21 FREE Shakespeare Coloring Pages & Audiobooks for All Ages

Your Massive List of 21 FREE Shakespeare Coloring Pages & Audiobooks for All Ages.

I don’t know about you, but spring is for Shakespeare at our house. There is something about dramatic poetry, plays, and British history that seems to come alive at our house in the spring. I often use the end of the school year to combine several topics and hopefully get outside with the long daylight hours and the gardens bursting with colorful blooms. But… truth be told…

Be sure to scroll to the bottom to get your FREE printable cheatsheet of Shakespeare resources for 7th-12th graders.

Studying Shakespeare may have your kids groaning in iambic pentameter!

Shakespeare would be so proud! But, you might consider mixing it up a bit with fun audiobooks, and coloring pages. Even a fancy Shakespeare coloring book might be all it takes to put a smile on your kid’s face.

Download these FREE audiobooks.

Enjoy these audiobooks and have fun learning about  Will’s life and most famous works.

• E. Nesbit, Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare – LibriVox
• Charles Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare – LibriVox
• Mary MacLeod – The Shakespeare Storybook – LibriVox
• George Madden Martin, A Warwickshire Lad: The story of the boyhood of William Shakespeare – LibriVox

Librivox also has a multitude of audiobooks for Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect match for your young Shakespeareans. While some of the tragedies and historical plays are quite long and best suited for high schoolers, the sonnets, and comedies are certainly enjoyable by younger kids too. Here are a few of our favorites:

Shakespeare’s Sonnets

These are great for poetry tea time or helping kids learn how to recite poetry. Hearing it out loud makes all the difference.

• Shakespeare’s Sonnets (version 2) – LibriVox
• Shakespearean Dialogues Collection 001 – A collection of 15 famous dialogues from popular Shakespeare plays.- LibriVox
• Shakespearean Dialogues Collection 002 – A second collection of an additional 15 famous dialogues from Shakespeare’s plays – LibriVox.

Shakespeare’s Comedies

Whether you are reading along while you listen, or just enjoying it all. A dramatic reading with multiple readers for the various parts helps bring the characters alive. It also helps avoid confusion when there are so many different characters in a play. 

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (version 2) – A dramatic reading of the entire play  – LibriVox.
• As You Like It – A dramatic reading of the entire play – LibriVox.
• Much Ado About Nothing –  A dramatic reading of the entire play – LibriVox.

Shakespeare’s Tragedies

Probably some of the most difficult types of Shakespeare’s works to read and understand. Keeping the character names straight & and knowing the “good guys” from the “bad guys” is key. Audiobooks, coupled with a text version of these plays will create understanding & promote discussion. Generally, the tragedies are suited for 12+.

• Romeo & Juliet  – The immense heartbreak of young love. – LibriVox.
• Hamlet – You decide who is crazier –  The Queen, her husband, or Hamlet? – LibriVox.
• Julius Ceasar –  If Ancient History is part of your curriculum. This play gives an excellent insight into the life and chaos of living and ruling in Ancient Rome. – LibriVox.

Shakespeare’s Historical Plays

If British history is in your curriculum plan, then these audiobooks will provide great resources for deeper understanding. The Bard’s historical plays give insight into the history of the day and his personal opinion on government and society in the up through the 16th century.

• Henry V – After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV, a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. (Summary extract by Algy Pug) – Librivox
• Henry VIII – This is Shakespeare’s dutiful tribute to one of the most imposing and terrifying rulers in European history. (Summary extract by Algy Pug) – Librivox
• Richard III – ” As the play opens, the Wars of the Roses are over, King Edward IV (Richard’s brother) is on the throne, and all is ostensibly well. The problem? Richard wants to be king – and he’ll stop at nothing to realize his ambition. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)” – Librivox
• King John – “The Life and Death of King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatizes the reign of John, King of England (ruled 1199–1216), son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and father of Henry III of England. It is believed to have been written in the mid-1590s but was not published until it appeared in the First Folio in 1623.” -Librivox

Shakespeare for Everyone!

Highschoolers generally benefit from reading and listening to Shakespeare’s works at the same time. We’ve found that at our house they don’t get as bogged down with the reading or lost with the characters if they listen to dramatic readings like those above. However, my kids also enjoy coloring some of the more detailed pages listed below. 

Younger kids, on the other hand, really seem to enjoy just listening while coloring or drawing. All of these free coloring pages are sure to inspire imagination and make these famous works come alive.

Either way, it creates a great mood and atmosphere to allow them …to be… (sorry couldn’t resist).

Shakespeare Coloring Pages

Super Coloring – this massive website had tons of coloring pages. Search for your favorites by play title to find the perfect one for your kids. Here’s a few from Super Coloring pages about Shakespeare, & Romeo & Juliet.

Famous Art Coloring Collections

Below are 2 small collections of famous works of art depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. These are amazingly intricate works of art from different museums and colleges that have been turned into coloring books. You might want some fine-point colored pencils for these!

• Folger Shakespeare Library Coloring Book for 2017, 2018, and 2019
• Rhodes College Baret Library, Color Our Collection, Shakespeare Print Collection 2018

If you’d rather have a book than loose printouts, these Shakespeare coloring books are gorgeous and loads of relaxing fun, no matter what your age!

Experience More of ‘The Bard’ Near You

Planning on attending a play or Shakespearean workshop is a great end-of-the-year field trip. It makes a memorable day out or weekend away before tourist season hits. No matter where you are or where you are going, there’s a Shakespeare production near you. NOTE: This is a general page of Shakespeare theaters worldwide. Please check each venue and production carefully for suitability for your family. Not all theaters or productions may be suitable for children, but I’m sure you’ll find the perfect play to conclude your study of Shakespeare in style.

Online 10-Week Shakespeare Study

Check out this FREE sample lesson and go deeper with a 10-week Shakespeare Course for grades 7th – 12th. 

You may also enjoy the Let’s Study Shakespeare’s Medieval England online course.

Add even more FREE Shakespeare to your homeschool with these additional FREE resources for middle schoolers & high schoolers.

 

You might also want to check out this post about Shakespeare’s birthplace. 

Even More Resources About ‘The Bard’ To Enjoy!

FREE Resources to Learn About Shakespeare

6 Free Ways To Have Fun Studying Shakespeare In Your Homeschool