Hee-haw! A donkey's bray is one of the loudest sounds on the farm, and it helps donkeys call to each other across wide open land. Our 53 donkey coloring pages are full of these gentle, long-eared animals, and each one is a free printable you can download as a PDF in US Letter or A4.
The simplest pages suit toddlers and preschoolers, with big friendly donkeys, a fluffy foal on long legs and extra-thick outlines that are easy for small hands to follow. Older kids will find fuller scenes to color, like pack donkeys on a mountain trail, wild burros at a desert water hole and donkey rides on a busy beach.
You'll also meet a few different kinds of donkey, from tiny miniature donkeys to the shaggy Poitou with its long, curly coat. If your child enjoys these, take a look at our Horse coloring pages and Goat coloring pages too.
These activities use simple supplies like paper, tape and a headband from the dress-up box. They're easy to do at home and just as good for a farm theme at preschool.
Play pin the tail on the donkey
It's the classic party game, and the donkey standing side-on with long ears makes the perfect board. Color it in, cut out a separate tail and you're ready to play.
It's a great one for birthday parties or a rainy afternoon.
You'll need:
The side-on donkey page, printed large if you can
A strip of paper or yarn for the tail
Tape
A scarf for a blindfold
How to do it:
Color the donkey and tape it to a wall at child height.
Make a tail from paper or a few strands of yarn with tape on the end.
Cover each player's eyes and gently turn them around once.
Let them try to stick the tail in the right place, then mark where it landed.
The closest tail wins, but the silly ones get the biggest laughs.
Make long donkey ears
Donkeys are famous for their very long ears, as you'll see on the big donkey face page. Use it as a guide to make a pair of ears kids can wear.
Then everyone can practice their best hee-haw.
You'll need:
A plain headband
Gray or brown cardstock
Pink paper for the inner ears
Glue, tape and scissors
How to do it:
Look at the donkey face page and draw two long, pointy ears on cardstock.
Cut them out and glue a smaller pink shape inside each one.
Fold the bottom of each ear to make a tab.
Tape the tabs firmly around the headband.
Wear them while coloring for extra donkey spirit.
Pack the donkey's baskets
Donkeys have carried loads for people for thousands of years. Turn the donkey carrying two baskets into a game where kids fill the baskets with little paper treasures.
It's good practice for sorting and counting.
You'll need:
The donkey carrying baskets page
Two small envelopes
Small paper pictures of fruit and vegetables
Glue
How to do it:
Color the donkey and its baskets.
Glue an open envelope over each basket to make a pocket.
Draw or cut out little pictures of carrots, apples and potatoes.
Call out a load, like "three apples," and let kids pack the right basket.
Older kids can try sorting fruit into one basket and vegetables into the other.
Build a rainy day donkey shelter
A donkey's coat doesn't keep out the rain very well, so donkeys need a dry place to stand. Use the donkeys sheltering in the barn as your guide and build a little shelter for a colored donkey.
It's a nice way to talk about how farmers care for their animals.
You'll need:
An empty tissue box or small cardboard box
Brown paper or paint
Shredded paper for straw
A small colored donkey cut-out
Blue paper for raindrops
How to do it:
Cut away one side of the box so it's open at the front.
Cover it in brown paper or paint it to look like wood.
Sprinkle shredded paper inside and stand the donkey on the straw.
Cut out blue raindrops and stick them on the outside.
Your donkey can stay snug and dry, whatever the weather.
Make a sandy beach ride picture
The children riding donkeys on the beach page is perfect for adding real texture. A little sand turns the beach into something kids can feel.
It makes a sunny keepsake after a trip to the beach.
You'll need:
The beach donkey ride page
White glue
A spoonful of sand
Crayons or colored pencils
How to do it:
Color the donkeys, children, sky and sea.
Spread a thin layer of glue over the sandy part of the beach.
Sprinkle sand over the glue and press it down gently.
Tip off the extra sand once it has dried.
Add a few real shells along the bottom if you have them.
A donkey's coat isn't waterproof like a horse's, so donkeys can get soaked and chilly in the rain. That's why it's important for them to have a shelter to stand in when the weather turns wet.
That completes the barnyard. Head back to our Farm Animals coloring pages to color horses, cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, ducks and goats.
Words to know about Donkeys
Donkeys come with a few special words of their own, so here are some to learn as you color.
Jack - a grown-up male donkey, often the loudest brayer in the field.
Jenny - a grown-up female donkey, often a mother caring for her foal.
Bray - the loud hee-haw sound a donkey makes to call out to others.
Pannier - a basket or bag hung on each side of a donkey to carry things.
Burro - another name for a donkey, often used for wild donkeys in the desert.
Mule - an animal whose mother is a horse and whose father is a donkey.
Dorsal stripe - the dark line running along a donkey's back, often crossing at the shoulders.
Coloring Pages FAQ
May I upload photos of finished artwork?
Yes - sharing your finished coloring is welcome, and tagging us is optional.
Can I use these pages for my business or customers?
No - business use isn’t allowed; they’re intended for personal and educational use.
Can parents and educators print these pages for kids to use at school?
Yes - parents and educators can print them for non-commercial classroom and homeschool use.
Do you post new coloring pages and categories over time?
Yes - Crafty Josh is updated with new pages and categories on a regular basis.
Is thicker paper better for coloring pages?
Thicker paper can help with markers and paint, while regular printer paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils.
