11 Castle Coloring Pages That'll Keep The Kids Entertained On A Reign-y Day
Quick, think of the most famous castle in the world. Chances are you thought either of Cinderella’s castle at Magic Kingdom or the Disney castle logo that appears at the start of every Disney movie or series. If your kid loves drawing castles, is obsessed with penciling in out-of-habitat alligators in moats, and is all about dragons, knights, and princesses duking it out in a castle tower, then you’ve come to the right place. Nurture your little one’s love of all things medieval with our free castle coloring pages. Bonus: Impress little ones with your knowledge of the most exciting castle fun facts and drop these golden nuggets of wisdom as you both dive in and color.
But first, a little history. The word castle derives from the Latin word castellum, meaning “fortified place,” and they were built by many different civilizations way before they became the home du jour of European nobility in the Middle Ages. Think back to 10th-grade social studies class and all those incredible citadels and fortresses built by ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, the Greeks, Romans, the Incas, Japan, Africa, South Asia, and many more regions worldwide. The castle’s fortification element is crucial because it’s precisely what historians use to set castles apart from palaces. Meaning, while many structures are called castles, they’re better categorized as palaces unless they were built to safeguard their inhabitants from attack.
In these coloring pages, we will stick to the familiar architectural style of European castles, which were most commonly built with stone and first originated in the 9th and 10th centuries. A tip for parents? Encourage your little Picasso to think outside the box and color the usually boring gray stone walls using any color they want. There are no rules when we’re using our imagination. In fact, to that point, we also have princess coloring pages and dragon coloring pages you can pair with these printables for a medieval fairytale.
Now, turn that crown upside down, and let’s dive in.
Free Printable Castle Coloring Pages
Castle Page No. 1
It’s difficult to see past the castle walls, right? Well, that’s by design — and there’s a name for what lies beyond. Called a bailey, the enclosed courtyard inside the castle walls was key in protecting a castle.
Castle Page No. 2
Back to that Disney imagery, spires were pointy, cone-shaped structures on top of turrets and towers. The word “spire” comes from the Old English word spir, which means a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass.
Castle Page No. 3
But wait, what’s a turret? Turrets were round or square towers found on top of castles. They provided the perfect lookout point and position for archers during attacks. While it’s understandable if you confuse a tower and a turret, the two are distinctive features. A turret is small than a tower and, unlike a tower, is not freestanding. Turrets rest on the castle’s main towers vertically.
Castle Page No. 4
The first castles were built from wood and were pretty cheap and quick to build using local labor. Once stone castles became all the rage, the cost went up significantly and took an average of 10 years to complete. Better reschedule that furniture delivery to next decade.
Castle Page No. 5
Have you ever wondered who lives in a castle… and where? The keep was a fortified building inside castle walls that served as the residence for nobility. And while you can think of a castle’s Great Hall as the family room — where all the eating, drinking, and entertaining took place — it was also where everyone (else) slept up until the Middle Ages. Castles also had a room called the butter. It was where people kept their ale. And speaking of royal artifacts, did you know the Queen doesn’t need a passport? When the Queen travels internationally, that’s one item she doesn’t need to pack. After all, United Kingdom passports are issued in her name.
Castle Page No. 6
For a sandcastle, this beauty boasts quite a few real-life castle traits! How many can your kiddo identify? While they’re looking, give them #BeachGoals by sharing that the world’s tallest sandcastle was 58 feet tall and took over 11,000 tons of sand.
Castle Page No. 7
Moats can be considered a trademark feature of castles. As for its purpose, the moat was an added insurance policy when it came to safety. It was a ring of water surrounding the castle, only accessible via a drawbridge that had to be lowered from inside the castle.
Castle Page No. 8
If you think back to any movie you’ve watched with a castle, you can probably recall a scene in which a large grated structure at the front of the castle gets lowered dramatically. That’s the portcullis — a heavy metal or wood barrier strategically located behind or in front of castle doors that were quickly lowered in case of attack. A portcullis was used to keep attackers out.
Castle Page No. 9
Found all along the castle walls, towers, and turrets, arrowslits were super narrow slits that allowed an archer to shoot arrows safely. They were too narrow to allow attacking archers from below to hit.
Castle Page No. 10
Dungeons originate from the French word donjon, meaning “fortified tower,” and were built as a central and safe space in case of attack. Someone must have realized the dark, removed, and horrid conditions of dungeons made for perfect prisons, changing the area’s designation.
Castle Page No. 11
Fun fact: Did you know towers were once made with square tops? Eventually, they were reshaped into rounder structures because they gave knights a better view of their surroundings. And here’s an interesting tidbit about knights: It takes almost 14 years to be an official knight. First, boys must be a page for seven years and then a squire for another seven years!
Click here to print all of the castle coloring pages at once!
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