Books
Heads Up, A Hello Kitty Coloring Book Exists
Adult coloring books are still around, even if you don't hear about them nearly as much as you did when the fad first exploded a few years ago. Nowadays, there are plenty of nostalgic coloring books out there to remind you of the simpler times, when the worst thing a president could conceivably do was have an affair with an intern.
Think about your favorite childhood fandom. I can almost guarantee you that you can find a coloring book based on it somewhere. As publishers and producers continue to capitalize on the pop culture mainstays of our youth — I'm looking at you, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power — it becomes ever easier to find coloring books based on our favorite things, from Nicktoons to Muppets to Lisa Frank.
Not all of the 15 coloring books on the list below will tug at your nostalgic heartstrings. Some might be from TV shows and movies that are just a little too old for you, while others may be be based on media phenomena you somehow missed watching as a kid. That's OK! If I've totally ignored your favorite nostalgic coloring book, be sure to drop me a line on Twitter.
When it comes to cartoons of the 1990s, Nickelodeon's lineup clearly wins out over the likes of Disney and Cartoon Network. Color in adventures from your favorite Nicktoons with The Splat: Coloring the '90s.
The Splat: Coloring the '90s, $11.99, Amazon
Nineties babies will remember the age of Lisa Frank EVERYTHING, and now I'm wondering whatever happened to my insulated Sandy the Seal lunchbag . . . Anyway! Flex your rainbow ~aesthetic~ with this Lisa Frank Giant Coloring & Activity Book.
Lisa Frank Giant Coloring & Activity Book — Puppy Love, $2.99, Amazon
Growing up in my tiny hometown, there was only one store — a hardware store and pharmacy, if you can believe it — that sold Sanrio merchandise, and I bought so much Keroppi, Badtz-Maru, and Chococat swag that I still own some of it today. If you were a Sanrio fan, you'll love this Hello Kitty & Friends Coloring Book.
Pairing up our classic, four-legged friends with intricate patterns and designs, Art of Coloring: Disney Animals is a must-own for any fan of Disney's non-Princess movies.
Art of Coloring: Disney Animals, $10.87, Amazon
More than 20 years after it first appeared in print, Harry Potter is still very much part of our popular culture. There's no way to relive the magic of reading the books and seeing the movies for the first time, but Harry Potter: A Cinematic Gallery comes close to replicating it.
I loved Dr. Seuss books as a kid, especially the ones with his most inventive creatures, such as the Wocket and the Yink. For lovers of all things Seussian, there's The Dr. Seuss Coloring Book.
And you thought it was hard enough to find Waldo as a kid! Now, you can color in your own search for the striped-shirt afficionado with Where's Waldo? The Coloring Book.
Ahhh, Disney villains. They have the best songs, the best fashion, and the best one-liners out of all the House of Mouse's animated film canon. Put on your favorite villain song to belt out as you fill in Art of Coloring: Disney Villains.
Art of Coloring: Disney Villains, $10.87, Amazon
For fans of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, there's this gorgeous coloring book, available for less than $10 on Amazon.
Older Millennials will love this coloring book with plenty of cute images from Rainbow Brite, the cheeky heroine sent to save Rainbow Land.
Xennials will also adore the Here Come the Shirt Tales Coloring Book, which features scenes from the rollicking adventures of Tyg Tiger, Rick Raccoon, Pammy Panda, Digger Mole, and Bogey Orangutan.
Even if kids today aren't as obsessed with dinosaurs as we were, our affinity for the giant lizards of yesteryear has not waned in the 25 years since Jurassic Park first hit theaters. Check out the Jurassic Park Adult Coloring Book to relive your childhood dreams of running wild with dinosaurs.
Jurassic Park Adult Coloring Book, $10.39, Target
In anticipation of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot that's on the horizon, revisit your favorite characters from the original series in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Adult Coloring Book.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Adult Coloring Book, $10.19, Target
In the early 1990s, I was obsessed with The Dark Crystal. Now, with a Netflix prequel series on the way, all of us Gelfling wannabes can return to Thra with Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Adult Coloring Book.
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Adult Coloring Book, $11.59, Target
For more than four decades, Dungeons & Dragons has entertained nerds of all ages. Whether you grew up playing or just started enjoying the geek life as an adult, you can enjoy 44 years of classic monsters and missions in the new Dungeons & Dragons Adventures Outlined Coloring Book.
