘calling birds,’ which makes it easier for children to imagine birds chirping joyful Christmas songs.
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The phrase ’12 Days of Christmas’ is fun to say and full of playful sounds! Let’s break it down for little learners: ‘Twelve’ starts with a strong ‘tw’ blend, like ‘twin’ or ‘twist.’ ‘Days’ begins with a soft ‘d’ and a long ‘a’ sound, stretching like a sleigh ride. ‘Christmas’ can be tricky—start slow: ‘Chris’ (like ‘crisp’) and ‘mas’ (like ‘mass’). Emphasize the ‘chr’ blend, which is common in many holiday words (like ‘cheer’ and ‘chimney’).
Parents can clap out the syllables—’Twelve (1) Days (1) of (1) Christ-mas (2)’—and try singing or chanting the phrase together. For extra fun, make letter cards for ‘T,’ ‘D,’ and ‘C’ and practice matching them to holiday words. Encourage your child to listen for the ‘ch’ sound in ‘Christmas’ and ‘calling,’ and the ‘d’ sound in ‘days’ and ‘doves.’ Try silly tongue twisters like, ‘Dancing doves deliver delicious decorations’ to build confidence and giggles while learning!
Coloring Christmas pages helps little ones build fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity, all while exploring festive traditions and new vocabulary. It’s also a calming, screen-free activity that encourages imagination, focus, and joyful holiday memories shared with family and friends.
Promotes relaxation and improved wellbeing – The repetitive act eases mental tension and physical fatigue.
Introduces early math concepts – Counting shapes and repeated patterns develops foundational skills.
Sparks creativity and imagination – Every colouring outcome is unique, fostering creative expression.
Provides an emotional outlet – Offers a safe, non‑verbal channel for feelings and frustrations.
Accessible and low‑cost learning tool – Colouring can be done anywhere with just paper and crayons.
Teaches colour recognition – Matching colours with objects helps learning colour names and combinations.
Each coloring page can be the starting point for a magical holiday story. After coloring, encourage children to give each bird or animal a name and make up their own Christmas adventure. For example, ‘What song are the calling birds singing? Where are the French hens traveling from?’ This builds vocabulary, sequencing, and early narrative skills.
Print out the coloring pages and hide them around the house or classroom for a merry scavenger hunt! Give clues based on the images (“Find the birds in scarves singing outside!”) and have kids color each page as they find it. This promotes problem-solving, observation, and following directions, while keeping the excitement high.
Let children act out the scenes they’ve colored! Provide props like scarves, berets, or paper bird masks and invite everyone to become a calling bird, French hen, turtle dove, or partridge. Add music and encourage kids to make up their own verses to the carol. This supports social-emotional development, creativity, and confidence.
Use the images to highlight key holiday words and sounds. Ask children to clap out syllables for words like ‘partridge,’ ‘turtle dove,’ and ‘Christmas.’ Write the words on cards and have kids match them to the correct picture or find the first letter in each word. Try a phonics game where children find and color only the objects that begin with a certain sound (like the letter ‘d’ for dove or ‘p’ for partridge).
Showcase colored pages on a classroom wall or family fridge to create a ’12 Days of Christmas’ countdown display! Number each page and add cotton-ball snow, glitter, or stickers for extra sparkle. This not only builds pride and a sense of accomplishment, but also helps reinforce number order and festive vocabulary.
Coloring within the lines, tracing shapes (like the heart wings or pears), and adding details support fine motor development and hand control. Encourage children to use a variety of colors or try patterns on scarves and bows. For a relaxing activity, play gentle Christmas music as children color, helping to develop focus and mindfulness.
Expand on each scene by exploring new words: What is a ‘beret’? Where do partridges live? Bring in mini-lessons about birds, winter, or French culture. Connect the coloring pages to math by counting birds, pears, or ornaments, or to music by learning the ’12 Days of Christmas’ song together.
By weaving together creativity, learning, and festive fun, these coloring pages provide endless opportunities for joyful holiday discovery at home or in the classroom. Let imaginations soar and celebrate the magic of Christmas, one colorful page at a time!