Time for Relaxing Fun with Coloring Books for the Whole Family

Harry Potter: The Coloring Book #1, by Scholastic
Sure, kids will dig this one, but I know many adults who are also die-hard Harry Potter fans and not afraid to admit it (myself included!). I’m sure a few parents will probably be fighting their children to color in a few pages from this book, which is filled with characters and settings from the beloved series, so you might want to get more than one copy (or more than one version; maybe one of you can have Magical Creatures, and someone else gets Places and Characters). If you love all things wizards and Hogwarts, then this series is a perfect accompaniment to the books and movies.

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns, by Adult Coloring Book Artists
For all of the overworked and overextended parents out there—this book is actually designed to relieve stress. Filling in the intricate patterns allows you to relax, zone out, and forget about your worries. And if you enlist your kids to “help” you color, you’ll also be giving yourself a break from entertaining them. It’s stress relief that’s cheaper than either a massage or therapy, so why not sharpen your colored pencils and give it a try?

Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford
This gorgeous book is perhaps one of the earliest setters of the new trend in adult coloring, so we all owe a big thank you to talented artist Johanna Basford. This interactive book is far more than a typical coloring book; it’s also part treasure hunt, with additional space for you or your children to add personalized creative flourishes. It’s sure to result in a few masterpieces, and a diehard (but healthy) coloring addiction.

All About Flowers Coloring Book, by Rachel MacAdams
If Secret Garden is too intricate for your little one, then give them All About Flowers, and they can color along with you. This way you both can stay on the floral theme, but their pictures offer a little more leeway for tiny hands. Both of these books will have you dreaming of springtime bouquets, which in the dead of winter seems like a lovely way to pass the time.

The Boys Doodle Book, by Andrew Pinder
For those of you with boys (or girls!) who shy away from anything pink, girly, or floral, this coloring book is the perfect solution. To be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to find any kid who doesn’t love coloring in dragons, robots, and tree houses, so I’m not sure that the “boy” label is necessary…but anything that inspires artistic expression is good by me. And you can also get the accompanying Girls’ Doodle Book to get your unicorn fix in.

A Coloring Book: Drawings By Andy Warhol, by Andy Warhol
This book is picture perfect for contemporary art loving families. Both kids and adults will have fun coloring in Warhol’s iconic images, and enjoying an impromptu art-history lesson in the process. What better artist for a coloring book than the king of Pop Art himself? If you can’t afford your own Warhol print (and really, who can?) than this is a chance to make one yourself. Fridge art at its finest! How cool is that?
Is your whole family coloring together yet?