Cities are exciting places! There is so much to see and do. Cities are places to explore, play and dream. When kids color in this pair of city coloring pages they can dream about taking a trip to their favorite city. Then, use our instructions to turn the cityscape into a 3D playscape so kids can act out their city dreams!
As with all our monthly coloring pages, these adorable cityscapes were created by children's book author-illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. The illustrations on the coloring pages were originally part of an enormous mural Melanie created for the AFL-CIO conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center. You can see the finished mural in the photo below.
Coloring Page and City Playscape
We love using coloring pages as more than simple screen-free boredom busters. In the past, children have turned Melanie's illustrations into stick puppets (like these adorable bookmobiles), picture frames (like this night sky illustration) and finger puppets (like these gingerbread people).
It's very easy to turn this pair of city coloring pages into the backdrop for pretend play. Pretend play is a great way for kids to exercise their storytelling skills. If you're lucky, they make even put on a show for you! The technique is identical to the way we turned Melanie's ocean coloring page into a seascape. Alternatively, add the cityscape as a backdrop to this diy tabletop puppet theater.
Materials
You'll need the following:
City coloring pages. The free, printable download includes two different cityscapes.
- Print out the coloring page (By clicking on the following link you agree to our terms of service* see end of post) -->: City Mural Coloring Page
Colored pencils, or other coloring medium.
Cardboard. Cut off a large piece of cardboard from the next package you get in the mail! It should be about 22 inches long and 9 inches high to accommodate both coloring pages.
Glue or tape. We used a glue stick.
Boundless imagination (required)
Instructions
Print and color the two cityscapes.
Be sure to write a personalized message in the blank spaces on the blimp and airplane.
Fold the cardboard in half.
Glue a finished coloring page to each half.
Stand the cardboard up. The bend created by folding it in half will allow the board to stand on its own.
Add in toy figures or make stick puppets and tell stories about what happens in the city.
Enhance your city playscape with one or more of these coloring page templates:
About the Illustrator
Melanie Hope Greenberg supports lives in the city and supports labor unions!
She is also an award winning author and illustrator of more than 15 children’s books. She was an Artist-In-Residence at the Eric Carle Museum and her books have been featured as a NY Times Great Children's Read. Her cheerful, vibrant illustrations can be found in books such as Mermaid Parade, Good Morning, Digger, Down in the Subway and A City Is, all of which take place in the city!
One of Melanie's favorite parts of being an author/illustrator is talking about her craft with students at libraries and in classrooms. You can learn more about author visits (virtual or in-person) at her website.
*Terms of Service: this coloring page is used with permission from Melanie Hope Greenberg and is for non-commercial use ONLY. You many print out as many copies as you like for personal, library or classroom use. If you would like to share this coloring page, you MUST link to this blog page. It is expressly forbidden to link directly to the coloring page pdf file.
maryanne @ mama smiles says
I love this coloring page! Will be printing out for my littles later this week. Thank you, Melanie!