The Colour Monster: questions to ask and activities to try
The Colour Monster wakes up with his feelings all mixed up, and a little girl helps him sort them out, one colour at a time. It's one of the simplest ways to give children words for how they feel.
What age is The Colour Monster for?
The Colour Monster is best for ages 3–6.
The Colour Monster activity sheet
3 printable pages to help children name their feelings and say how they feel.
- 3-page PDF
- Print at home or school
- Instant download
Pages shown are from the real sheet · Use it with the book (sold separately) · 20 minutes together
Reading more books like this? Build your own bundle of activity sheets, from £2.00 →
The colours give children a way to name a feeling without having to explain it. After reading, ask which colour they feel like today, and use the colours again at calm times, not only when feelings are big.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–6 (nursery to Year 1)
- What they'll enjoy
- The Colour Monster wakes up with his feelings all mixed up, and a little girl helps him sort them out, one colour at a time. It's one of the simplest ways to give children words for how they feel.
- Helps with
- Naming feelings
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Naming feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared and calm
- Noticing that feelings can be mixed up
- A shared language for feelings at home
- Talking about what helps with each feeling
Comprehension and discussion questions for The Colour Monster
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “Which colour do you feel like today?”
- “What makes you feel yellow and happy?”
- “What does red, angry, feel like in your body?”
- “What helps when you feel black and scared?”
- “Can you feel two colours at once?”
- “What helped the monster when his feelings were all mixed up?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for The Colour Monster
All 6 questions for The Colour Monster on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
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5-minute activities to try together
Feelings jars
Put out five cups or jars, one for each colour in the book. At the end of the day, your child drops a coloured scrap of paper into the jar that matches how the day felt.
Colour check-in
At dinner or bedtime, everyone says a colour for their day and one thing that made it that colour. Grown-ups go too.
The Colour Monster activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
Big Feelings bundleAll 15 activity sheets, this one includedThe 15 books:The Colour MonsterThe Paper DollsTiddlerWhen Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry…Where the Wild Things AreGrumpy MonkeyNot Now, BernardA Great Big CuddleAnna Hibiscus' SongAugustus and His SmileHappyHarry and the Bucketful of DinosaursI Love You, Blue Kangaroo!Knuffle BunnyPenguin£4.99 3 sheets for £2.50The Colour Monster + The Paper Dolls + TiddlerThe 3 books:The Colour MonsterThe Paper DollsTiddler£2.50 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
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Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to The Colour Monster, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about naming feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared and calm.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–6 (nursery to Year 1), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: The colours give children a way to name a feeling without having to explain it. After reading, ask which colour they feel like today, and use the colours again at calm times, not only when feelings are big.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “Which colour do you feel like today?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Feelings jars. Put out five cups or jars, one for each colour in the book. At the end of the day, your child drops a coloured scrap of paper into the jar that matches how the day felt. Children who finish early can try Colour check-in.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The The Colour Monster activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
For younger children, a book about one feeling: My Heart Fills with Happiness, a gentle look at what happiness feels like.
If your child liked this, try
The Rabbit Listened (Cori Doerrfeld)
- Best for
- Sitting with difficult feelings
- Age
- 4-8
The Huge Bag of Worries (Virginia Ironside)
- Best for
- Talking about worries
- Age
- 5-8
Hands Are Not for Hitting (Martine Agassi)
- Best for
- Talking about safer hands during conflict
- Age
- 4-8
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By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 1 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.