Free Printable Coloring Pages - PaperPause

We spend hours curating "Living Books" for our children. We obsess over the quality of the literature, the illustrations in our picture books, and the atmosphere of our homes.

But I realized recently that I had a blind spot.

When it came to "quiet time" or coloring, I was handing my kids generic, cartoony, low-quality pages just to keep them busy. I was feeding their minds with rich literature during lessons, but giving them "visual twaddle" during their free time.

Charlotte Mason taught us that the "Habit of Attention" is built through observation.

• A cartoon flower teaches a child nothing.

• A realistic botanical line-drawing teaches leaf structure, petal arrangement, and appreciation for detail.

I looked for coloring pages that respected my child’s intelligence—pages that were accurate enough for Nature Study but simple enough to be relaxing. I couldn't find them.

So, I decided to build what I couldn't find. I call it PaperPause.

I’m designing these sheets with two strict rules that align with the CM philosophy:

1. No "Dumbing Down": The art must be realistic. If we are coloring a Winter Wren, it needs to look like a Winter Wren.

2. The Parent's Toolkit: I realized that "connection" happens when the parent is involved. So, I’m coding/designing every page to include a sidebar on the sheet itself with:

   • The Word of the Day (for vocabulary).

   • A "Wonder Question" (to spark conversation).

   • Nature Facts (so I don't have to Google them while my hands are full).

I am building this to be the resource I wish I had: something that turns "distracted coloring" into a moment of mindful education.

I'm currently working on a "Nature Study" series. Since I'm building this in public and just getting started, I’d love to know:

What is the one "Nature Topic" you struggle to find good visual resources for? (Lichens? Mushrooms? Specific birds?)

I’m taking requests!

— Renaud, Founder of PaperPause