Free Black Inventors Coloring Pages for Kids

Black inventors coloring pages are an easy way to introduce young children to real people behind everyday inventions.

These free printable pages feature well-known inventors alongside simple illustrations of what they created, making them especially suitable for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary learners.

Instead of long explanations or timelines, these pages focus on recognition and conversation. Children can color the inventor, notice the invention, and talk about how it’s used in daily life, whether that’s riding an elevator, seeing a traffic light, or enjoying ice cream.

While these coloring pages are often used during Black History Month, they also work well year-round as part of an inventors unit, a history introduction, or a quiet learning activity at home or in the classroom.

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Black Inventors Featured in These Coloring Pages

Each coloring page includes a simple portrait of the inventor along with a clear illustration of their most well-known invention. This visual pairing helps children connect a real person to something they already recognize from everyday life.

Rather than focusing on long biographies, these pages are designed to spark short conversations. Children can color, notice details, and talk about how each invention is used, making this a practical starting point for early history or inventors lessons.

For families or classrooms that want to go deeper, Black Inventors – 35 Inventions That Changed the World works well alongside these pages. It offers short, accessible biographies of many of the inventors featured here, plus others worth exploring.

Sarah E. Goode

Sarah E. Goode was the first African American woman to receive a U.S. patent, awarded in 1885. She invented the folding cabinet bed to make better use of space in small homes, an idea that’s easy for young children to understand and relate to.

Sweet Dreams, Sarah is a strong picture book option that introduces her life story in a way that works well for early elementary learners.

Granville Woods

With more than 50 U.S. patents, Granville Woods is best known for inventing the railroad telegraph. His work improved communication and safety on trains, making travel more reliable for passengers.

Henry Blair

Henry Blair was a farmer and the second African American man to receive a U.S. patent. He invented a seed planter and a cotton planter, both designed to make planting crops faster and more efficient.

Annie Turnbo Malone

Annie Turnbo Malone was a pioneer in the beauty industry and one of the first African American women to become a millionaire. She developed hair care products specifically for Black women and built a successful business that also supported education and community programs.

Garrett Morgan

Garrett Morgan invented the first automatic three-way traffic signal, an invention children easily recognize from daily life. He also created a safety hood that later influenced the development of gas masks.

Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan’s Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal is a good read-aloud choice for connecting the coloring page to a short story.

George Robert Carruthers

George Robert Carruthers invented the ultraviolet spectrograph used during NASA’s Apollo 16 mission. His work helped scientists study Earth’s atmosphere and objects in deep space, making this page a better fit for slightly older elementary students.

Alfred L Cralle

Alfred L. Cralle patented the ice cream scoop in 1897. Because this invention is familiar and concrete, it’s one of the easiest pages for younger children to connect with.

Marie Van Brittan Brown

Marie Van Brittan Brown developed the first home security system in 1966. Her design introduced features like cameras and monitors, laying the foundation for modern home security technology.

Joseph Winters

Joseph Winters invented the wagon-mounted fire escape ladder, which was used by fire departments to rescue people from upper floors. The ladder illustration helps children visualize how firefighters worked in the past.

Alexander Miles

Alexander Miles patented automatic elevator doors, improving safety by preventing elevator shafts from being left open. This invention connects easily to buildings children may already be familiar with.

Related Black History Learning Activities

If you’d like to extend learning beyond the coloring pages, these Black History Month activities can help reinforce names, vocabulary, and key ideas without adding a lot of extra prep.

A Black History word search or Black History Month word scramble works well for introducing important figures and terms through repetition and play, especially for early elementary students.

For families or classrooms exploring history in more depth, Juneteenth activities such as a Juneteenth word scramble or Juneteenth color by number offer a gentle, age-appropriate way to talk about emancipation and its historical significance.

If you’re planning an inventors-focused unit, a short list of books about inventions for kids can provide simple stories that connect well with the inventors featured in these coloring pages.

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Last Updated on 2 January 2026 by Clare Brown