Crayons, coloring books and fun. Growing up, virtually every kid spends time with a coloring book and crayons. But the joy of coloring shouldn’t be limited to young children.

In the past years, coloring books have been becoming more popular not just among kids, but adults. In Barnes and Noble at Stonebriar, the first table a customer sees when they walk into or by the store is a section of beautiful, detailed, “adult coloring books.” In these books instead of Barney or Dora, they have fun things to color like nature, cities, castles, etc. These coloring books have become so popular, they now make metallic coloring books not just the common black and white ones.

Also, even our library here at school has their own coloring table. Due to the growing popularity, this is the first year they have added a coloring table to our school! Students love these tables and next year there is a good chance they will have them again.

One of the main reasons we have this coloring table is because coloring is a calming stress reliever. CNN said, “with everyone from researchers at Johns Hopkins University to the editors of Yoga Journal suggesting coloring as an alternative to meditation.” According to CNN, the American Art Therapy Association says coloring books is a beneficial way for people to,“explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.”

Many people are turning to coloring books as a way of a stress-reliever and a way to enjoy their free time.