Katakana "Ka" Coloring Pages

"Ka" as in "Camera"

Katakana "Ka" is the very first letter in the Ka-row.
The word for this coloring page is "kamera" (camera). It is a tool for taking photos.
On the left side, you can see one camera shown from an angle.
Try to find the big lens on the front, the shutter button on top, and the strap you put around your neck or hand.
When you press the shutter button, light comes in through the lens to capture a picture!

Katakana "Ka" Comes from the Kanji "加"

Katakana letters were made by taking small parts of Kanji characters.
Katakana "Ka" was born from the left side of the Kanji "加", which is the "力" part.
Hiragana "か" was also made from the same Kanji "加" by writing it in a softer shape.
That is why Katakana "Ka" and Hiragana "か" look so much alike!
Katakana "Ka" also looks just like the Kanji "力", so you have to look at the words around it to tell which one it is.

How to Write Katakana "Ka"

You write Katakana "Ka" with 2 strokes.
For stroke 1, draw a line across, bend at the corner, go down, and make a quick upward flick to the left at the end.
For stroke 2, start above the flat line of stroke 1 and draw a smooth curved stroke toward the bottom left.
The trick is to make stroke 2 cross through the top flat line!
If you slant the straight line of stroke 1 a little bit to the left as you go down, your Katakana "Ka" will look super neat!

Words with Katakana "Ka"

Because "camera" is a word that came from another country, we write it in Katakana.
Other words that start with Katakana "Ka" include kaeru (frog), kabutomushi (rhinoceros beetle), karee (curry), kaado (card), and kasatanetto (castanets).
Frogs and rhinoceros beetles are living things, while curry, cards, and castanets are words that came from other countries.
A crow's caw sound, "Kaa-kaa", is also usually written in Katakana.
Try playing a game where you take turns saying words that have Katakana "Ka" in them!

Friends in the Ka-Row

The 5 letters "Ka", "Ki", "Ku", "Ke", and "Ko" are called the Ka-row.
The sounds in the Ka-row are made by combining the "k" sound with "A, I, U, E, O" from the A-row.
If you add two little dots (tenten) to Katakana "Ka", it becomes "Ga", which makes a buzzing sound like "Gaoo!" (Roar!).
Adding two little dots changes the sound, whether it is Hiragana or Katakana!

Color the big Katakana "Ka" in your favorite colors

Color the big Katakana "Ka" with any colors you like.
If you change colors for the 1st stroke and 2nd stroke, you can easily see where they cross. That makes it extra fun!
Matching it with the camera in black or gray makes a really cool Katakana "Ka" too.

Make the camera look cool in black and gray

Color the body of the camera in black or dark gray to make it look like a real one.
Try coloring the ring around the lens in gray, and the glass of the lens in dark blue or purple.
If you leave a little white streak near the top of the glass, it will look like it is shiny and bright!
Using a bright color like red or orange for the strap makes the camera look super stylish.
It is also very cute to make a light blue or pink camera instead of a black one.

How to trace the letter

Trace each Katakana "Ka" in the boxes at the bottom right one by one with your pencil.
The trick for the upward flick at the end of the 1st stroke is to make a tiny, playful hop!
For the sweeping stroke of the 2nd stroke, start writing from above the horizontal line and gently lighten your push.
Once you write all 8 of them, check to see if you remembered every flick.

Lastly, let's read the word too

At the top right, next to the big Katakana "Ka", the word "Camera" is written vertically.
When you finish coloring, try reading "Camera" out loud while tracing it with your finger.
Connecting the picture, the letter, and the word makes it much easier to remember letters!
It is great to keep your finished coloring page by hanging it on a wall or putting it in a folder.

"Camera" Means "Room"

"Camera" means "room" in an old European language.
If you make a small hole in the wall of a pitch-black room, the scene outside is projected upside down on the opposite wall.
This "dark room" trick was the start of the camera!

Lenses Are Like Eyes

A camera lens works a lot like our eyes do.
Our eyes also let light in through the pupils and project the scene in the back of our eyes.
Both cameras and eyes cannot capture anything without light!

"Say Cheese!"

People often say "Say cheese!" when taking a picture, right?
They say it is because making the "z" sound in "cheese" stretches your mouth sideways, making it easy to smile.
When someone points Katakana "Ka" at you, try giving a big smile!

All Kinds of Cameras

Today, even smartphones have cameras in them.
There are many other types of cameras, too, like ones that can take pictures underwater, or big cameras for taking pictures of the stars.
We can see the pictures we take right away thanks to digital cameras!