Christmas Dog Cards – Colouring Printable Templates for Students

Dog Cards to Colour – Easy Classroom Activity for the Week Before Break

I made these dog cards last year for my class because that last week before the holidays is always kind of messy and loud, and I just needed something simple and quiet. The idea was to have something that felt a bit festive without needing a lot of prep, and also without turning the classroom into glitter chaos. The cards are just black and white drawings of different dogs wearing hats or scarves, nothing complicated, just cute. I printed them out on slightly thicker paper, gave the kids pencils and markers, and that was it.

Some of the students took a lot of time choosing which dog they liked best. Others just grabbed one and started colouring right away. A few wanted to do more than one. I didn’t make any rules around it. Some kids added a message inside, others didn’t. A couple of students wrote little notes to the janitor or their families. One card even ended up on the classroom door with a note for our imaginary school dog (we don’t actually have one, but they like to pretend). It was sweet.

We didn’t tie it to any lesson plan, I didn’t grade it, and I didn’t ask for a final product. It was just something they could do to wind down. We listened to quiet music, and honestly, it was one of the calmest hours of the whole month. They were focused, but relaxed. And because it was dogs, even students who usually don’t enjoy drawing stayed with it.

If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a quiet little task that gives students something to do with their hands and minds when they don’t have a lot of focus left. Just print, hand out, and let them take it from there. No rules, no stress.

📍 Happy teaching,

Heike from Lernfitness

Did You Know?

I teach with my certified therapy dog Happy Joe, and together we focus on creating a positive and inspiring learning environment.