Big Dean’s in Santa Monica: A Colorful Slice of Beach Life for Kids (and Their Grown-Ups)
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If you’ve ever walked near the Santa Monica Pier, you know Big Dean’s Ocean Front Café. It’s the kind of place you pass and instantly think: Yep, that’s real beach life right there.
Umbrellas. Patio tables. People squeezed in with burgers and fries. Dog walkers cruising by with a tangle of leashes. Palms in the background. Ocean just out of frame but somehow still there.
Now imagine handing that whole scene to a child as a coloring page.
This Big Dean’s illustration isn’t just a fun picture—it’s a snapshot of Santa Monica energy, distilled into lines kids can bring to life. Here’s how to turn this one image into a creative, place-based adventure for your family.
A Scene Packed With Santa Monica Details
Take a closer look at the page:
- The “World Famous Big Dean’s Ocean Front Café” sign that locals recognize instantly
- Outdoor tables and umbrellas, hinting at sandy feet and salty hair just off the beach
- A dog walker managing a cheerful crew of pups right in front of the café
- Background palms and low-slung buildings, giving you that classic Santa Monica silhouette
For kids, this isn’t just a building. It’s a whole story waiting to happen:
- Where are all those dogs headed next?
- Who’s sitting at the tables, and what are they eating?
- Is this before a long beach day—or after?
That’s exactly the kind of open-ended storytelling that makes coloring sessions rich and memorable.
Using the Big Dean’s Page to Spark Conversation
Coloring this page is the perfect excuse to talk about Santa Monica life—especially if your kids have walked this stretch of Ocean Front Walk with you before.
As they color, try questions like:
- “Have you ever seen a dog walker with this many dogs near the pier?”
- “What do you think people are ordering at Big Dean’s today?”
- “Is it morning, afternoon, or just-before-sunset in your picture?”
- “What colors do you imagine for the umbrellas and signs?”
These little prompts:
- Build observation skills
- Encourage storytelling
- Help kids connect the illustration version of Santa Monica to the real one
And if your child hasn’t visited Big Dean’s yet, this page becomes a fun introduction to part of the pier’s world.
A Dog Lover’s Dream Scene
The star of this page might secretly be the pack of dogs clustered around the dog walker.
Each dog is drawn with just enough character that kids can:
- Give them names
- Invent personalities
- Decide who’s calm, who’s curious, and who’s probably trying to sniff everyone’s burger
Try turning the dogs into a mini game:
- “Can you make each dog a different color?”
- “Which dog looks like the leader of the pack?”
- “Can you add collars, spots, or bandanas to make them unique?”
If your family has a dog, invite your kids to:
- Add your dog into the scene
- Color one of the dogs to match your pup
- Draw a tiny you, holding a leash, joining the group
Suddenly, Big Dean’s isn’t just “a place in Santa Monica”—it’s a place your family visits in imagination.
Turning Big Dean’s Into a Story Starter
Once the page is mostly colored, pause and ask:
“Okay, what’s happening in your picture right now?”
You might get answers like:
- “They just finished lunch and are going to the beach.”
- “There’s a dog parade happening in front of Big Dean’s.”
- “The person walking the dogs is trying to get them all to pose for a photo.”
From there, encourage quick storytelling:
- “What happened right before this moment?”
- “What’s going to happen next?”
- “Is the ocean calm today, or are the waves huge?”
You can even turn it into a tiny writing or dictation project:
- Older kids can write a short paragraph or comic strip on the back
- Younger kids can tell the story out loud while you jot it down for them
Now the coloring page has become the first page of a Santa Monica storybook.
Color It, Then Visit It: A Santa Monica Mini-Adventure
One of the best parts of using real local landmarks as coloring pages is the chance to follow them up with a real-world visit.
If you’re in or near Los Angeles, you can turn this into a simple adventure:
-
Color at Home
Spend some quiet time bringing Big Dean’s to life with your kids—bright umbrellas, colorful dogs, sunset skies, or a cool overcast day. -
Take the Page With You
Fold it gently and tuck it into a bag, or snap a photo on your phone. -
Walk Past the Real Big Dean’s
As you stroll near the pier, pull out the page or the photo and compare:- “What looks the same?”
- “What’s different?”
- “Which colors from your picture do you see in real life?”
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Add a Memory
On the back of the page, write the date and one little detail from your visit:- “We heard a busker playing guitar near the patio.”
- “Three real dogs walked by while we were there.”
- “We shared fries and watched the bikes roll past.”
Even if you don’t sit down at a table or order food, just standing near Big Dean’s with your colored page connects imagination to place.
Ideas for Adults Who Want to Color Big Dean’s, Too
Let’s be honest: this page is just as tempting for grown-ups.
Coloring Big Dean’s can feel like:
- A tiny mental vacation
- A chance to remember pre-kid beach days
- A moment to appreciate how many stories unfold around one café
For adults:
- Play with muted sun-faded tones to capture beach-worn signage
- Try a sunset palette—warm pinks, corals, and golds in the sky
- Or go full neon boardwalk, with bold umbrellas, bright table tops, and playful details
Color alongside your kids, or keep a copy just for yourself. Santa Monica has always been a place people come to reset—and a coloring page can carry a bit of that feeling to your kitchen table.
Displaying Your “Big Dean’s Day” at Home
Once everyone’s done, pick a spot to hang your finished pages:
- On the fridge under a magnet shaped like a palm tree
- In a hallway “Santa Monica Gallery” next to other local scenes
- On a bulletin board with ticket stubs, photos from the pier, and beach-day Polaroids
Label the page with:
- Your child’s name
- The date
- One word that describes the mood: “breezy,” “sunny,” “busy,” “chill”
Over time, your wall becomes a visual love letter to your city—and a reminder of slow, creative moments in the middle of busy weeks.
One Café, A Whole World of Stories
Big Dean’s is one of those places that locals just know. Tourists might walk past it without realizing how many memories live there—birthday lunches, post-surf burgers, first dates, after-work beers, or simple people-watching sessions.
For kids, this coloring page is a way in:
- Into Santa Monica beach life
- Into the rhythm of dogs, bikes, and boardwalk energy
- Into the idea that the places they walk by are full of stories they can imagine and share
A single line drawing, a handful of crayons, and a café by the ocean—that’s all it takes to turn an ordinary afternoon into something a little more colorful.