American Flag Coloring Pages – 32 Stars and Stripes Scenes to Color

An American flag is easy to recognize and satisfying to color. These 32 pages start small, with a flag in a flowerpot and a flag rising in the morning. Then you look up a tall flagpole, hang a flag in a window, and follow it all the way to the moon. Red, white, and blue crayons are all you need to begin, and every sheet is free to print.

The American Flag Coloring Pages at a Glance

Every page here is free and printable. Click any picture to open the PDF, which is sized for A4 paper and ready to print at home or in the classroom. The sheets run from very easy, with one big flag and thick lines, to detailed scenes with landmarks, patterns, and a full field of stars.

The Flag Up Close

American Flag in a Daisy Flowerpot

A waving American flag on a small pole stands in a terracotta flowerpot between three large daisies with long leaves, and two smiling-free, ray-edged suns shine above. The flag’s small stars and thin stripes are fine detail, while the daisy petals and pot are big, open shapes.

Children Raising the Flag at Home

A boy pulls the rope of a tall flagpole while a girl with a hair bow reaches up to the corner of the large waving flag. A farmhouse with a porch and chimney sits behind them on a grassy lawn. The star field holds about fifty tiny stars, so it needs a sharp pencil or fine tip.

Boy on a Sailboat with Stern Flag

A smiling boy leans on the rail of a small sailboat with a tall triangular sail, while an American flag flies from a short pole at the stern. Wavy water and distant hills fill the background. The large sail and hull are wide, open areas, and only the star field on the flag is tiny.

Boy Gluing a Paper American Flag

A smiling boy sits at a desk and holds a glue stick over a paper American flag made of strips, with a star field of about fifty small stars. Loose paper strips lie at the right, and a window with puffy clouds is behind him. The boy’s face and shirt are large, easy areas, while the stars need a fine tip.

Cat Beneath a Window American Flag

An American flag hangs from a curtain rod in the upper pane of a brick house window. Below it, a cat sits on the sill between two curtains, with bushes and a leafy tree outside. The cat’s fur and the wide window frame are open areas, while the flag’s 50 tiny stars are fine work.

Waving Flag on a Tall Flagpole

Seen from below, a rippling American flag is clipped to a slanted pole topped with a round ball. Three gliding birds and puffy clouds fill the sky around it. The wavy stripes are long, easy bands, but the 50 small stars in the canton call for a fine tip.

Flags Around Town

Sleeping Dog on a Veranda with Flag

A retriever-type dog sleeps curled up on the wooden boards of a porch. Behind it hang a rope porch swing with four cushions and a tall flagpole with a waving American flag. A flowerpot sits on the step, and rolling hills with bushes fill the background. The long plank lines and railing spindles make this a sheet for patient coloring.

Roadside Mailbox with Flag and Flower Bed

A rural mailbox with its red-flag arm raised sits on a wooden post, with a small American flag on a pole beside it. Three daisy-like flowers, tulips and a ring of stones circle the base, while cornfields and a curving road fill the background. The flag’s small stars are the finest detail, and the tall corn leaves make a dense patch.

Town Green with Flagpole and Scooter Kids

A tall flagpole with a waving American flag stands in a shrub-ringed circle on a town green. A boy and a girl ride scooters past a woman pushing a stroller, with a gazebo, leafy trees and a row of awning-covered shops behind them. This is a busy scene with many small areas, so it suits older colorists and a sharp pencil.

Lighthouse Cottage with American Flag

A spiral-striped lighthouse rises beside a small cottage with a brick chimney, while a waving American flag flies from a tall pole. Three seagulls circle overhead, and a wooden rowboat rests on the sand below rocks and lapping waves. The wide spiral bands and open sky are easy to fill, but the flag’s small stars need a sharp pencil.

Kids on a Pickup Tailgate with Flag

A boy and a girl sit chatting on the lowered tailgate of a vintage pickup truck parked in a grassy meadow. A tall flagpole holds a waving American flag with rows of small stars, and rolling hills sit behind. The truck’s round fenders and chrome bumper make large, open areas.

Diner Window with Flag and Milkshakes

Standing on the sidewalk beside a street lamp, a boy presses his hands to a diner window and looks in at a smiling waitress carrying a tray of three cherry-topped milkshakes. An American flag hangs in the glass above the booths and hanging lamps. The plain stripes and the curved diner front are open shapes, while the flag’s many tiny stars need a fine pencil tip.

Big Moments

Flag Bearer Marching in a Parade

A young man in a rolled-sleeve shirt marches down a main street, carrying a large waving American flag in a belt holster. Clapping spectators line the sidewalk in front of shop fronts with striped awnings, and two children hold small flags. The crowd figures are small and fine, so they suit older colorers.

Astronaut Planting the Flag on the Moon

An astronaut in a full spacesuit and bubble helmet holds a flagpole upright in the lunar dust. A lunar lander stands on the left, Earth hangs in the sky, and round craters dot the ground. The flag’s small stars are tiny, but the suit’s big panels and the craters are open areas.

Hikers Planting a Flag on a Summit Cairn

A boy and a girl in hiking boots and backpacks stand on a pile of boulders and hold a tall flagpole together. The flag has a star-filled canton and wavy stripes. A sea of clouds and a far-off peak fill the background. The big rocks and clouds are easy open areas, while the tiny stars take a sharp pencil.

Tall Ship with American Flag at Sea

A three-masted tall ship sails across rippling waves, with large billowing sails and an American flag flying from the top of the mainmast. The hull has a row of square gunports and a railed deck. Puffy clouds and a small mountain sit on the horizon. The wide sails are big open areas, but the stars and rigging ropes need a sharp pencil.

Camp Counselor Raising the Flag

A camp counselor with a whistle around her neck pulls the halyard rope to hoist a wavy American flag, while five children stand in a ring and look up. Two log cabins and tall pine trees sit behind them on a grassy lawn. The cabins’ plank walls and the children’s plain T-shirts are easy open areas.

American Flag Hung on a Clothesline

An American flag hangs from a rope strung between two rough wooden posts, held up by five wooden clothespins. Two puffy clouds float above, and small grass tufts sit at the post bases. The canton holds about fifty small stars, so the stripes are the easy part and the stars need a fine tip.

Famous Landmarks

Statue of Liberty Torch and Flag

Seen from below, the Statue of Liberty raises her torch high, with a ribbed flame cup and a gripping hand. Her crown of seven rays frames her face. A waving American flag on a pole and two puffy clouds fill the sky behind. The torch’s fluted bands and the face take a patient hand, while the striped flag is easier.

Family on the Ferry to Liberty Island

A woman and two children lean on a ferry railing and point across the water at the Statue of Liberty on her stepped pedestal. A star-filled American flag waves on a pole at left, three seagulls fly past, and a city skyline sits on the far shore. The rippled water and the skyline’s small windows call for a fine tip, while the big sweatshirts are easy open areas.

Family Viewing Mount Rushmore with Flag

Seen from behind, a family of four stands at a stone viewing wall and looks up at the four carved faces of Mount Rushmore. A star-filled American flag flies on a tall pole at right, and pine trees fill the slope between wall and cliff. The large rock faces are open, bold shapes, while the flag’s tiny stars and the stone blocks need a finer tip.

Golden Gate Bridge with American Flag

The Golden Gate Bridge spans the bay with its two tall towers, vertical suspension cables and a truss deck. An American flag waves from a pole above the near tower, and a ferry crosses the rippled water in front of hazy hills and fog banks. The long rows of thin cables and the truss pattern need a fine tip, while the hills, fog and water are open areas.

Gateway Arch and Riverboat Family Walk

Four people walk hand in hand along a riverside railing, seen from behind, toward a paddle-wheel riverboat flying an American flag. The Gateway Arch rises over a skyline with a domed capitol, and small arched windows line the boat’s two decks. The big arch and the water are open areas, while the boat’s windows and the skyline need a finer tip.

Family at the Grand Canyon Rim

Four people stand with their backs to us at a stone wall, looking over layered canyon cliffs and a winding river. At right, a stone watchtower with arched windows stands beside a tall flagpole with a waving American flag, and clouds fill the sky.

Flag Patterns

Eight-Point Star Quilt Block

A square quilt block divided into a three-by-three grid, with an eight-point star of straight diagonal seams meeting at the center. A dashed stitching line runs inside a rounded double border, and two puffy clouds float above. The wide angular patches are easy to fill, and opposite points of the star suit matching colors.

Barn with Painted Flag and Fence Cat

A cat walks along a wooden fence rail in front of a gambrel-roof barn with a large American flag painted on its wall. A tall ribbed silo and two round hay bales stand behind, and the flag’s star field holds dozens of small stars.

Striped High-Top Sneakers with Stars

A pair of high-top sneakers seen from the front three-quarter view, with horizontal flag stripes on the side and a star on each toe cap. Seven lace eyelets run up each shoe, and two large outline stars float above. The laces and stripes are fairly fine, so this one suits sharp pencils.

American Flag Postage Stamp with Postmark

A waving American flag on a pole sits inside a stamp with a perforated scalloped edge, and two puffy clouds overlap the top corners. Wavy postmark lines cross the lower right, and the star field holds about fifty small outlined stars. The stars are small, so sharp pencils work best there, while the wide stripes are easy to fill.

Snowman with American Flags at a Front Door

A smiling snowman in a top hat and fringed scarf holds a small flag beside a paneled front door with a bow-topped wreath. A larger flag hangs from a wall bracket above, and round snowflakes fall around them. The door panels and wreath bumps are roomy, but the tiny stars on both flags are fine work.

Stars and Stripes Designs

Oak Leaf Wreath with Six Flags

Six small waving American flags on poles alternate with eight lobed oak leaves in a ring around an empty circle in the middle. Every flag has a star-filled canton and thirteen stripes, and the leaves show a center vein with wavy edges. The blank center leaves room to add a name or a date.

US Map Filled with Flag and Hearts

The outline of the contiguous United States is filled with the flag design: a star canton with 50 outlined stars in alternating rows of seven and six, plus horizontal stripes. Three open hearts sit over the stripes in the Midwest and the Southeast. The Great Lakes and Florida show clearly in the coastline.

Stars and Stripes Flag Mandala

A round American flag with a star canton and horizontal stripes sits in the center of a circular mandala. Around it, a ring of large five-pointed stars is framed by an outer band of small waving flags on ball-tipped poles. The stripes are wide and easy to fill, while the tiny canton stars and rippled flag stripes are fine work.

American Flags at a Glance

Names, Stripes, and Stars

The flag of the United States goes by several names. Most people say Stars and Stripes or Old Glory. The historic flag from 1814 is known as the Star-Spangled Banner.

The design tells a small story. The 13 stripes stand for the first thirteen colonies, and the 50 stars stand for the 50 states. The stripes always run horizontally, alternating red and white, with red at the top and red at the bottom. That makes 7 red stripes and 6 white ones. The blue rectangle in the upper corner next to the flagpole is called the union, or the canton. It reaches down across the top seven stripes. The 50 five-pointed stars sit inside it in nine staggered rows, alternating six stars and five.

A Flag Designed by a Student

The 50-star flag became official on July 4, 1960, after Hawaii joined the country. The design came from a student, Robert Heft, who made it in 1958 for a school project. His idea was chosen. Flag Day falls on June 14 and remembers the decision of the Continental Congress in 1777 that set out the first flag.

How the Flag Is Treated

A few simple customs are fun to know while you color. The flag should not touch the ground. When it hangs outside at night, it is lit up. When it hangs on a wall or in a window, the blue field sits at the upper left from the viewer’s side. On the moon, the astronauts of Apollo 11 planted a flag in July 1969. A horizontal rod holds the cloth out, because there is no wind there to make it wave. A flag was set up on six moon landings in all.

Landmarks in the Gallery

Some pages place the flag beside famous sights. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France and was dedicated in 1886. She stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, and a ferry takes visitors there. Mount Rushmore was carved between 1927 and 1941 in the Black Hills of South Dakota, land the Lakota people hold sacred. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opened in 1937 and is painted a color called International Orange. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a steel arch 630 feet tall, finished in 1965 beside the Mississippi River. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was carved into the rock by the Colorado River over millions of years and is more than a kilometer deep at its deepest point.

How to Print and Color These Pages

Click the picture of the sheet you want, and the PDF opens in a new tab. Each file is sized for A4 paper. Plain copy paper works well for crayons and colored pencils. If your child likes markers, watercolors, or glue, choose a slightly thicker paper so the color does not soak through.

In the print dialog, choose actual size or 100 percent rather than fit to page. That keeps the lines crisp and the margins even. If you print on letter size paper, fit to page is fine, and a little white border is normal.

Here is a simple guide to which sheet suits which age:

• Toddlers and early learners: the big single objects, such as the flag in a flowerpot, the torch, the quilt block, the stamp, and the balloon. They have large shapes and thick lines.
• Preschoolers: the flag scenes, such as the morning raise, a flag in a window, and a flag seen from below on its pole.
• Grade schoolers: the landmark pages and the moon scenes, which have more small parts and reward patience.

On small flags in the distance or in the background, the stars are only hinted at with a handful in rows. You can simply dot them in. On the large flags, take your time and color the full field of stars.

What to Do With Finished Pages

• Decorate a window. Tape a finished flag to a window with the blue field at the upper left, as seen from outside or inside, and everyone who passes will see it.
• Make a Flag Day display. Gather a few pages on a wall or bulletin board for June 14 and add a line about the first flag of 1777.
• Send a card. Fold a page in half, write a message inside, and mail it to a grandparent or a friend who lives far away.
• Build a travel scrapbook. Pair the landmark pages with photos, postcards, or a map, and color the Golden Gate Bridge orangey red and the statue copper green.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these American flag coloring pages really free?

Yes. You can open, download, and print every sheet at no cost for home and classroom use. There is no sign-up, and you can print as many copies as you like.

What age are these pages for?

There is something for nearly every age. Toddlers enjoy the big single objects with thick lines. Preschoolers can handle the flag scenes, and grade schoolers will like the landmarks and the moon scenes, which have more detail.

Which colors are correct for the flag?

The flag is red, white, and blue. The stripes alternate red and white, with seven red and six white, and the top and bottom stripes are red. The stars are white on the blue field. Landmarks can be colored naturally: the Statue of Liberty copper green, the Golden Gate Bridge orangey red, and the Grand Canyon in reds and ochers.

Where does the blue field go?

The blue field always sits in the upper corner next to the flagpole, which is the left side when you face the flag. It never goes in the middle, at the bottom, or on the right. The stripes always run sideways, never up and down.

Can I use these pages in my classroom?

Absolutely. Teachers are welcome to print sets for a class. They fit well with a lesson on Flag Day, on the 13 colonies and 50 states, or on famous places. A sheet with a simple flag suits younger students, while the landmark and moon pages work for older ones.

Do I have to draw all 50 stars?

No. On the large flags the star field is drawn out for you to color. On small flags in the background, only a few stars are shown, and you can color them white or leave them as they are. Nobody will mind if you take it slowly.

Matthew Matthysen( Drawing and Painting Artist )

Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.

Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.

Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.

Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.