Welcome to a magical part of the holiday season—where the cheerful song, “The 12 Days of Christmas,” comes alive through creative coloring! Our printable coloring bundle for Days 12 through 9 is crafted just for families, teachers, and little artists who love the spirit of Christmas. Whether you’re snuggled up at home or celebrating with classmates, these pages make learning about the beloved carol extra fun and festive.
Let your child’s imagination dance with drummers, pipers, and swans as they color their way through the story. Not only will these pages spark creativity and fine motor skills, they’ll also help your little one connect with classic Christmas traditions. Print, color, and sing along as you discover each day’s delightful surprise—your family’s next holiday favorite awaits inside!
Inside this special Christmas coloring bundle, you’ll find delightful coloring sheets inspired by the whimsical verses of Days 12 through 9 from the classic carol. Each page is filled with enchanting scenes—marching drummers, piping pipers, leaping lords, and dancing ladies—designed to capture the magic of the season. These thoughtfully crafted illustrations invite children to color, imagine, and learn as they celebrate one of the most beloved Christmas songs. Perfect for at-home fun, classroom activities, or cozy family time, these pages promise hours of joyful creativity and holiday cheer.
Count the drums and drummers! Can you make the sound of a drum with your hands as you color?
Try naming all the musical pipes. Can you hum a tune as you color the pipers’ hats and coats?
How many lords can leap at once? Draw a line for each leap and practice counting from one to ten!
Pretend you’re a dancing lady and twirl around your room when you finish coloring. Can you name the colors you used for each dress?
The 12 Days of Christmas song has been sung by famous artists like Bing Crosby and features in many holiday movies and TV specials, making it a familiar tune for families across the world.
The tradition of celebrating the 12 days leading to Epiphany is woven into classic literature and holiday tales, from children’s picture books to festive scenes in movies like ‘Home Alone 2’ and ‘Elf.’
Dancing ladies, leaping lords, and magical musicians are often seen in Christmas pageants, Nutcracker ballet performances, and holiday parades, connecting the carol to other cherished holiday traditions.
The song “The 12 Days of Christmas” dates back to at least the 18th century and may have begun as a memory-and-forfeit game, where each verse had to be recited correctly or a forfeit paid.
The ‘drummers drumming’ and ‘pipers piping’ represent real musicians who would have been part of grand Christmas celebrations in royal courts, bringing music and cheer to the festivities.
The ‘lords a-leaping’ might have been inspired by traditional English country dances, where noblemen would show off their jumping skills during holiday balls and parties.
The ‘ladies dancing’ are thought to symbolize the joy and togetherness of the season, as dancing was an important part of historic Christmas gatherings and winter celebrations.
Each number in the song has a special significance in Christian tradition, with Days 12–9 sometimes interpreted as representing important teachings or virtues celebrated during Christmas.
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The phrase ’12 Days of Christmas’ is filled with fun sounds for little ones to learn! Start by breaking down the word ‘Christmas’ into syllables: ‘Chris-mas.’ Emphasize the hard ‘K’ sound at the beginning and the soft ‘s’ at the end. The word ‘days’ begins with a ‘d’ sound, a great letter to practice by drumming on the table—just like the drummers in the song! Try saying each day’s name slowly and clearly: ‘twelfth,’ ‘eleventh,’ ‘tenth,’ ‘ninth,’ and ‘eighth.’ For extra fun, clap out syllables or use rhythm sticks to tap along as you sing the song together. Parents can encourage children to draw a picture of something that starts with each day’s number or letter, like ‘D’ for ‘drummers’ or ‘L’ for ‘ladies.’ Repeating the carol’s phrases helps with word recognition, listening, and pronunciation, making phonics practice playful and festive.
Coloring Christmas scenes like the 12 Days of Christmas helps children develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and color recognition. It also encourages focus, patience, and self-expression as kids bring each festive scene to life. Sharing and discussing their creations fosters communication and boosts confidence, making coloring a joyful and educational holiday activity for all ages.
Provides an emotional outlet – Offers a safe, non‑verbal channel for feelings and frustrations.
Encourages decision‑making – Choosing colours and deciding how to use them promotes autonomy.
Accessible and low‑cost learning tool – Colouring can be done anywhere with just paper and crayons.
Encourages storytelling – Children craft narratives around their images, enhancing verbal and social skills.
Sparks creativity and imagination – Every colouring outcome is unique, fostering creative expression.
Offers emotional expression – Children convey feelings via their colour choices and pressure.
Bring the classic carol to life by using each coloring page as a prompt for storytelling sessions. After coloring, invite children to narrate what’s happening in the scene: Why are the lords leaping? What music are the pipers playing? Encourage them to invent names, backstories, and adventures for the characters. This builds vocabulary, narrative skills, and creative confidence.
Cut out colored characters or objects from each page and hide them around the classroom or home. Challenge children to find all the drummers, pipers, lords, and ladies. As they search, ask them to count aloud, identify colors, or name the items they discover. This activity supports counting, observation, and descriptive language.
Assign each child or group a role from one of the pages—drummers, pipers, lords, or ladies—and encourage them to act out their character. Drummers can tap rhythms, pipers can pretend to play musical instruments, lords can leap, and ladies can dance. Add scarves, hats, or simple props for extra fun. This boosts gross motor skills, group cooperation, and imaginative play.
Use the coloring pages to spotlight key letters or sounds. For example, focus on ‘D’ for drummers, ‘P’ for pipers, ‘L’ for lords, and ‘D’ for dancing ladies. Create a sound hunt by asking children to circle or decorate words starting with these letters. Practice saying the words aloud, clapping out syllables, or writing the letters in the air.
Showcase each child’s artwork by hanging completed pages as a festive gallery. String them together to create a ’12 Days of Christmas’ timeline, helping children remember the sequence of the song and reinforcing the concept of order. Invite students to present their favorite scene to the class, building confidence and presentation skills.
Use the images for counting practice: How many drummers are there? Can you count the pipers’ pipes? Turn it into a gentle math game by asking children to add or subtract characters in each scene. This supports number recognition, simple addition, and subtraction concepts.
After coloring, discuss new words featured in the carol, such as ‘pipers,’ ‘lords,’ and ‘leaping.’ Invite children to use the words in sentences or find rhyming words together. This activity expands language, comprehension, and listening skills.
By weaving these creative ideas into your holiday routine, you’ll transform coloring time into a rich, multi-sensory learning experience. These pages provide endless opportunities for joyful discovery, meaningful connection, and festive fun—making the magic of the 12 Days of Christmas last long after the crayons are put away!