By Erica and Karen

Almost everyone remembers the youthful pleasures of coloring books. Selecting a page. Choosing your colors. Sharpening the crayon or pencil repeatedly to ensure that you are within the lines. Marveling at your own or your children’s talent when the drawing was finished, suitable for a refrigerator magnet. Well, coloring books are not for kids only. They can be the perfect quarantine activity for adults too.

They are time consuming, totally absorbing, with a tangible product at the end of your labors. It takes some thought to select exactly what kind of coloring book you like. Do you like intricate Japanese prints? Or maybe kaleidoscope patterns which demand thoughtful placement of multiple colors? How about the national parks or cities around the world with memories or dreams? There are so many of them out there to choose from. Pick one or two and see what works best for you. (P.S. These are not links to Amazon, but obviously you can get it all from Amazon too.)

And then there are the pencils. Gorgeous colors. But do you want actual pencils or fineliner pens? First decision. Then how many is enough? Maybe 50 colors present a sufficient choice. But maybe you need more and only 100 plus will do. You can get them round or hexagon shaped and even personalized if you really get into it. Whatever you choose, they are beautiful instruments to look at and make you feel like you might even be able to create something without the pre-existing lines. Who knows what creative talent lies dormant within you? Maybe coloring will prompt you try a blank piece of paper. Maybe you should order one of those pads too.

So take a look online. Buy a coloring book and tools, set yourself up with a lovely glass of wine and start drawing. We think you’ll be surprised how much new pleasure you will get from this old standby.