Want a sure-fire way to get your kids to do their own laundry?
I bet you do.
No promises, but this laundry machine coloring page will get you well on your way to tricking convincing your kids that doing laundry is fun. (Dare to dream!)
You may be surprised to learn that this is not our first laundry-themed coloring page! Of course, those of you who are long time fans of Melanie Hope Greenberg's illustration and coloring pages will remember the Laundry Day coloring page featuring a street scene from her book, Aunt Lilly's Laundromat.
And now, your kid will have this wonderful laundry machine coloring page to engage in pretend play and encourage them to wash their own clothes! (The dream persists!)
Laundry Machine Template Instructions
Step One! Read Aunt Lilly's Laundromat by Melanie Hope Greenberg
Step Two! Print out the coloring page (By clicking on the following link you agree to our terms of service* see end of post) -->: Washing machine coloring page template
Note that the printout is two pages and includes the following instructions.
Step Three! Gather your supplies. You will need:
- coloring page
- colored pencils or crayons
- scissors
- glue stick or double sided tape
- paper clothes cut from magazines, construction paper, or felt
- a second sheet of paper; you can use card stock, construction paper or cardboard
Step Four! After printing and coloring the laundry machine, cut out the door along the dotted line, being sure to avoid cutting the hinge.
Step Five! Glue the template to the card stock. We used a sheet of colored construction paper. Don't glue the door shut!
Step Six! Using the paper clothes, "wash" a load of laundry.
Step Seven! Take your kids down to the laundromat and have them do their own wash! (Dreams never die.)
Don't forget to print out Melanie Hope Greenberg's other Aunt Lilly coloring pages!
- Laundry Day street scene coloring page
- Interior scene from Aunt Lilly's Laundromat
- Village shops, including a template for a 3D version of Aunt Lilly's shop!
- Island life scene from the book featuring Aunt Lilly's childhood home in Haiti
Note: this post contains Amazon and Bookshop affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn commission for this blog. Bookshop supports independent booksellers.
About Aunt Lilly's Laundromat
Originally published by Dutton Children's Books / Penguin in 1994, Aunt Lilly's Laundromat is now reaching a new generation with its recent reprinting. The story takes place at the author's neighborhood laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn, New York.
Find Aunt Lilly's Laundromat: Amazon | Bookshop | Ingram
Aunt Lilly works in a Brooklyn laundromat, sorting, washing, drying and folding, all the while thinking about her childhood in Haiti. Bundles of colored laundry ("blues and greens like the warm Caribbean sea"), gurgling washing machines, etc., conspire to remind her of "her lovely native land filled with singing birds." Lilly is happy, taking pride in her work, and when she has a quiet moment she makes paintings based on her childhood memories. Busy illustrations in bold, luminous colors capture Lilly's joie de vivre. "Her" Haitian pictures, full of exuberance and tropical abundance, transform her sweet longing into canvases of pulsing island life. Greenberg’s book succeeds as a celebration of fond memory and honest labor.
- Publisher’s Weekly
Ages 4-8.
Learn more about the book and read testimonials at Melanie's website.
About the Illustrator
Melanie Hope Greenberg started doing her own laundry at a young age. She's 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 Good Morning, Digger, Down in the Subway and A City Is.
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.
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