Teachers and childcare workers know the miracle that a busy child produces. Suddenly, while a child is still and occupied, time is available to get other work finished, clean up after snacks or simply sit down for the first time in hours. Finding the activities to occupy the child, however, can definitely be more challenging than figuring out what to do with the quiet time. One of the favorite activities of all time requires a little hand-eye coordination and a lot of creativity ? coloring pages.

Arts and Crafts

Kids love arts and crafts, and one of the best quiet time activities is the coloring page. Provide younger students with a coloring page and minutes tick by while children select the right colors and very carefully work to stay in the lines. The problem with these pages is so many copies must be run and the stacks of paper can be a hassle to deal with. Fortunately, some arts and crafts are going online.

Online Coloring Pages

Websites are beginning to produce online coloring pages for kids (http://www.thedollpalace.com/coloring-pages/). These pages can have any style of artwork imaginable and can be colored using the computer. As most children already love the computer, this is a perfect mix for a quiet time activity as well as a way to avoid more paper stacks in a classroom.

Simply sit a child in front of the computer and pull up a coloring page. The child will stay occupied while building up the critical computer usage skills so necessary in the world today. When the picture is complete, it can be printed out or cleared for another try.

Online coloring pages aren't just for young children, however. Older children may enjoy the coloring pages, too. School age girls especially enjoy doll coloring pages (http://www.thedollpalace.com/coloring-pages/) from websites such as TheDollPalace.com where favorite teenage celebrities and other dolls make the perfect online coloring pages.

Coloring is More Than Fun?

As any parent or teacher can tell you, coloring can be more than simply a nice time-filling activity. Practicing coloring helps to develop fine motor skills and the actual pictures can help children develop insight or knowledge about a particular item or theme. Sometimes, however, it is more fun than anything else.

When a girl sits down to color an outfit on her favorite singer or a boy is able to give life to his favorite cartoon character, it is simply a pleasure to watch. The world that we live in life moves so quickly that sometimes a gentle break can make a tremendous difference in a child's stress level and productivity.

If students are pushed every minute they are in the classroom, regardless of age, they will eventually burn out, especially at a young age. Older children live frantic lives between school and extracurricular activities. Coloring pages help soothe the psyche for many children and give a respite in the middle of an otherwise chaotic lifestyle.