What do you do when a student finishes an assignment early?
If you’re like most teachers, you’ve probably heard the familiar:
“I’m done. What should I do now?”
Of course, you could give students another worksheet—but sometimes it’s nice to have activities that are meaningful, relaxing, and just a little bit fun.
That’s why I love having motivational coloring pages available for students to use when they have a few extra minutes.
Why Use Coloring Pages in the Classroom?
Coloring isn’t just for elementary school!
Middle school students can benefit from having an occasional opportunity to slow down, work creatively, and take a break from academic tasks. A simple coloring activity can provide students with a chance to reset while still keeping them productively engaged.
And when the coloring page includes an encouraging message, it can provide a little boost of positivity at the same time.
Messages such as:
BE UNSTOPPABLE
EFFORT COUNTS
BELIEVE YOU CAN
are simple, but they can make students stop and think.
A Perfect Activity for Early Finishers
One of the biggest challenges with early finishers is finding something that is:
- Easy for students to do independently
- Quiet
- Requires little or no explanation
- Doesn’t require a lot of materials
- Meaningful rather than simply “busy work”
Printable coloring pages check all those boxes!
Keep a stack in a folder or basket labeled “Finished Early?” Students can grab a page, find a seat, and get started without interrupting you or asking what they should do.
It’s a simple classroom routine that can save you from answering that question for the hundredth time!
Turn Student Work Into Classroom Décor
Here’s another reason I love motivational coloring pages: you don’t have to throw them away when students are finished.
Instead, turn them into classroom decorations!
Students can color the pages and then you can display their work on a bulletin board, classroom wall, door, or even in the hallway.
A Little Growth Mindset Inspiration
Motivational sayings can also help reinforce the kind of classroom environment we want to create.
Students aren’t always going to understand something the first time.
They’re going to make mistakes.
They’re going to struggle with difficult assignments.
They’re going to have days when they don’t feel particularly confident.
That’s why messages about effort, perseverance, confidence, and growth are worth repeating.
A student might glance at a page that says “EFFORT COUNTS” while they’re coloring it. Later, they might see that same message hanging on the classroom wall.
It’s a small reminder that success isn’t always about getting everything right the first time.
28 Motivational Coloring Pages
To make it easy to incorporate these activities into your classroom, I’ve created a set of 28 printable motivational coloring pages.
Each page features an inspirational saying and an accompanying illustration for students to color.
They’re perfect for:
⭐ Early finishers⭐ Morning work⭐ Brain breaks⭐ Indoor recess⭐ Fast-finisher folders⭐ SEL activities⭐ Growth mindset activities⭐ Quiet time⭐ Classroom décor⭐ Bulletin boards
Simply print the pages and keep them available whenever you need a quick, no-prep activity.
Want to add some positivity to your classroom?
You can find the 28 Motivational Coloring Pages in the JustAddH2Oschool store.
Sometimes a simple message is all a student needs to hear.
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