Whale
Toddler · 2–3A big friendly whale with a wide tail, a pale belly, and a spout of water shooting from its blowhole. The body is one enormous shape, which makes it ideal for very young children — there is almost no way to go wrong. Older children can give the belly a lighter shade than the back for a proper whale look. Coloring a whale is a lovely way to talk about the biggest animal in the world, about how whales breathe air like we do, and about the ocean. Try counting how many drops are in the spout. Print it on A4 or US Letter, or color it online with tap-to-fill.
A big shape and a spout
A whale is one enormous body with a paler belly, a broad tail and a spout of water above it. The belly is drawn as a separate region, which is accurate — most whales are darker on top and lighter underneath, and there is a reason for it.
It is a large, forgiving page with only the tail needing much control.
A mammal, not a fish
Whales breathe air, which is what the spout is — breathing out through a blowhole on top of the head. They cannot breathe underwater at all. That distinction, between a fish with gills and a mammal that has to surface, is one of the clearest categories a young child can learn.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a whale a fish?
- No — it is a mammal. It breathes air through a blowhole, is warm-blooded, and feeds its young on milk. The spout is it breathing out.
- Why are whales darker on top?
- Camouflage from both directions: dark against the deep water when seen from above, pale against the bright surface when seen from below.
