It is against Head Start policy to give children coloring pages. There is quit a bit of research for this approach.
PDF Document on why coloring is not best practice with children. http://elf2.library.ca.gov/training/docs/WhatsWrongwithColor...
I'm not sure it's healthy, but at least it's... odd/funny.
The article explains why giving kids a blank sheet of paper and a crayon is good. But as it's entirely possible to let them spend some time doing freehand and some time just colouring in, it's irrelevant whether blank sheets are good.
The question is whether the time spent colouring is in itself bad.
> Give me a break...
Read the pdf I posted and than come back and we can talk.
PS I didn't down vote you, but there is data you can read and have a conversation.
edit: Also, I thought I'd read that coloring things as an adult helped release stress.
So the philosophy is laid out and than the practice is sorted out much later sometimes. Other times there will be examples of where certain things to help clarify positional statements. Right now there is still a HUGE thing regarding "screen time" and does active and passive consumption equal the same thing? We have Interactive Screens with the day's activities, rules and other observations. Is that to be counted as "screen time?" The example is limit children to no more than 30 minutes of screen time a week. So does that mean we can't use daily activities?
The short end of it all is, coloring pages fail the philosophy of children having open/creative activities that are student initiated and guided by teachers/parents/care takers.
> 1. Teachers arrange firsthand, meaningful experiences that are intellectually and creatively stimulating, invite exploration and investigation, and engage children’s active, sustained involvement. They do this by providing a rich variety of materials, challenges, and ideas that are worthy of children’s attention.
Are coloring pages intellectually and creatively stimulating? If no, don't use them.
I even listed out the standard. You want a control group of Children for coloring vs non-coloring? Well than go ahead and get that fundedm because no one is going to do that and get paid. This is research in Education which is not a hard science therefore it is Philosophy based and research based, BUT the research is on bigger issues than coloring vs non-coloring.
This is how research is conducted for Recess: http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Organizing...
The research your looking for will be in a higher level of education and developmental psychology. The most concrete thing you will see is pieces like this and you still won't like it. http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_vie...
You are asking a philosophy question on a specific issue. It is deemed inappropriate due to the need for creative and intellectually stimulating. Guess you could fund a study for that since so many Day Cares give worksheets and coloring pages to children contrary to Best Practice. Soft science is just that soft science.