10 free printable summer activities for children

Get creative and have fun together this summer with these fun printable activity sheets for children.

Looking for fun activities to keep the kids busy over the summer holidays? Featuring some of their favourite characters, including The Gruffalo and Dear Zoo, these free printable colouring in sheets, puzzles and craft activities for children will keep them (and you!) entertained for a while. 

Get messy with fingerpaints

Children of all ages can get creative with fingerpaints. Download and print these free fingerpainting sheets and put the forest back together with Emily Gravett's Tidy.

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Emily Gravett finger painting
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Activity Sheet - finger painting (portrait) - Tidy- Emily Gravett.jpg
Emily Gravett finger painting
Download and print


Colour in The Gruffalo

Download and print these free colouring sheets and colour in The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child. Listen along to Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's story with The Gruffalo book and CD edition.

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Gruffalo in the woods colouring in sheet
Download The Gruffalo deep dark woods colouring in sheet
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The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child colouring in sheet
Download the Gruffalo with the Gruffalo's child colouring in sheet


Make a library with The Detective Dog

Talk about your child's favourite books and draw their library with this downloadable activity sheet. Buy The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sarah Ogilvie here.

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Activity Sheet - Favourite Books colouring - The Detective Dog - Julia Donaldson - Sarah Ogilvie
Download the printable PDF


Help the princess escape from the wizard

Download this puzzle sheet which features characters from The Princess and The Wizard by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.

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The Princess and the Wizard Maze
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Draw the animals with Dear Zoo

Draw the animals from Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo with this printable activity sheet. Visit the Dear Zoo & Friends website for more free activities for kids, to download and print. 

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Activity Sheet - Colouring Sheet - Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell
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Learn colours with WOW! Said the Owl

Get creative together and improve your child's knowledge of colours with this WOW! Said the Owl rainbow colouring sheet.

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Wow! Said the Owl Colouring Sheet
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Get creative with Princess Mirror-Belle

Draw, sketch or paint self-portraits and play spot the difference with these downloadable activity sheets inspired by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks' Princess Mirror-Belle.

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Spot the difference
Download spot the difference


Get crafty with The Paper Dolls

Colour in, cut out and decorate a line of Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb's The Paper Dolls with this downloadable template. You could even use wool, string or tissue paper to make hair and clothes for your paper dolls.

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Make your own paper dolls
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Do a wordsearch with What the Ladybird Heard

Doing word puzzles can help children to improve their reading skills and build on their vocabulary. Download this free printable word search which features characters from What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. 

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What The Ladybird Heard at the Seaside Wordsearch
Download here


Looking for more inspiration? Discover our list of the best indoor activities for kids here.