A scarecrow with a floppy hat and a shirt made of patches. Print it, then let someone pick a color for every square.
A scarecrow stands on a wooden pole with a floppy hat pulled low, a patchwork shirt stitched from mismatched squares, and straw poking out at the cuffs. His face is friendly, with round button eyes and a small grin. The patchwork is the busiest part, giving crayons plenty of separate shapes to fill while the space around him stays open. Children around six and up will enjoy the shirt; younger ones may want help with the smaller patches. Colored pencils suit the stitching; markers work on cardstock.
What scarecrows were actually for
Farmers set them in fields to keep crows and other birds off newly sown seed and ripening grain. The idea is old, and versions appear across Europe, Asia, and North America, from straw figures to cloth streamers.
They work for a short while, mostly because birds are wary of anything new in a familiar field. Then the birds learn the figure never moves. Crows are quick about it and will perch on the hat once they decide it is harmless. Farmers who still use one shift it every few days, or hang something that rattles in the wind.
Coloring and printing tips
- Print at 100% scale, black and white, on US Letter. On A4, select "fit to page".
- Copy paper (20 lb / 80 gsm) for crayons and pencils, cardstock (65 lb / 160 gsm) for markers.
- Color the patches in one family of colors, then the seams in a darker pencil so the stitching stays visible.
- Tape a finished page to a classroom window in October, or stack a few on a fall party table.
Good companions are the costume parade page and the Halloween night scene. You can also start from the Halloween coloring pages hub.
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