Girl in jersey 8 dribbles a volleyball beside an outdoor net with hills, trees, and clouds.

Number 8 Dribbles by the Net

A smiling player in a number 8 jersey taps a big volleyball beside the net on a sunny hilltop court.

🎨 How to color it

Use cherry red for the number 8 jersey, sky blue for the big volleyball stripes, leafy green for the hill trees, and soft gray for the net posts. Chunky crayons will work well on the large ball panels and shirt; it is okay if little hands color over the bold lines. Try making the two clouds pale pink and yellow, like the court is full of happy morning light.

The story behind this coloring page

Zadie’s Bouncy Gift Game — At the hill court, Zadie patted the ball: bump-bump-boom! She had made a new game. Read the full story →

At the hill court, Zadie patted the ball: bump-bump-boom! She had made a new game. One bounce for her, one bounce for the net, one bounce for the trees.

Her sneakers squeaked. The grass smelled warm. “Your turn!” she called, and sent the ball softly past the net.

Plop! A pinecone rolled back. Then an acorn. Then a tiny feather. The trees had been playing, too.

Zadie laughed and gave the ball one more gentle bump for nobody to see. Can you find her big bouncy gift?