Print it! “Reading is Exploring” Coloring Sheet
28 July, 2026 ● Written by Sarah Silverkey
For our “Myths and Voyages” issue this month, we invited illustrator Sarah Y. to create a whimsical coloring sheet inspired by one of our articles on the first stories ever written.
We’re delighted to share it with you here for your family or classroom, available now as a free download.
We love using coloring sheets as a flexible, low-pressure way to extend the reading experience. They work beautifully as an added activity during reading events, a take-home treat paired with a library book or Reading Challenge prize, or even as something to enjoy while listening to a read-aloud.
Coloring invites readers of all ages to slow down, imagine, and engage more deeply with a story’s world. It’s a simple way to spark creativity, encourage active participation in storytelling, and relax the mind.
However you choose to use it, we hope this coloring sheet brings a little extra wonder to your reading journeys this month.
Download your “Reading is Exploring” coloring page here!
Print out our free, handy coloring page in A4 and use it at home or in the classroom. More details on the research-based benefits of reading can be found here.
How to use Storyvor’s “Reading is Exploring” print-outs
Story retelling through art
The easiest way to use the coloring sheet? Hand it out to your children or students. Ask them to color the sheet and then describe what’s happening in the scene in a short, spoken story. This builds comprehension and sequencing skills, and can be a fun way to compare different ideas and imaginations in a group setting.Predict and imagine
Before a read-aloud session, show students the coloring sheet and ask: What do you think this story is about? After reading, compare predictions.Creative writing prompt
Use the image as inspiration. Invite children to write a short sentence or story about the scene they’ve colored.Listening and focus activity
Hand out the sheet during a read-aloud. Coloring keeps hands busy while ears stay tuned in.
Note: If you’d like to collaborate with us or get your own co-branded materials for encouraging literacy at your school, organization, or institution, reach out! We’re happy to work with you to inspire reading in your community, always free of charge, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sarah Silverkey
Contributing editor
Sarah is an educator, writer, and artist with over 40 years of primary and secondary school teaching experience in the United States and in Switzerland. She’s a co-founder of the Homeschool Association Switzerland, and a fervent literacy advocate, believing that all good things (or at least, very many of them) come from an early exposure to books and stories.
Sarah Y.'s illustrated, printable play-set turns a few sheets of paper into a castle, a river, a dragon, and a story. Use it in class for crafting time, storytime, and world-building.