Adult-Child Coloring Page: I Hear You!

During and after a traumatic experience, our brains may be “hijacked” by fear, anxiety, or anger. Doing a nonverbal activity such as coloring or a jigsaw puzzle together can help us reconnect and get “unstuck.”

This coloring page can help adults communicate important ideas to children without saying a word: We can relax together. We can have a good time together. We can concentrate. I am here with you. We can make something beautiful, even when the world around us feels ugly.

Children can use crayons or markers. Colored pencils or thin-tipped markers work well for the detailed “adult” areas, but crayons will work too! Here are some other tips:

• If possible, parents and children should sit side by side in a quiet space with a surface.
• Adults can invite children to choose what to color first, to give a sense of control when so much of their lives are not within their control.
• Children color the large image, adults color the more detailed background.
• There’s no right or wrong way to color; the goal is to sit and relax together. It’s okay to sit without talking, too!
• Use the tips and conversation starters at the bottom of the page and, if possible, display their work.
• Children might also draw on the back of the page. Explain that drawing is a great way to show how you feel, using no words at all.