Enter the world of coloring pages, which are available on countless sites on the Internet. It's a one-stop shop where you can either download and print coloring pages as you would get in a conventional book store. No more trips to the corner store or supermarket. Just pull out that old box of crayons and have fun.



Available at the click of the mouse are literally hundreds of pictures, stencils, silhouettes and shadows that you can have fun with or pass the time while waiting for a friend to log into chat.

The other option is to work on coloring pages on the Internet with the tools provided in the templates. Here, the coloring pencil or crayon is the mouse. All you need to do is open and page from, say Ben 10 Alienforce, the Blue Dragon or the Birdman Mask, to keep little Billy busy as you go about the day's chores.

So you're convinced that virtual coloring pages are the best thing invented since the baby sitter. And hey, it's free! What's more. IF you're child is fussy and doesn't want to color any of the pages on the site, you can request a page with your child's favourite character and it will be uploaded specially for you.

Imagine that magical moment when Billy finds his favourite cartoon character in front of his very eyes, ready and begging to be filled in.

Many sites with coloring pages offer much more by way of fun. There are Activity Corners with loads of puzzles to work out. There are word games, online flash games and brain teasers galore, just waiting to be tried out.

But there's more to these seemingly simple and fun coloring pages and puzzles than just having fun. According to some child psychologists, encouraging your child to colour increases eye-hand coordination as well as enhances the development of those areas of the brain responsible for creative thinking.

Many adults doesn't think about the benefits of coloring. Unlike adults, children perceive the world through colors. It's their way of exploring the world and environment around them.

Children react to colors instinctively and they are a much stronger stimulus than you reaslie. Ever wondered why toys or children's books sport bright colors. It's not just to make them fun but because children interpret their surroundings through the world of color.

If you need any more convincing, all you have to do is log into any website offering coloring pages and be wowed. There's a range of things your child can do and learn from. Apart from coloring sheets, there are mazes, crossword puzzles, hand shadows, join-the-dots, picture makers, online flash games, and much much more.

Some websites allow you to e-mail your child's colored page. Think about it. Wouldn't grandma, who lives hundreds of miles away, love to see just much young Kate has grown?

Parents can also save and organise their children's drawings online, in chronological order and maintain a progress record of sorts.