Coloring pages of my family: 3 ways to make them

There are three good ways to get coloring pages of your own family. Your child can start one themselves on a "my family" template; you can trace a family photo into a page for free; or you can have a page or a whole book made from your photos. The first is best for a preschooler who wants to draw, the second for a toddler who wants to color people they recognize, and the third for a gift or a keepsake. Here is how to do each one well.

I came to this the way most parents probably do. My kids would color a cartoon for a minute and then wander off, but put their own faces on the page and they stayed. That is how the first Colorkin book for my daughter and son happened, and it is why I think every family should try at least the free version below.

Option 1: A "my family" page your child draws

This is the classic preschool activity, and it costs a sheet of paper.

1. Make a simple frame. Draw a big house outline, a row of empty picture frames, or a long couch. Leave lots of space.
2. Ask who lives in the house. Let your child name everyone they count as family: parents, siblings, grandparents, the cat, the goldfish, the cousin who visits every week.
3. Let them draw, you write. Your child draws each person; you write the names underneath in their words ("Daddy, who makes pancakes").
4. Date it. Write the date and their age on the back. In two years you will be glad you did.

What to expect depends on age. Zero to Three describes pictures of people and objects as a stage from about 3 to 5, after scribbling, controlled scribbling and lines and patterns. The CDC lists drawing a person with three or more body parts as a milestone by 4. So a three-year-old's family may be a row of circles with legs, and a two-year-old's may be a cheerful scribble that "is Mommy". All of these count. Research on toddler drawing even suggests early scribbling is sparked and maintained by children's relationship with their caregivers, so drawing the people they love is about as natural a subject as there is.

Option 2: Trace a family photo into a page (free)

For kids too young to draw people, a page traced from a real photo gives them faces to recognize. You do not need to be good at drawing; you need a bright screen and a black marker.

Choose the photo carefully. One where everyone faces the camera, faces are big enough to see clearly, and the background is plain. A posed couch photo works better than an action shot at the beach.

Trace it:

1. Open the photo on a tablet or phone, zoom so the group fills the screen, and turn brightness all the way up.
2. Lay thin printer paper on top and trace in pencil: head shapes, hair outlines, eyes, smiles, glasses, clothing edges. Skip shadows and small background clutter.
3. Go over the lines in black marker, then erase the pencil.
4. Photocopy or scan it so you can print it again and again. Siblings can each color their own copy.

If you would rather use a computer, free editors like GIMP can turn a photo into line art with a couple of filters. Our step-by-step guide covers both: how to turn a photo into a coloring page for free.

Tips that make a big difference:

• Draw hair as an outline, not a solid black shape. Solid black hair leaves nothing to color and looks heavy when printed. Outline the shape and add a few strands or curls.
• Keep faces kind. Draw the features a child would recognize (glasses, freckles, a missing tooth, a beard) without exaggerating anything.
• Leave space. Thick lines and big areas suit toddlers; older kids can handle more detail.
• Add a caption. "Our family at the lake, summer 2026" turns a page into a keepsake.

Option 3: Have it made for you

If tracing is not your thing, or you want something you could give a grandparent, there are paid options. Some print shops and online sellers turn a single photo into a coloring sheet. Colorkin, which I run, goes a step further and turns your family photos into a short storybook where your kids are the heroes, drafted with AI illustration tools and checked page by page by a person for likeness and kindness. There is a free sample page if you want to see your own family drawn before deciding anything.

Whichever route you take, look at a sample before you pay. Our guide to personalized coloring books made from your photos explains what to check: likeness, line weight, how hair and skin are handled, and paper.

Ways to use family coloring pages

• Before a big change. A page of your child holding the new baby, standing in front of the new house, or waving at the preschool door gives them a way to talk about what is coming. Our guides to new baby books for siblings and other big moments go into this.
• For grandparents. Send a blank copy and a colored copy, and color the blank one together on a video call.
• On the fridge. A "my family" page updated every year makes a simple record of how your kid sees your family.
• In class. Many preschools do an "all about my family" week. A traced photo page lets a child who is not drawing people yet still show who is at home.

Keep the first one

Whatever you make, keep the first version, scribbles and all. The polished page is nice, but the one where your three-year-old drew everyone with enormous hands and the dog bigger than the house is the one you will want later. More ideas for making family books and pages are in personalized coloring books.

Questions parents ask

See your own family on a page, free

Want a page of your family without the tracing? Send one photo and we will draw a free sample coloring page of your crew, no card needed.

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