Owl
Preschool · 3–5Whoo's there? This wide-eyed owl, with big round eyes, tucked wings, and a soft belly, is a favorite coloring page for preschoolers who love birds. With several areas to fill — body, belly, wings, eyes, and beak — it gently stretches fine-motor control while staying friendly and fun. Coloring it is a natural way to talk about birds that are awake at night, the sounds an owl makes, and the trees where owls live. The bold outlines keep each section easy to color. Print the crisp PDF in A4 or US Letter, or color it online with tap-to-fill and a soft sound as each area fills. A wonderful match for a night-time theme, a birds unit, or a woodland-animals activity at home or in the classroom.
Six regions, most of them small
The owl is the busiest page in this hand-drawn set — body, tummy, wings, eyes and beak all separate — which makes it a step up from the two and three-region toddler animals and a good choice for a four or five-year-old who has outgrown them.
The eyes are the feature. They are enormous relative to the head, which is accurate, and they are what make an owl look the way it does.
Why owls turn their heads so far
Because their eyes cannot move. An owl's eyes are fixed in their sockets, so to look sideways it has to turn its whole head — and it can turn it about three quarters of the way round. Children invariably try it themselves, which is part of the appeal.
Frequently asked questions
- Why can owls turn their heads so far round?
- Their eyes are fixed in place and cannot swivel, so the head has to do the work. Extra neck bones and specially arranged blood vessels let them turn roughly 270 degrees.
- What age is this page for?
- Four to seven. Six regions, several of them small, which makes it one of the more demanding pages in this set.
