Hiragana "Ma" Coloring Pages

The "Ma" in "Makura" (Pillow)

This coloring page is for the Hiragana "Ma"Hiragana "Ma"This is for practicing Hiragana "Ma".
On the left, there is a fluffy "pillow" is drawn from an angle.
The four corners are a little pointy, and there are stitches along the edges.
In the top right, you'll see a big outlined "ま" and the word "まくら", and in the bottom right, there are boxes for tracing practice.

2 Coloring pages

The 1st page is a new coloring page that combines the picture on the left, a big "ま", and tracing practice all together!
The second one is a coloring page with a big Hiragana "Ma" in the middle and lots of pictures of words that start with Hiragana "Ma" all around it.
Pine tree,pillow,Mike,witchThe names are written under the pictures, too!
On the 2nd page, toopillowso compare it with the pillow on the 1st page!

"Ma" in Hiragana "Ma" came from the kanji "末".

Hiragana comes from the way people long agoIt comes from a simplified kanjiThis is a letter that was made.
The kanji that Hiragana "Ma" comes from is the one read as "sue,"End"
It is said that the two horizontal lines from the kanji "末" stayed as they were, and the vertical line and bottom part became a loop to create the shape of Hiragana "Ma" today.
If you write "末" and "Hiragana "Ma"" side by side, you can find the parts that look alike, right?

Tips for writing Hiragana "Ma"

"Ma" is3 strokesThis is how you write the letter in Hiragana "Ma".
The 1st and 2nd strokes are two horizontal lines, right?
For the 3rd stroke, draw a line straight down from the top, going right through the two horizontal lines, and at the bottomLoopMake a , and sweep to the right.
If you write the top horizontal line a little longer and the bottom horizontal line a bit shorter, Hiragana "Ma" will look nice and neat.
The secret is to make the loops small and round!

Words that start with "Ma"

Words that start with "Ma" includeWindow,Bean,Steamed bun,a ball...and more!
The letter "Ma" appears in words about your eyes, like "mabuta" (eyelids) and "matsuge" (eyelashes).
Try making sentences with lots of "Ma", like "Mama planted beans by the window"!
It sounds like a tongue twister, so it is fun!

The word "Makura"

A "pillow" is a tool you rest your head on when you sleep.
It supports your head and neck so you can sleep comfortably.
Inside, it is filled with many different things like cotton, feathers, buckwheat hulls, and small plastic tubes.
Ask someone in your house what is inside your pillow.

Color the big Hiragana "Ma" with 3 colors

Color the big outlined Hiragana "Ma" with your favorite colors.
It has 3 strokes! If you use different colors for the 2 side-to-side lines and the loop line, you can easily learn the stroke order.
Gentle pastel colors that make you feel sleepy look lovely, too.

Color the pillow with soft colors

Try coloring the pillow with soft colors like light blue, pale pink, or cream color.
If you make the middle bright and the edges or wrinkles a little darker, it will look fluffy and soft!
Trace the seams along the edge with a dark color to make it look just like a real pillow.
It would also be cute if you draw your own polka dots or stripes!

For the second page, remember the colors of real things

For the pine tree, try coloring the leaves dark green and the trunk brown.
For the microphone, silvery gray or black will make it look real.
For the wizard's hat and cloak, purple or blue look great, and you can add star patterns, too!

Tracing practice

In the bottom right box, there are 8 light gray Hiragana "Ma" lined up.
Hold your pencil correctly and trace them slowly so you do not go outside the gray lines.
The up-and-down and side-to-side dotted lines inside the box show you the middle of the letter. Use the dotted lines as a guide to see where to start writing and where to stop.
After you write one, compare it with the big model letter.
You do not have to write all 8 at once. Try writing carefully at your own pace, like 2 every day!

Buckwheat Hull Pillows

In Japan, people have used buckwheat hull pillows for a very long time.
Buckwheat hulls are the outer shells of the grains used to make buckwheat noodles.
Air moves easily through the gaps between the hulls, so these pillows keep your head cool and dry!

A Book Called "The Pillow Book"

About one thousand years ago, a person named Sei Shonagon wrote a famous book called "The Pillow Book."
It starts with the words "In spring, the dawn," and describes the best parts of each season and things that touched her heart.
It is neat that the word "pillow" is in the title!

Tossing and Turning While You Sleep

When you sleep, you roll over many times.
Rolling over stops too much weight from pressing on just one part of your body.
Your pillow supports your head and neck, whether you lie on your back or on your side!

Pillow Fights

You might know stories about kids having pillow fights at night during school trips.
There are even real contests where people play pillow fighting as a sport!
If you play at home, be careful not to hit anything around you!