National Coloring Book Day
August 2
About National Coloring Book Day
National Coloring Book Day takes place on Sunday, 2 August 2026. The day celebrates the simple joy of colouring, in both children’s picture books and the detailed adult colouring books that have become a popular way to unwind. It was created by the American publisher Dover Publications to highlight the creative and wellbeing benefits of putting pencil to paper.
How to Celebrate National Coloring Book Day
The whole point of the day is to actually sit down and colour something, so the best way to mark it is to pick up a book and get started. Here are plenty of ideas to fill the day.
- Open a fresh colouring book – Crack the spine on a new book or pull an old favourite off the shelf, grab your pencils, crayons or felt tips, and let yourself fill in a page from start to finish with no rush.
- Try an adult colouring book – Intricate patterns, mandalas, botanical scenes and cityscapes are designed for grown-up hands and offer a calming way to spend an hour. Dover’s Creative Haven range is a good place to start.
- Colour with children – Sit down with the kids in your life and colour together. It is a screen-free activity that suits all ages and turns a quiet afternoon into shared time.
- Host a colouring party – Invite friends round, lay out a spread of books and supplies, put some music on and colour together. It is a relaxed, low-cost way to socialise.
- Download free colouring pages – Dover Publications and many illustrators release free printable pages, so you can join in even without buying a book. Print a few and share them around.
- Make your own colouring book – Sketch your own line drawings, or turn favourite photos into outlines, then bind them into a personal book to colour in at your leisure.
- Experiment with new media – Swap your usual pencils for watercolour pencils, gel pens, fine-liners or markers and see how different tools change the finished piece.
- Share your work online – Photograph your finished pages and post them with the hashtag #NationalColoringBookDay to join thousands of others showing off their efforts.
What is National Coloring Book Day?
National Coloring Book Day is an annual celebration of colouring books and the act of colouring itself. It recognises both the children’s books that introduce many people to the hobby and the adult colouring books that surged in popularity from the mid-2010s onwards. The day is open to anyone, whether you are an occasional doodler or a dedicated artist, and it doubles as a gentle reminder of how relaxing and rewarding a simple creative activity can be. If you enjoy hands-on creative days, you might also like Sewing Machine Day, which celebrates another satisfying make-it-yourself craft.
When is National Coloring Book Day?
National Coloring Book Day falls on Sunday, 2 August 2026. It is held on 2 August every year, so the date stays the same regardless of the day of the week. Because it lands on a weekend in 2026, there is plenty of time to settle in for a proper colouring session.
The History of National Coloring Book Day
National Coloring Book Day was launched in 2015 by Dover Publications, a long-established American publisher based in New York. Dover is well known for reissuing out-of-print works and for its extensive catalogue of colouring books, and it created the day to celebrate the format and to encourage more people to give colouring a try. The timing was no accident: it arrived at the height of the adult colouring book boom, when titles aimed at grown-ups were topping bestseller lists around the world.
The history of the colouring book itself stretches back much further. The first books designed specifically for colouring appeared in the United States in the late nineteenth century, with the McLoughlin Brothers credited as early pioneers alongside the educator and illustrator Kate Greenaway. For most of the twentieth century, colouring books were seen as children’s products, tied closely to crayons and the growth of companies such as Crayola.
Adult colouring books are often thought of as a recent trend, but Dover published one of the earliest non-satirical examples, Antique Automobiles, back in 1970. The format took years to find a mass audience, finally exploding in popularity around 2012 to 2015 as illustrators such as Johanna Basford sold millions of copies and helped turn colouring into a mainstream relaxation pastime for adults. National Coloring Book Day grew directly out of that moment.
Fun Facts About National Coloring Book Day
- Dover Publications created National Coloring Book Day in 2015 and continues to mark it each year, including a tenth-anniversary celebration in 2025.
- Dover’s Antique Automobiles, published in 1970, is often cited as one of the first colouring books aimed at adults rather than children.
- Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden, released in 2013, sold millions of copies worldwide and is widely credited with sparking the adult colouring book craze.
- The day is celebrated on 2 August because that is when Dover chose to schedule it, with no fixed link to any historical anniversary.
- Colouring is frequently used in art therapy and mindfulness practice as a low-pressure way to focus the mind and ease stress.
- Free printable colouring pages are released by publishers and illustrators every year so that anyone can take part without buying a book.
Why National Coloring Book Day Matters
Beyond the fun of it, colouring has genuine value. Many people find that the repetitive, focused action helps quieten a busy mind, reduce anxiety and offer a welcome break from screens. The day also celebrates an accessible, affordable hobby that crosses generations, giving children and adults a shared activity that needs nothing more than a book and a handful of pencils.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Coloring Book Day?
It is an annual day, created by Dover Publications in 2015, that celebrates colouring books and the creative and relaxing benefits of colouring for both children and adults.
When is National Coloring Book Day in 2026?
National Coloring Book Day is on Sunday, 2 August 2026. It is held on 2 August every year.
Do you need an adult colouring book to take part?
Not at all. Any colouring book works, and free printable pages are widely available online, so children, beginners and lifelong colourers can all join in with whatever supplies they have to hand.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your finished pages on social media with #NationalColoringBookDay and #NationalColoringBookDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to dig out their pencils and take part!
Related Awareness Days
- National Crayon Collection Month – Runs throughout August and shares the same focus on crayons, colour and creativity.
- Sewing Machine Day – Another hands-on craft day for people who love making things by hand.
- National Day of the Gong – A quirky celebration in the same light-hearted, joyful spirit.
Links
- Visit the official National Coloring Book Day website
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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