Colouring - Woof Wag Festival

The Woof Wag Festival colouring challenge is designed to be a flexible, low-resource activity that celebrates the upcoming festival while promoting creativity and mindfulness within the school environment.

Instructions for teachers and staff

To implement this activity effectively, follow these three steps:

1. Preparation: Print the Woof Wag Festival colouring page on standard paper for individual work or enlarge it to A3 paper for collaborative group work. Ensure a variety of media are available, such as coloured pencils, markers, or even collage materials like tissue paper.
2. The Creative Session: Dedicate a specific time for the activity. This could be a 20-minute ‘calm-down’ session after lunch, a focused art lesson, or a Friday afternoon reward.
3. Submission and Judging: Set a clear deadline for when pages must be finished. Use the categories below to evaluate the entries, ensuring that effort and imagination are rewarded alongside technical skill.

Expanded ideas for running the challenge

Individual or collaborative formats

• Solo Artists: Each pupil receives their own sheet to express their personal style. This allows for high levels of concentration and individual pride.
• The Big Build: Tape four colouring pages together or use a large-scale printout. Assign a group of four pupils to work on one corner each, requiring them to communicate so their colours and patterns match at the edges.

Specific judging categories

• Most Colourful Design: Reward the boldest use of a wide spectrum of colours.
• Best Teamwork: Awarded to a group that showed excellent communication and a cohesive final design.
• Most Creative Background: Encourage pupils to draw what they think the Woof Wag Festival looks like behind the main dog character. They could add stalls, trees, or other animals.
• Happiest Dog: Focus on the expression of the character. How did the pupil use colour or extra details like ‘wagging’ lines to show joy?
• Texture Master: For pupils who use different techniques like stippling, cross-hatching, or shading to make the dogs’ fur look realistic.

How to extend the activity

In-School Gallery Create a ‘Woof Wag Festival Wall’ in a high-traffic area like the school hall or the main reception. Organise the entries by year group so pupils can see how their peers approached the same design.

The Pupil Vote Give each student three small stickers or ‘tokens.’ Let them walk through the display and place their tokens next to the designs they find most inspiring. This teaches pupils how to appreciate the work of others.

Community Connection Invite parents to view the gallery during pick-up or include a photo of the winning designs in the school newsletter. You could also offer a ‘Take Home’ version of the sheet so families can participate together, bridging the gap between school and the local dog festival.

The Story-Telling Bridge Ask pupils to give the dogs in the pictures names and write three sentences on the back of the page about what each dog is doing at the Woof Wag Festival. This turns a simple art task into a literacy exercise.

Here Are The Colouring Pages 

Colouring Page 1

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Colouring Page 2

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Colouring Page 3

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Colouring Page 4

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A little bit about the Woof Wag Festival

If your pupils have been busy with their colouring pages, they are already getting a head start on the Woof Wag Festival. This dog event is the largest of its kind in Northamptonshire, designed to help everyone understand dogs better and explore the world ‘from both ends of the lead.’

Quick facts for the class

• When: Saturday 16th May 2026 (10am to 4pm)
• Where: Wicksteed Park, Kettering in Northants
• Cost: FREE to enter (though grown-ups can register for a ticket online to help the organisers and be entered into a prize draw).
• More: visit WoofWagFestival.uk for extra information about the day

Why it’s great for kids

The festival isn’t just for dogs; it features a dedicated Kids Zone where children can learn through interactions:

• ‘Speaking Dog’: Children can learn about canine behaviour and body language like how to tell if a dog is happy, tired, or needs a bit of space.
• Storytime and Crafts: There will be dog-themed stories and art stations (carrying on the fun from their colouring pages).
• Responsible Pet Ownership: It’s a brilliant way for children to learn that looking after a dog involves kindness, patience, and regular health checks.
• Charity: The event supports Pets As Therapy, a wonderful charity that brings dogs into schools to help people feel calm and happy. There will be book readings in the Kids Zone during the Woof Wag Festival where children can listen to a story while also meeting a PAT dog.