Hiragana "Bo" Coloring Pages

"Bo" as in "Boushi"

The letter on this coloring page is the Hiragana "Bo".
The word is "boushi" (hat). The picture on the left is a school hat worn by kids going to kindergarten or preschool.
It is a round hat with a brim that goes all the way around.
A thin elastic chin strap hangs from the inside of the brim, and it has a small round stopper to change the length.
When you put the strap under your chin, your hat will not blow away in the wind.

Hiragana "Bo" came from "Ho"

Hiragana "Bo" is made by adding tenten (dots) to "Ho".
The original "Ho" turned into its shape today as people wrote the Kanji character "保" in a quick, relaxed way.
Adding tenten changes the "Ho" sound into a voiced "Bo" sound.
Just 1 set of dots makes "Houshi" and "Boushi" totally different words!

Tips for writing

You write Hiragana "Bo" in 4 strokes.
The 1st stroke is the vertical line on the left. Go from top to bottom, and end with a little upward flick to the right.
The 2nd and 3rd strokes are 2 horizontal lines on the right side. Make the top line a little longer.
The 4th stroke goes straight down from the top horizontal line. Make a small loop at the bottom, and sweep out to the right.
Finally, add 2 tenten on the top right. Write them small and a little bit above the top line so they do not touch it.

Words with Hiragana "Bo"

Words that start with Hiragana "Bo" include booru (ball), botan (button), bouken (adventure), and bokujou (ranch).
The "jou" in "bokujou" combines "ji" and a small "yo" to make 1 sound.
There are also many words that end with Hiragana "Bo", like tonbo (dragonfly), sakuranbo (cherry), and tanbo (rice field).
Try to find other animals or foods that end with Hiragana "Bo"!

How to use this coloring page

This coloring page has a picture of a school hat on the left. On the top right, there is a big Hiragana "Bo" and the vertical word "boushi". On the bottom right, there are tracing boxes lined up.
First, look at the picture and say "boushi" out loud.
Next, color in the big Hiragana "Bo". Finally, trace the letters! This way, you can learn the letter by looking, saying, and writing.
You can also place it next to the "Ho" coloring page and compare whether it has tenten or not!

Color the big Hiragana "Bo" with 4 colors

For the big Hiragana "Bo", try coloring each of the 4 strokes in a different color.
For example, if you use red, orange, yellow, and yellow-green in order, you can see the stroke order at a glance!
If you color the dots blue or purple, they will really stand out.

Color the hat like your own hat

Try coloring the school hat the same color as the hat you wear.
Kindergartens and preschools have many colors like yellow, light blue, white, and navy blue.
If you make the inside of the brim a little darker than the outside, the shape of the hat will look clearer.
If you leave a little bit of white at the top of the hat, it will look like light is shining on it!

The chin strap and stopper

Color the chin strap black, white, or the same color as the hat.
The lines are thin, so sharpen your colored pencil and color carefully.
If you color the stopper a different color like red or blue, it will look cute and stand out even if it is small.
It is also fun to draw a letter of your name or a mark you like on the hat!

Pay attention to the hook and loop when tracing

Trace the Hiragana "Bo" in the bottom right box with a pencil.
The hook at the end of the 1st stroke and the loop at the bottom of the 4th stroke are the key parts of this character.
Write them so the left and right sides sit nicely together across the vertical line in the center of the box.
Carefully write all 8 of them, one by one!

Hats Keep You Safe from the Sun

When you play outside on hot summer days, wearing a hat keeps the sun off your head.
The brim makes shade, so the bright light does not hurt your eyes or face.
On hot days, put on your hat and drink water often!

Why Are Many Hats Yellow?

Many hats for school or preschool are yellow.
Yellow is a color that stands out, even from far away.
Hats are often yellow so drivers in cars can see children easily.

The Strap Stopper

You can change the length of the chin strap by moving the stopper on it.
If the strap is too loose, your hat might blow away. If it is too tight, your chin will hurt.
Set it to the best length before you wear it!

All Kinds of Hats

There are many kinds of hats, like straw hats, baseball caps, and warm knit hats for winter.
Straw hats are made by weaving wheat stalks together.
Try picking the right hat for the season or what you are playing!
It is also fun to line up your hats at home and compare them.