Coloring is a pastime that has been around for centuries. The earliest known variation on a coloring book is thought to be the illustrations in the Poem Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton in the early 1600s. The poem featured black and white illustrations of maps of the counties of England which became trendy for people to color in themselves. As the years passed coloring became increasingly popular; in the 1790s a new printing press process called lithography was introduced, making it easier and more cost effective to reproduce illustrations. "This increased the general population’s access to printed books, and encouraged the early rise of coloring books in the second half of the 19th century." The coloring book, a book with black and white pages specifically meant to be colored in, was created by the McLoughlin Brothers in the 1880s when they produced The Little Folks' Painting Book, in collaboration with Kate Greenaway. The popularity of this creative form of art continues among children and adults today.

There is no right or wrong way to celebrate National Coloring Book Day! The best way to celebrate is to do what makes you happy. If you or the little girl in your life loves coloring, here are some ideas of ways you can take part in this fun holiday:

Coloring is a great activity for all ages and National Coloring Book Day is the perfect opportunity to break out the crayons and coloring books and get creative! Whether you spend the day inside coloring with your daughter or plan a coloring party with your relatives and friends, you'll have a wonderful time celebrating this fun and creative holiday.