Zen Series Explained

Each page in the Zen books are designed to be combined into a larger image so coloring each page is only part of the overal activity. Once the coloring is complete, the next phase is to cut out each of the colored images and assemble them together to form a larger image as shown in the example below.

Instructions for completin the Zen Image and the assembly key are provided on the back cover of each book.

Ultimately, these books are designed to displayed at home, at work on your cubical wall, or in your classroom. Share your creations with others by taking a picture of your completed and assembled Zen Image and post it for others to see.

Color Me! Zen Games and Party Ideas

• Small Group Party: Separate pages from one of the books and give each of your gests an individual page to color. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key.

• Large Group Party: Separate pages from several of the books, mix them up, and have each guest color a page. Let each guest assemble the final images throughout the rooms of your apartment or house.

• Children's  Birthday Party: Separate pages from one of the books and spread them out on a table. Give each of the kids one color of crayon or marker, let them see the key and get them to decide on which color goes where on the overall image. Then, let them trade pages around as each colors in their part. Once everyone is complete, give each kid a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key.

• Gender Reveal Party: Separate pages from both Color Me! Reef Zen  (boy) and Color Me! Dessert Zen (girl) take one page out of each before the party and color the one that represents if you are having a boy or girl. Give your gests the collection of the remaining pages and have them color them in.. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key, leaving the empty page missing for you to complete based on the gender of your child.

• Tea Party: First assign each person page(s) from Color Me! Boston Architecture and tell them to go to Boston, MA and take a picture of the building(s) they were assigned. Separate pages from Color Me! Dessert Zen and give each of your gests an individual page to color while serving tea. Tell them to also color their Color Me! Boston Architecture pages based on the photos they took. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key, then serve dessert. If they do not get photos of their assigned Color Me! Boston Architecture buildings, throw a handful of tea bags at them.

• Gnome Life Party: Separate pages from Color Me! Gnome Garden Zen and give each of your gests an individual page to color. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image while each tells the back story for the gnome on their page.

• LAN Party: Separate pages from one of the books and let each person take a photograph of a page that they upload to their computer. Each person uses a paint program to color in the image, then assemble them on a common server-based page.

• Drinking Game: Separate pages from one of the books and give each of your gests an individual page to color. To determine what color to use so the final assembly is coordinated, each person takes turns asking "does anyone have any.... on .the [right side, left side, top, bottom]" and describes the connecting image and the side that they need. If someone has the matching piece, both choose the common color. It not, the person who asked has to drink. Once everyone is complete, the guest get to assemble the final image on the wall sorted by the most topsy person first. If everyone falls over drunk, let them sleep it off and try again the next night.

• 420 Game: Separate pages from Color Me! Uncolorable and give each of your gests an individual page to color. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key. Watch as several very confused individuals wonder how twelve blacked out pages form anything that has any value.

• SCUBA Party: Don your SCUBA gear, grab the separate pages from Color Me! Reef Zen, and jump in the deep end of the local recreational pool. Try to color each page with colored pencil before the pages dissolve. Once complete, pull out the soggy pages and using assemble them on the large windows using the natural tendancy of wet paper to stick to the glass.

• Evil Revenge Party: Separate pages from Color Me! Splatter Painting Zen and give each of your gests an individual page to color. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image without looking at the key. Tell them they cannot leave until the image is assembled properly. (Be nice, let them use the color legend at least.....)

• Political Party: Separate pages from Color Me! Blank Pages and give each of your gests an individual page to color, but only hand out two color options for the alcohol markers. Once everyone is complete, give each a piece of painters tape to take turns assembling the final image, all trying to explain why their image is the correct one and others should align with it.

• Dance Party: Put down the paint, crank up the music, and have fun dancing all night.