Let the Children Come Coloring Page
Drawn for Childhood Bible Stories · Free for home & Sunday school use · Updated July 2026
"LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME" — Jesus' own invitation, in big bold letters above a scene of Him seated with open arms as five happy children run to Him. Of all our coloring pages, this may be the one that tells children most directly: you are wanted here.
Download and Print
Print tip:Use Ctrl+P or Cmd+P and select “Fit to page.” Standard 8.5×11 letter paper works best.
About this scene
One day parents brought their children to Jesus so He could bless them — and the disciples tried to shoo them away, sure the Teacher was too busy for little ones. Jesus stopped them on the spot. In the classic King James wording of Mark 10:14, He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." ("Suffer" is simply old English for "allow.") The lettering on this page uses the modern phrasing children know today — "Let the little children come to me" — which says exactly the same thing in words a five-year-old can read aloud.
The drawing shows the moment the disciples stepped aside. Jesus sits on a rock with His arms flung wide and a smile on His face, and five children come running down the winding path — one already hugging His side, another mid-leap, arms up in pure joy. Hills roll away behind them, and flowers dot the grass.
Ask your child to find themselves in the picture: which running child would you be? That's the whole point of the verse — there's room in this scene for every child.
“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:14 (KJV)
Coloring ideas for this page
- Give each of the five children a different colored robe — red, blue, green, purple, and orange — so everyone in the scene is unique.
- Color Jesus' robe in classic cream and deep red or blue so He stands out at the center of the page.
- Make the tall capital letters bold and bright — one color per word works well for readers just learning to sound them out.
- Color the winding path sandy brown and add green hills behind, so it feels like the children have run a long way to get to Jesus.
What this page teaches
Children are never an interruption to Jesus — they are exactly who His kingdom is for. When grown-ups tried to hold the little ones back, Jesus welcomed them with open arms, and He still does.
Questions parents ask
Where is this scene found in the Bible?
In Mark 10:13-16, with parallel accounts in Matthew 19 and Luke 18. Verse 14 is the heart of it — Jesus tells His disciples to let the children come to Him because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. He then takes the children in His arms and blesses them.
Why does my Bible say "suffer the little children"?
That's the King James translation from 1611, when "suffer" meant "allow" or "permit." The drawing uses the modern phrasing — "Let the little children come to me" — so kids can read it themselves, but both say precisely the same thing.
Is this a good page for a child who feels shy or left out at church?
It's the perfect one. The picture makes the message concrete: Jesus is not too busy, too important, or too grown-up for them. Coloring the scene and picking out 'which child is me' gives a shy child a gentle way to place themselves in Jesus' welcome.
What ages and settings suit this page?
About ages 4 to 10, and it's a Sunday school classic — ideal for the first week of a new class year, promotion Sunday, or any lesson on how much Jesus values children. Print as many copies as your class needs.
