What is a mystery picture?

A grid of squares, each with a number or a maths problem. Children colour every square with the colour the key gives for its number, and a picture appears. The picture’s name is only printed on the answer key, so it stays a surprise.

Can the squares show maths facts?

Yes. Choose Sums for addition within 10, like 3+4, or Take away for subtraction within 20, like 12–5. Children work out the answer to find the colour, so a page is 144 to 400 facts of practice.

Which pictures are there?

Fruit, animals, a bus, a house, a rainbow and seasonal pictures such as a pumpkin, a turkey and a Christmas tree. Each one is drawn from a full-colour illustration, so the finished picture looks right.

How many colours do children need?

At most seven, and only everyday crayon colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, pink, grey and black. Squares in the background say “leave white”.

Which grid size should I choose?

12 by 12 for LKG and UKG, 16 by 16 for most children, and 20 by 20 for older children who like a longer project.

Colour by Number Mystery Pictures: Numbers, Addition and Subtraction

Why children love them

A mystery picture turns a page of number recognition or maths facts into a puzzle with a payoff. Children want to see what the picture is, so they keep going, and every square they colour is one more fact practised. Because a wrong answer shows up as a square of the wrong colour, they can often spot and fix their own mistakes.

Three ways to play

Numbers. Match each number to its colour in the key.
Sums. Addition within 10, every answer from 2 to 10.
Take away. Subtraction within 20, every answer from 2 to 10.

More puzzles

Try dot to dot for counting in order and mazes for pencil control. For more practice with the same facts, the addition worksheets come with answer keys too.

NCF and NCERT links

UKGRecognising numerals up to 9 (C-8.5) and colouring inside a closed shape (C-3.3) are both NCF-FS outcomes for about age 5 to 6.
Class 1The sum and take-away pictures give a large amount of fact practice; the NCF-FS expects addition up to 18 and subtraction within 9 in Class 1.
SensesTelling colours and their shades apart is part of the NCF-FS goal on sharper senses (C-2.1).

Colour by number is not a curriculum topic, but it is the kind of simple, self-checking practice the NCF-FS has in mind when it says worksheets should give plenty of practice in a meaningful setting. The hidden picture gives the facts a purpose.

Some pictures are Western seasonal ones, such as a pumpkin, a turkey and a Christmas tree. Fruit, animals, the bus, the house and the rainbow suit an Indian classroom at any time of year.

Summarised in our own words from the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCERT, 2022).