To cheer on the tree day, VerbNow offers you more than 20 free Arbor Day coloring pages. It is a good source for both relaxing and educational purpose.
Let’s join in the beauty of nature and spread the message of protecting world. You can reuse these coloring pages of Arbor Day with the craft ideas I will suggest below. Now let’s discover this special collection to join in the natural world.
1. Explore free Arbor Day coloring pages printable PDF on VerbNow
Arbor Day is a day when people plant, nurture and show appreciation for trees. If you are not able to plant a new tree, you can join the holiday by coloring Arbor Day coloring pages.
Through this coloring session, you can teach them about trees and it’s role on Earth. Now, let’s have a look at the collection of Abor Day and choose what you want.
More Nature Collection: Earth Coloring Pages | Tree Coloring Pages | Jungle Coloring Pages
2. Overview of Arbor Day
In case, you are not familiar to Arbor Day, this section will help you a lot. Let’s study about the history of this holiday and what people will do on this day.
Arbor Day doesn’t occur on the same day every year like other holidays all over the world. Each region will chose the Arbor Day when they feel it’s the best time for planting.
For example, in the USA, Arbor Day usually occurs on the last Friday in April. In 2025, the exact day of this holiday is on the 25th of the April.
2.1. History of Arbor Day
Juliuis Sterling Morton, a Nebraska newspaper, is the father of this holiday. In 1872, he proposed this day for tree planting. The aim is to to combat the lack of trees in the Great Plains.
On April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day witnessed more than one million trees were planted. That celebration received a lot of support and acceptances from people.
Over time, the movement spread to other states and countries. Until now, Arbor Day has evolved into a global celebration of trees and the environment.
2.2. What People Do on Arbor Day
Are you curious what will people do on the Arbor Day? It is not hard to guess all activities will be closely related to trees and nature. Below is some common activities you may do on this holiday.
- Tree Planting Ceremonies: Institutions such as schools and organizations plant trees around their area.
- Environmental Education: Schools will organize extracurricular activities or take time to teach children about trees.
- Nature Walks and Cleanups: People can also organize activities close to nature. For example, they go hiking, pick up trash or plant trees.
- Creative Activities: Simpler for children can do like watering plants. Or school let children color green plants to connect with nature indirectly.
- Honoring Trees: People often dedicate trees to loved ones, mark milestones, or remember important events by planting a tree.
3. Instructions for coloring beautiful Arbor Day coloring pages
Almost all the coloring pages of Arbor Day include trees. However, how to color them special and not boring, let’s read the instruction.
3.1. Gather Your Supplies
First of all, you need to gather all the needed supplies so that coloring session goes smooth. The coloring tools will depend on your style and preference, so don’t feel pressure.
- Crayons: They will be the best choice for kids because it’s easy to use and safe. They will create a waxy texture for the coloring page which is easy to blend.
- Colored Pencils: They are light and soft, with fine tips, they are good for detailed pattern. However, it may take time if you color big areas with this tool.
- Markers: They are so vibrant, bold and bright which are the choices of many people. Just need to remember to put a paper under the coloring page to prevent color bleeding.
- Optional tools: If you want your coloring pages more pop, you can have stickers, glitters. You even can prepare natural materials such leaves, grass.
3.2. Choose the color palette that inspired by nature
Coloring Arbor Day pages may be easy and difficult at the same time. Because you see tree and nature everyday, but you may not know how to portray it in your coloring pages.
I will suggest you on how to color each part of a tree. It is so detailed which will help you easily visualize your whole coloring page.
3.2.1. Tree Trunks and Bark
It is no doubt that tree trunks and bark play an important part in the tree. Choosing the right color palette for it is so essential, however, it is not easy.
Why I say it is not easy at all? Because the color will depend on type of tree, its age and even the season. You can refer to some of colors for differents types below:
- Oak Trees: You can choose deep brown, gray. You can make it special by add a slight touch of green to mimic mossy bark.
- Maple Trees: For this type, reddish-brown, dark chocolate are suitable. In case you color young saplings, light tan maybe a good choice.
- Birch Trees: They have special colors which are black lines. You can combine 3 colors of white, light gray, and charcoal black.
- Pine Trees: They has reddish-brown bark. You also can add gray shadows in older sections to be more attractive.
For the bark, you should apply the shadow technique. To do this, let’s add a darker tone along the bark’s edges or ridges for texture. You can create a woodgrain effect by lightly drawing vertical strokes with colored pencils.
3.2.2. Leaves
Similar to bark, leaves are variety in colors which will change according the season and type of tree. Let’s come into the detailed instruction on coloring leaves based on seasons.
- Spring and Summer Palettes: For new-grown leaves, choose bright lime green. If the leaves are mature, medium forest green is the best choice. You also can add yellow-green or blue-green for variety and depth.
- Autumn Palettes: For red maple, just go with crimson, burgundy, and orange-red. If it’s aspen, feel free to color with bright yellow and gold. Finally, for oak leaves, color deep orange, rust and burnt sienna.
If you are good at drawing, why don’t use a slightly darker shade to draw tiny veins.
3.2.3. Backgrounds
Backgrounds in our Arbor Day coloring pages may be blank. It’s chance to be creative by yourself, let’s set the tone of your own picture.
I have some suggestions for you that is so interesting for you.
- Daytime Sky: It is the most easy way to color the sky. You just simply pick the sky blue for the top. Then, to create the gradient effect, color the pale blue near the horizon.
- Sunset Sky: If you want to create a sunset sky, you need 4 colors peach, pink, lavender, and orange. Let’s layer one by one respectively, using your finger to smoothen it out.
- Night Sky: To create a starry night, mix navy blue, black and purple together. To make it sparkling, using white gel pen to add dots for stars.
- Ground: For the ground, you color with earthy browns, olive greens, and tan.
4. Some craft ideas to do with finished Arbor Day coloring pages
It is so meaningful if you use your finished Arbor Day coloring pages for some craft ideas. Because you make the most of every paper, you don’t just waste it after coloring.
4.1. DIY Arbor Day Garland
The first idea is to make Arbor Day Garland to decorate homes, classroom or even for the party backdrops. You need scissors, hole punch, string, twine or ribbon, and tape or mini clothespins.
- Step 1: Choose some Arbor Day coloring sheet you likes, at least 5 pages. You can cut them into any shapes you want such as trees, leaves, birds, hearts or stars. You can draw simple outlines on the back before cutting.
- Step 2: Then, on each cutout, you punch a hole at the top of it. Alternatively, you can use tape or clothespins so that you don’t need to punch holes.
- Step 3: You can use string, twine or ribbon to thread all the cutouts through. Now, you can hang it on any places you want such as on the wall, window or door way.
- Step 4: For decoration, you even can add dried leaves or flowers between cutout. It will make your craft so attractive and more natural.
4.2. Recycled Nature Journal Covers
For students, let’s encourage them to make a unique journal cover. Instead of spending money on buying one, they can create a cover by themself.
This ideas is so eco-friends, and encourage kids to protect environment. You only need to prepare blank paper, cardstock, stapler, thread, or hole punch, ribbon and glue.
- Step 1: First of all make sure the journal is smaller than the coloring page. Then, let’s trim the Arbor Day coloring sheet to fit the outside part of your page.
- Step 2: Let’s stack some blank sheets inside, you can stack as much as pages you want. Then, let’s sandwich them between the cover and a sturdy cardstock backing.
- Step 3: You need to staple along the left edge of the book. Or you also can punch holes at the left corner and tie it with ribbon.
- Step 4: To make it personal, you can write the title “My Tree Diary” or “Nature Notes” for the journal.
4.3. Tree Planting Bookmark
The last idea is to make a tree planting bookmark which is so special. You can use it as a gift or adding fun to reading time. It is simple because you only need scissors, clear packing tape, hole punch, yarn.
- Step 1: Choosing the Arbor coloring pages you like, and cut it into the long rectangle strip.
- Step 2: To make it sturdy, you use clear packing tape or lamination to protect it. Let’s laminate both sides front and back of your bookmark.
- Step 3: Now, you punch a hole at the top and add a tassel using yarn or ribbon.
To make it personal, you can write your name or a quote at the bottom or at the top. You can also tape a small seed packet to the back of the bookmark and gift it to friends or classmates.
5. Some fun facts about Arbor Day
While enjoying Arbor Day coloring pages, share some fun facts with your friends:
- Arbor Day means “Tree Day”: The word “Arbor” comes from Latin and means “tree”. On this day, people love appreciating, planting, and protecting trees
- It’s celebrated around the world: While Arbor Day started in the United States, other countries have their own versions. For example, Japan celebrates Greenery Day, and Australia has National Tree Day.
- One tree can support four people with oxygen: Trees are like the planet’s lungs. A single mature tree can produce enough oxygen to keep up to 4 people breathing for a day.
Conclusion
It’s obvious that trees are very important to our lives. So let’s celebrate this day and show our love for trees and nature with my Arbor Day coloring pages. Explore more coloring topics on VerbNow’s website to fulfill your love for coloring.
