Hey Arnold! Coloring Pages
By:
Jennifer Thoa - Content Editor & Designer
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Free Hey Arnold! Coloring Pages: 52 printable PDF designs featuring Arnold and his best friend Gerald, Helga and Phoebe, the kids of P.S. 118, and the grown-ups of the Sunset Arms boarding house. Print a favorite character for the fridge, or color it with a few clicks in the browser.
Hey Arnold! is a Nickelodeon cartoon about a kind, level-headed fourth grader with a famously wide head who lives with his grandparents in the city of Hillwood. Arnold spends his days helping friends and neighbors with their problems, usually alongside Gerald, the coolest kid in class. Helga Pataki teases him constantly while secretly having a huge crush on him, one of the show’s best-loved running jokes. The boarding house he calls home is packed with quirky tenants, run by Grandpa Phil and the adventurous Grandma Gertie.
Single-character portraits fill most of the set, so young fans can work through the whole class one face at a time, while duo and group pages give older kids busier scenes.
What’s Inside This Collection
Arnold and Gerald, Helga and Phoebe, the P.S. 118 classmates, and the adults of Hillwood make up the 52 sheets.
Arnold and Gerald
The best friends laugh together, ride a bike and a skateboard side by side, and appear in solo portraits like Arnold reading a book or stepping up to bat. Give Arnold his tiny Blue cap and a Green sweater over a plaid shirt, and pick bold colors for Gerald’s outfit to match his confident style.
Helga and Phoebe
Helga shows up angry, scheming, and clutching a heart, while her loyal friend Phoebe chats on a couple of pages. Color Helga’s dress and big hair bow Pink and her pigtails Yellow, and keep Phoebe’s dark hair neat in its tidy bun.
Classmates of P.S. 118
Eugene, Harold, Sid, Curly, Rhonda, Lila, Brainy, Iggy, Chocolate Boy, and Big Patty all get pages of their own. Assign each kid a signature shirt color so the whole class reads clearly when the sheets are lined up together.
Grown-Ups and Pets of Hillwood
Grandpa Phil, Grandma Gertie, Big Bob Pataki, Mr. Simmons, Principal Wartz, Coach Wittenberg, and Ernie Potts appear alongside Abner the pet pig. Softer, muted shades like Khaki, Slate Blue, and Rose work well for the adults, while Abner looks best in a warm Pink.
What, Hey Arnold! Coloring Pages Do
Encouraging kindness and empathy. Arnold’s whole personality is built around seeing the good in people and helping them, even when they are grumpy. After coloring, kids can talk about a time they helped a friend or neighbor, which turns a cartoon page into a small lesson about caring for the people around them.
Practicing control on character details. Arnold’s oval head, Helga’s single eyebrow, and Gerald’s tall hair each demand careful outlines and steady fills. The American Academy of Pediatrics counts everyday coloring among the activities that strengthen fine motor skills for children ages 2 through 7, and moving from big shirts to small facial features keeps that practice varied.
Winding down with a familiar cast. Coloring an entire class of characters one by one is a steady, soothing routine. Researchers reporting in the Art Therapy Journal in 2005 measured clear reductions in anxiety after structured coloring sessions, so working through the P.S. 118 roster makes a calm after-school activity.
Celebrating city neighborhoods. Hillwood is modeled on real American cities, with brick apartment buildings, corner stores, and busy streets. Kids can compare the boarding house and schoolyard on the pages with their own neighborhoods and draw a background that shows where they live.
How to Color Hey Arnold! Pages Well
- Arnold’s outfit: Color the small cap Blue, the sweater Green, and the shirt hanging below it in a Red and Blue plaid. Draw the plaid lines first with a fine marker, then fill the squares to keep the pattern crisp.
- Arnold’s head: Use a light Peach for his wide face and add Tan shading at the outer edges. A little shading at the sides helps show the shape fans call a football head.
- Helga’s look: Fill her dress and bow with Hot Pink and her pigtails with Yellow. Draw her single eyebrow last in Brown, so it stays bold and clear.
- Gerald’s hair: Color his tall hair Black, then add a few Gray strokes near the top for texture. Keeping the edges neat makes his signature height stand out.
- Grandpa and Grandma: Use White and Light Gray for their hair, with Khaki and Lavender clothing for an older, softer palette. Muted tones help the kids stay focused on shared pages.
- City backgrounds: Add Brick Red buildings, Gray sidewalks, and a Sky Blue sky behind outdoor scenes. Simple rectangles for windows make Hillwood feel like a real city block.
5 Creative Craft Ideas With Hey Arnold! Coloring Pages
1. P.S. 118 Class Photo
Color six to eight classmates and glue them in two rows on a large sheet of paper, like a school picture. Write each character’s name underneath in neat letters.
2. Sunset Arms Boarding House
Draw a tall brick building with many windows on a poster board. Glue Arnold, his grandparents, and Abner into the windows so the boarding house fills up with residents.
3. Neighborhood Helper Cards
Color an Arnold page and glue it to the front of a folded card. Inside, list one kind thing kids can do for a neighbor this week.
4. Best Friends Bookmark
Color an Arnold and Gerald page and cut a strip that keeps both faces in the frame. Glue it to cardstock and punch a hole for a ribbon tassel.
5. Hillwood Street Mural
Tape several sheets of paper together and draw a long city street with shops and stoops. Add colored characters along the sidewalk to create a busy neighborhood scene.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hey Arnold! coloring pages?
There are 52 free printable sheets from the Nickelodeon cartoon, featuring Arnold, Gerald, Helga, Phoebe, their classmates, and the adults of Hillwood. Fans can print the PDFs or fill each character in using the online tool.
Who created Hey Arnold!?
Animator Craig Bartlett created the series, which premiered on Nickelodeon on October 7, 1996. It ran for five seasons until 2004 and was followed by a theatrical film in 2002 and a TV movie in 2017.
Where does Arnold live?
Arnold lives in the Sunset Arms, a boarding house in the city of Hillwood owned by his grandparents, Phil and Gertie. The building is full of colorful tenants who often need his help.
Why is Arnold called football head?
His head is wide and oval, shaped a bit like a football. Helga uses the nickname to tease him, even though she secretly likes him.
Who is Helga Pataki?
Helga is a tough, bossy classmate who picks on Arnold in public while hiding a deep crush on him. Her best friend is the quiet, clever Phoebe Heyerdahl.
What happened to Arnold’s parents?
Arnold’s parents disappeared during a jungle expedition when he was a baby. The mystery was finally answered in the 2017 TV movie Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie.
What age is Hey Arnold! coloring pages for?
They suit kids from about 5 to 12, with simple portraits for younger children and multi-character scenes for older ones. Parents who watched the show in the 1990s often enjoy coloring along.
Who is Gerald?
Gerald Johanssen is Arnold’s best friend, known for his tall hair, cool attitude, and talent for telling neighborhood legends. He is often the voice of reason when Arnold takes on a big problem.
Start Coloring
Choose Arnold and Gerald, a fuming Helga, or Grandpa Phil with his toolbox, then print it or color it online with no account needed. Nicktoons fans can share their finished Hillwood characters on Facebook or Pinterest.
