Katakana "A" Coloring Pages

The "A" in "Ice Cream"

Katakana "A" is the very first letter in the katakana alphabet.
The word on this coloring page is "Ice Cream" (Aisu). That is the cold and sweet ice cream everyone loves!
On the left side, there is an ice cream cone with 2 scoops on top.
You can color the top scoop and the bottom scoop in different flavors!
First, say "Ice Cream" out loud, and then start coloring.

Katakana "A" was born from the kanji "阿"

Katakana letters were made by taking just a piece of a kanji.
Katakana "A" was born from the left side of the kanji "阿".
Hiragana "a" came from a rounded version of the kanji "安", so even though they make the same "a" sound, they came from different kanji.
Long ago, monks read books full of kanji. They used parts of kanji to write small reading guides in the spaces. That is how katakana began!
That is why katakana has many straight lines and sharp turns.

How to write Katakana "A"

You write Katakana "A" in 2 strokes.
For stroke 1, go straight across, turn sharply at the corner, and make a short sweeping stroke down to the left.
For stroke 2, start under the top line, go straight down, and make a sweeping stroke to the left.
Do not make stroke 2 too long. Aim a little to the left of the middle to make it look neat!
The tracing boxes have center lines up and down and across. Use them to see where each stroke starts.

Words we write in Katakana

We often use katakana to write words from other countries.
"Aisu" (Ice cream) comes from the English word "ice cream" too!
We also use katakana for the names of animals and plants, and for sound words like "clack."
Words that start with Katakana "A" include duck (ahiru), ant (ari), album, America, and accordion.
See how many "A" words you can name together with someone in your family!

Katakana "A" and the A-row family

The 5 letters "A," "I," "U," "E," and "O" are called the A-row.
A-row letters are vowels. They are sounds you make just by changing the shape of your mouth.
Katakana "A" is the most cheerful sound, made by opening your mouth big and wide!
Other katakana sounds join with A-row sounds, like "Ka" made of "k" and "A," or "Sa" made of "s" and "A."
So if you learn Katakana "A" really well, other letters will be easy to learn too!

Color the big Katakana "A" in your favorite color

Color inside the lines of the big Katakana "A" at the top right with your favorite color.
If you use different colors for the first stroke and the second stroke, it is easy to see how to write it.
If you use pastel colors like pink or light blue to match the ice cream, it will turn out super cute!

Think about the flavor when you color the ice cream

It is fun to decide what flavor your ice cream will be before you start coloring.
Use pink for strawberry, brown for chocolate, light green for melon, and light yellow for vanilla.
Color the cone with yellow-ochre or light brown, and trace the grid lines with a slightly darker brown to make it look nice and crunchy.
If you leave a little bit of white space on the edge of the ice cream, it will look shiny and delicious!

Trace each letter slowly, one by one

In the boxes at the bottom right, there are 8 light gray Katakana "A"s lined up.
Hold your pencil correctly, and trace them slowly in the right stroke order.
For the stroke that sweeps away, the trick is to loosen your power little by little and gently let go without stopping quickly.
After you finish writing one, compare it with the model to check if it curves the same way.

Finally, read the word out loud

At the top right, next to the big Katakana "A", the word "Ice Cream" is written vertically.
When you finish coloring, trace the word with your finger and read "Ice Cream" out loud.
When you connect the picture, the letter, and the word, it gets much easier to remember the letter!
It is also a great idea to save your finished coloring page by sticking it on the wall or putting it in a folder.

Ice Cream Day

May 9th is "Ice Cream Day."
An ice cream company group picked this day because the weather gets warmer and ice cream starts to taste super good!

Japan's First Ice Cream

People say the very first ice cream in Japan was sold in Yokohama, way back in the early Meiji period.
Back then, people called it "Aisukurin."
It was very expensive, so not just anyone could eat it easily.

Katakana "A" and "Ma" Look Similar

Katakana "A" and "Ma" look a lot like each other.
For Katakana "A", the 2nd stroke is a line that sweeps down. For "Ma", the 2nd stroke is a short dot going to the bottom right.
There are many other similar katakana too, like "Ku" and "Ta", or "Shi" and "Tsu".
They are easy to mix up, so try writing them side by side to compare!

People Eat Ice Cream in Winter Too

Ice cream seems like a summer treat, but many people eat it in winter too.
Eating cold ice cream inside a cozy warm room is extra special.
Ice cream is made by freezing milk, cream, and sugar while stirring them together.
Stirring traps air inside, which makes it feel super smooth in your mouth!