Coloring Through Time: How Coloring Books Have Taught Us For Centuries
- The Tiny Book Co.™
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
September is a major transition time of the year! Summer turns into Autumn, days get shorter, and kids go back to school. This month is a great reminder that while children get ready to continue their education, adults can too! Because learning doesn’t stop after school. So, let’s learn! This blog brings to you a brief history of coloring books!
From the first intentional coloring book made in the late 18th Century up until the early 20th Century, coloring books were created to be painted and even once other tools such as crayons were popularized, coloring books were made with the option to be painted or colored.
Did you know that coloring books were created to make art education more accessible to all students, no matter their social or economic standing? It was recognized that coloring was important for conceptualization, cognition development, and useful for future professional skills. This is why, inspired by Joshua Reynolds, a British artist and Swiss educator, Johann Heinrich, coloring books emerged in Europe and the United States. In the 1700s and 1800s, the creation of coloring books played a major role in the "Democratization of Art”. This is more understandably known as making the creation and appreciation of art accessible to each and every person who wants to partake.
Although coloring books were first established for educational purposes mainly for children, it was soon realized that they are greatly beneficial to learning about topics such as anatomy, programming, and physiology in higher-education settings. Coloring books also have political uses, such as using humor to understand politics and human rights movements, as well as female empowerment.
Adult coloring books grew in popularity in the early 21st Century as a form of therapy. As technology and social media became super prevalent and at the tip of our fingers, coloring books allowed for a sense of childhood. A space away from the screen and a way to de-stress. Coloring books and coloring as an activity have been acknowledged for centuries as an incredible past-time for everyone. Whether to learn about a topic while enhancing cognitive skills, or to just take a much-needed break, coloring books were created to lend a helping hand.
This September, as children head back to the classroom, remember that learning and developing skills doesn’t stop there. Children and adults alike benefit from coloring, whatever the topic may be. The Tiny Book Co.™ offers coloring books for everyone with an array of themes and subjects, so you can find what best suits your interests. So, take a break and grab a coloring book! Hey, maybe you’ll learn something!
