Japanese Wave Pattern Coloring Page
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Prints on one US Letter page. Print at 100% / "Actual size". Free for personal and classroom use.
About this coloring page
Rows of overlapping half-circles fill the page from edge to edge, each made of four rings that nest inside one another. Every row is shifted by half a step, so the arcs stack like fish scales or gentle ocean waves. This style of pattern is called seigaiha, which means blue ocean waves in Japanese.
Coloring ideas
Blues and teals look like the sea, with darker shades in the outer rings and lighter ones in the center. For a sunset version, use reds, oranges and yellows. You can also color whole rows in one color to make stripes, or pick random rings to create hidden shapes.
Skills practiced
Patterns like this show up in fabrics, pottery and art around the world, a nice way to talk about other cultures. Children can find the repeating unit (one set of nested arcs) and count how many fit across one row.
Printing tips
The inner rings are small, so this page suits colored pencils and fine-tip markers. Allow plenty of time, and try coloring a few rows at a time over several sessions.
Related pages
Want to keep going? Color Hexagon Pattern, Geometric Tiles or Happy Whale next, or browse all pattern and mandala coloring pages. For a little learning after the coloring, try our free Shape Patterns: What Comes Next? and Perimeter of Polygons worksheets.
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