Free coloring games come in three main kinds: colouring books for young children, colour by number pictures for calm grown-up breaks, and paint-mixing or drawing apps for older kids. Check the ads label on a child's app, and look for an offline mode if it's for travel.
Colouring is one of the few screen activities that feels slow on purpose. For little ones it's practice with colours and shapes, and for grown-ups it's often just a quiet ten minutes.
I read the Google Play listings for the most installed colouring games and noted the developer, installs, the ads and in-app purchases labels, the content rating and any offline wording. They're in no particular order.
The apps split quite clearly by age. A few are built for toddlers, most are colour by number games pitched at adults, and a couple are closer to art tools.
Coloring apps in one table
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coloring Games: Color & Paint | RV AppStudios | 100M+ | No ads label, no in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Color by Number: Coloring Games | Wildlife Studios | 100M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| ibis Paint X | ibis inc. | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Happy Color: Color by Number | X-FLOW | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Pixel Art - Color by Number | Easybrain | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Color Match | Supersonic Studios LTD | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Paint by Number: Coloring Game | Oakever Games | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Color Oasis - Color by Number | Tap Color Studio | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Coloring games for kids: 2-5 y | Bebi Family: preschool learning games for kids | 5M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | 'Playable Offline' |
| Pure Color by Number Book | LoveColoring Game | 1M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
Ten free coloring games
Coloring Games: Color & Paint
RV AppStudios' colouring book mixes paint by numbers, colour by numbers, doodling and free colouring pages. It's aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, and it shows neither a Contains ads label nor an in-app purchases label.
Color by Number: Coloring Games
Wildlife Studios' colour by number game has a wide range of pixel art pictures, and its listing says you can import your own photos to colour. It shows no Contains ads label.
ibis Paint X
ibis Paint X is a full illustration and animation app rather than a colouring book. It's here for older children and adults who want to move from filling in shapes to drawing their own.
Happy Color: Color by Number
Happy Color is a colour by number game with a huge picture library, from quick, simple pictures to detailed ones. The listing pitches it for relaxing breaks as much as for creativity.
Pixel Art - Color by Number
Easybrain's Pixel Art is one of the older colour by number games on Google Play, and you can also create your own pixel pictures. It's calm, tidy and good for a few minutes at a time.
Color Match
Color Match is different: you mix paints to match a target shade, then paint a 3D object and see how close you got. It's a fun way to learn how colours blend.
Paint by Number: Coloring Game
Oakever's paint by number game offers number-guided pictures in categories such as fantasy, nature, animals and geometric patterns. It suits anyone who likes a finished picture without worrying about where colours go.
Color Oasis - Color by Number
Color Oasis is a colour by number app with a strong focus on calm and a soft, zen style. It's built for adults winding down at the end of the day.
Coloring games for kids: 2-5 y
Bebi Family's app is made for toddlers, with a simplified drawing mode, a toddler colouring mode and animated colouring pages with sounds. Its listing also mentions touch protection, so small hands holding the tablet don't spoil a picture.
Pure Color by Number Book
Pure Color is a colour by number book aimed at adults, with soothing colours and Zen-inspired themes. Its listing frames colouring as a mindful, slow activity.
Colour by number, free colouring or mixing paint?
Colour by number apps give you a picture split into numbered areas, and you fill each one with the matching colour. It's restful and you always end with a finished picture, but there's little room for choice.
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Free colouring and doodling apps let children pick any colour for any area, which is better for creativity. Color Match sits in between, because you mix your own shades to hit a target.
Colouring games for toddlers and preschoolers
For the youngest children, look for big areas to tap, simple menus and no surprise pop-ups. The RV AppStudios colouring book shows neither an ads label nor an in-app purchases label, and the Bebi Family app shows no ads label and says it's playable offline.
- Touch protection: stops a thumb resting on the screen from ruining a picture.
- Sounds and animation: a reward when a page is finished keeps toddlers interested.
- Offline play: useful in the car, where a connection can drop out.
- Short sessions: a page or two at a time is plenty for small children.
Colouring to unwind as a grown-up
Happy Color, Pixel Art, Color Oasis and Pure Color all pitch themselves at adults who want a calm break. They're pleasant for winding down, but they're games, not therapy, so treat them as a gentle pastime.
If you'd rather make your own pictures, ibis Paint X is a full drawing and animation app, and it's a good step up from filling in someone else's lines.
Ads and in-app purchases in colouring apps
Most of the adult colour by number games show both a Contains ads label and an in-app purchases label, often for unlocking extra pictures. On a shared family tablet, it's worth turning on authentication for in-app purchases in Google Play.
More calm games for kids and grown-ups
If colouring is how you switch off, my piece on what makes a puzzle game relaxing instead of stressful explains why some games calm you down and others wind you up.
For school-age children ready for a new challenge, here's how to pick age appropriate puzzle games for a 6 year old, which uses the same label checks as this list.
And for travel days, these free offline games for kids on Android and tablet sit happily alongside an offline colouring app.
Frequently asked questions
Are these coloring games free?
Yes. Every app here is free to install from Google Play. Many show an in-app purchases label for extra pictures.
Which coloring games work offline?
The Bebi Family toddler app says it's playable offline. The others don't mention offline play on their listings, so test before a trip.
Which coloring app suits a toddler?
Look at the RV AppStudios colouring book or the Bebi Family app, which are built for young children and show no ads label.
What is colour by number?
A picture is split into numbered areas, and you fill each one with the colour that matches its number.
Do coloring games have ads?
Many do, especially the adult colour by number games. The table shows each app's Contains ads and in-app purchases labels.
