Scary Coloring Pages – 32 Friendly Monsters After Dark

Bedtime monsters, moonlit hills and a mummy wrapped up a bit too enthusiastically: these 32 scary coloring pages are spooky in mood and never in content. Every monster is round, fluffy and a little shy, with big eyes and a wobbly smile. Some sheets stay cozy indoors with night lights and tea parties, while others head outside under a full moon. Pick a sheet, grab your favorite crayons, and turn the fear into a story.

All 32 Scary Coloring Pages

Every sheet here is free and printable. Click a picture to open the PDF, then print it on standard A4 paper. The range runs from very easy pages with one big friendly monster to detailed night scenes, so there is something for a first crayon and for a patient colorist.

Friendly Monsters

Friendly Three-Eyed Monster Under the Bed

A fluffy, smiling monster with three round eyes and two small fangs peeks out from under a bed with a draped skirt and round-knobbed posts. Two large stars float above the headboard. The shaggy fur is drawn with many small tufts, so it suits a steady hand, while the bold stars and bed skirt are easy, open shapes.

Closet Monster Giving a Heart Card

A big shaggy monster with floppy ears and a wide grin steps out of an open closet door and holds up a card with a heart on it. A smiling boy in pajamas sits up in bed, hands clasped, and a moon-and-stars night light glows on the wall. Clothes hang on hangers inside the closet.

Wolf Pup and Smiling Moon Night Light

A fluffy wolf pup sits on a round rug, one paw raised toward a smiling crescent-moon night light that is plugged into the wall and throws short rays. Two stars and a bunny-shaped shadow fill the corner of the room. The fur is drawn with small tufts, while the moon and stars are big, open shapes.

Monster Brushing Teeth at Sink

In a bathroom, a shaggy horned monster in a nightcap with a pom-pom brushes its teeth, foamy bubbles drifting from its grin. It stands at a pedestal sink with two taps, a shower curtain on the left and a striped towel hanging on the right. The sink, curtain and towel are large, simple shapes, while the fur takes patience.

Monster Tea Party with Girl and Cake

A girl with a hair bow sits at a round table with three friendly monsters: a one-eyed furry one, a tall horned one and a spotted one. The table holds a layered cake with cherries and several teacups. Behind them are a toy shelf with a teddy bear, ball and toy car, and a curtained window. The spots and fur tufts need a steady hand, while the table and shelf are simple.

Bedtime Story for a Fuzzy Monster

A boy in polka-dot pajamas sits cross-legged on a bed and reads a picture book showing a waving monster and a castle. Beside him, a grinning horned monster tucked under the blanket listens, with a lamp and a night window with a crescent moon and two stars behind them. The polka dots and fur tufts need a steady hand, while the blanket folds and window panes are broad and easy.

Moonlit Creatures

Howling Wolf on Rock Before Full Moon

A wolf sits on a rocky outcrop with its head tilted back mid-howl, seen in side view against a huge round full moon. The fur has jagged tufts along the chest and back, and the bushy tail curls down beside the rock. The big moon is one wide open shape, so it suits a broad brush or marker.

Werewolf Cub Playing Fetch with a Girl

A grinning werewolf cub in overalls with a bushy tail tosses a striped ball to a laughing girl in a hooded raincoat and rubber boots. A park bench, tufts of grass and a large cratered moon fill the background. The fluffy fur and raincoat buttons call for careful work, while the moon and bench slats are broad and easy.

Laughing Mummy Boy and Kitten Pulling Bandage

A laughing boy wrapped in bandages from head to toe dances with arms spread wide, while a kitten tugs a loose strip of linen in its mouth. A framed pyramid picture hangs on the corner wall behind them. The many crisscrossed wrap strips are fine work, but the wall, baseboard and picture frame are wide and easy.

Yawning Mummy Beside Open Sarcophagus

A bandaged mummy stretches one fist overhead and yawns next to an upright sarcophagus with a smiling pharaoh face. The case is covered in Egyptian symbols: two eyes of Horus, two ibis birds and two sailboats. A round window with pyramids and a potted plant fill the room. The sarcophagus panels are small and detailed, so they suit fine pencils.

Swamp Monster with Lily Pad Hat and Frogs

A smiling swamp monster rises from the water with a lily pad on its head and one hand raised in a wave. Three little frogs sit around it, two on lily pads, under a cratered full moon, three fireflies and trees hung with moss. The spots on the monster’s body and the ripples are simple to fill, while the hanging moss takes a steadier hand.

Lake Monster Greeting Two Kids in a Rowboat

A long-necked lake monster with a wide open smile lifts its head high above the water while a boy and a girl in a wooden rowboat wave up at it. Rolling hills, scalloped clouds and rippling water fill the background, and a single hump of the creature’s back shows in the lake. The monster’s smooth neck is one big open area, while the boat planks and ripples suit a finer pencil.

Spooky Nights Outdoors

Wolf at Open Wrought-Iron Gate

A smiling wolf with a fluffy chest ruff and bushy tail stands in front of an open iron gate with spear-tipped bars and curling scrolls. Two stone pillars topped with balls flank the gate, and a huge empty full moon rises behind. The moon and pillar bands are big open areas, while the scrollwork wants a sharp pencil.

Barn Owl on Cemetery Gravestone

A wide-eyed barn owl with a heart-shaped face perches on a rounded gravestone, its head tilted. Five more headstones, a spiked iron fence with two ball-topped posts, a bare twisted tree and a big round moon fill the night scene. The empty moon and blank tombstones are easy open areas, while the layered wing feathers reward a sharp pencil.

Wolf Gazing at Lantern on Foggy Forest Path

On a winding dirt path through bare, twisted trees, a smiling wolf with a fluffy chest ruff and bushy tail looks up at a lantern hanging from a wooden post. A round moon and bands of drifting fog sit behind, with rounded bushes along the path. The wolf’s fur is drawn with short jagged tufts.

Girl Catching Fireflies in a Jar

A long-haired girl kneels in tall grass, smiling up at six fireflies while she holds a glass jar with two more glowing inside. A crescent moon, a scalloped hedge line and a slim two-trunk tree fill the night background. The big hair and dress are open areas, and the small fireflies are the only fine detail.

Boy Watching Thunderstorm from Window

Seen from behind, a boy in star-patterned pajamas hugs a teddy bear and looks out a four-pane window at a lightning bolt, rain and a wind-bent tree with flying leaves. A curled, sleeping cat rests on the floor at the right, and curtains frame both sides.

Three Owls on a Gnarled Tree

Three owls of different sizes perch on the branches of a twisted, bare tree with a knothole in the trunk. A large round moon and two scalloped clouds sit behind them. The biggest owl has wide eyes, ear tufts and scalloped chest feathers, and the bark is drawn with long flowing lines, which makes the trunk a good spot for layered browns.

Spooky Games and Rides

Blanket Tent with Flashlight and Teddy Bear

A blanket pulled into a peaked tent shelters a pair of bare feet, an upright flashlight with short light rays and a smiling teddy bear. Two large outlined stars float above, and long fold lines run down the fabric. The wide blanket folds are big, open areas that are easy to fill.

Boy Making Rabbit and Bird Shadow Puppets

A smiling boy with tousled hair stands in a room corner and makes hand shadows on the wall. The shadows form a sitting rabbit with long ears and a flying bird with spread, scalloped wings. A four-pane window and a baseboard line frame the scene. The rabbit and bird are large, open shapes that are easy to fill in.

Grandma Telling Campfire Story to Kids

An elderly woman with round glasses and a hair bun sits behind a stone-ringed campfire, arms spread wide as she tells a story. Four children listen around her, one hiding behind a checkered blanket, with two tents, a crescent moon and scattered stars behind. The fringed shawl and the log ends in the fire have small details, while the flames are large and open.

Kids in Mummy, Werewolf and Vampire Costumes

Three children try on Halloween costumes in front of a tall standing mirror: a boy wrapped in bandages, a child in a furry wolf mask with pointed ears, and a girl holding up a long cape with a high collar. A framed crescent moon with two stars hangs on the wall behind them. The mummy’s many bandage strips are fine, narrow shapes, while the cape and mirror are wide and open.

Hide and Seek with a Coat Rack Monster

A laughing girl in a skirt and velcro shoes covers her eyes while a shaggy, two-horned monster peeks around a coat stand behind her, its tail curled at the floor. A coat hangs on a wall hook at the left. The fur edges are small and jagged, while the girl’s dress and the horns are big, open shapes.

Ghost Train Ride Through Pumpkin Tunnel

A small steam engine pulls two open cars along a curved track toward a rocky tunnel topped with a grinning jack-o’-lantern. A boy drives, a girl waves, and a wolf pup and a ghost ride behind, with a Ferris wheel and striped circus tents in the background. Two smiling bats and three more pumpkins frame the arch, and the wide, open engine and wheels are easy to color.

Monster Kitchen and Crafts

Family Decorating Monster Cookies

A bearded man in an apron pipes icing onto a big cookie while a boy and a girl with a ponytail decorate their own. Each cookie is a googly-eyed monster, one with a tongue and one with fangs. Three bowls of candy balls, frosting and spare eyes sit in front, and a window and a shelf with jars fill the kitchen behind.

Monster Chef Tasting Soup

A furry, horned monster in a tall chef’s hat stands behind a big two-handled soup pot. It holds a ladle in one paw and blows on a spoonful with wide eyes. Steam curls over the pot, two frying pans hang on a rail, and an arched window is at the top right. The shaggy fur edges are fine detail, while the pot and hat are big, open shapes.

Kids Making a Paper Monster at a Craft Table

Three smiling children sit around a round table: one cuts zigzag paper with scissors, a girl glues googly eyes onto a fuzzy paper monster, and a curly-haired boy links a paper chain. A one-eyed horned monster poster, a sun and a star hang on the wall beside a window with clouds.

Candy Monster Box with Balloons

A cardboard box with a wide toothy mouth, two googly eyes and two striped horns is packed with wrapped candies, and a balloon is tied behind each horn. Round spots cover the box’s side. The mouth is crowded with small candy shapes, so that part takes a steady hand and a sharp pencil.

Kids and Monsters Dancing Under Party Lights

A boy and a girl dance with arms raised beside three monsters: a big one-eyed horned one, a shaggy one with two eye stalks, and a spotted one with three eye stalks. A string of round bulbs and a row of pennant flags hang across the top. The big monster’s body is one open shape, while the shaggy fur and the pennants need a steadier hand.

Monster Patterns

Fuzzy Monster Faces Moon Wreath

Six grinning, horned monster faces form a ring around a large empty circle, with a crescent moon between neighbors. The monsters have one, two, four, five and six eyes, and each has shaggy fur edges. The plain center circle is one big open area, while the fur and the six-eyed face take more patience.

Fuzzy Monster with Floppy Bunny Ears

A round, furry monster stands facing front with a wide smile, two small fangs and two big round eyes. It has long floppy ears, and its belly is covered with two stars, two spirals and five circles. The belly shapes are large and open, so they suit broad strokes. The fur edges and toes need a little more care.

Owl and Moon Forest Mandala

Eight little owls sit on branches in a ring around a large cratered full moon, with small stars between them. Spotted toadstools and oak leaves fill the next band, and a border of pointed leaves closes the circle. The moon is one big open area, while the owls’ feathers and the toadstool dots take a finer hand.

Fun Facts About Scaries

Why a Little Shiver Feels Good

A small, well-measured shiver in a safe place is fun for many children. Think of the sofa, a parent’s lap or a table covered in crayons. The fun comes from noticing that nothing actually happens. Telling spooky stories around a fire is a very old tradition, and coloring a spooky scene is a quiet modern version of it.

The monster under the bed is one of the most common fears in the preschool years, and it usually fades on its own. A night light, a favorite stuffed animal and a quick look under the bed all help. A friendly monster on a coloring page can do the same job in a different way, because it turns the fear into a story the child controls.

Werewolves and Mummies

The word werewolf comes from Old English wer, meaning “man,” and wulf, meaning “wolf,” so it literally means “man-wolf.” Tales of a person who turns into a wolf at full moon are known from European folk legends, and they are invented. Wolves do not howl at the moon, either. They howl to keep in touch with each other. The werewolf on our sheets is a plain black outline on a rock, and the werewolf boy is just a shaggy kid in overalls playing ball.

Mummies are real, at least in history. In ancient Egypt, people who had died were preserved with linen bandages. Mummies that walk around are a movie invention. The mummy in this collection is a cheerful child in a wrapped-up costume, a bit clumsy and very funny.

The Night Outdoors

The moon looks bigger near the horizon than high in the sky, yet it is always the same size. This is an optical illusion in our heads called the moon illusion. Fog is made of tiny water droplets close to the ground. It forms when moist air drifts over cold ground, which is why it often lies over meadows and lakes at night.

Fireflies glow because of a chemical reaction in their abdomen, and the light gives off no heat. They use it to attract partners. Owls hear almost silently and see very well in the dark, and their feathers are built so that they make hardly any noise in flight. Halloween on October 31 mostly goes back to the Celtic festival Samhain. Today it comes with jack-o’-lanterns, costumes, candy and cozy spooky stories.

Getting the Best Prints

Plain copy paper works well for crayons and colored pencils. If you plan to use markers or watercolor, choose a heavier paper or light cardstock so the color does not soak through. Night scenes look great with dark, rich colors, and thicker paper handles layering better.

Open the PDF and print at actual size rather than “fit to page,” so the lines stay crisp and the margins stay even. The sheets are made for A4. On US Letter paper, choose the option that fits the page to the printable area so nothing is cut off. A quick preview before you print saves a wasted sheet.

For toddlers and young preschoolers, start with the simple sheets that show one big friendly monster with large shapes to fill. Elementary school children usually enjoy the night scenes and craft scenes, which have more details and more to invent. Older kids and adults can take their time with the busiest pages and add shading, moonlight and backgrounds of their own.

After Coloring: Craft Ideas

• Monster storybook: Color several sheets, put them in order, and staple them at the side. Let your child dictate a short line for each page, such as what the monster does at bedtime.
• Window lanterns: Color a night scene, cut it out, and tape it around a jar or cup. Place a battery tea light inside for a soft, safe glow.
• Monster mobile: Glue colored monsters onto cardboard, cut them out, and hang them from a hanger with string. They look good above a desk or in a playroom.
• Party invitations and place cards: Fold a colored sheet into a card for a Halloween party or a monster tea party. Write the guest’s name on the monster’s belly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these coloring pages really free?

Yes. Every sheet is free to download and print for personal use at home. Just click the picture to open the PDF and send it to your printer.

What age are the pages for?

There is something for most ages. Simple sheets with one big friendly monster suit toddlers. Night and craft scenes suit elementary school children. The detailed pages keep older kids and adults busy for a long time.

Which colors are correct?

Any colors you like. Monsters can be purple, turquoise, green, orange or pink, and there is no wrong choice. The night sky looks lovely in deep blue, violet and moon yellow, but a pink night is just as good.

Are these too scary for young children?

The mood is a little spooky, but the content never is. The monsters are round and fluffy with big eyes and gentle smiles, with no fangs, claws or threatening looks. If a child feels uneasy about a night scene, try one of the monster party sheets instead and come back to the nighttime ones later.

Can I use them in the classroom?

Yes, teachers and group leaders are welcome to print sheets for a class, a library hour or a Halloween activity. The monster party and craft pages work well as calm, focused activities, and children can also invent a name and a story for their monster.

Do the pages help with fear of the dark?

They can be a gentle starting point. Coloring a friendly monster or a night light lets a child handle a scary idea in a relaxed way, and talking about the picture often opens a conversation. A night light, a favorite stuffed animal and a look under the bed still do the real work at bedtime.

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.