Cacao Rainforest Colouring

The cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, is native to the tropical Americas and naturally grows beneath taller rainforest trees. People have cultivated cacao for thousands of years, and its seeds are the starting ingredient for cocoa and chocolate. A cacao tree is usually about 4 to 8 metres tall when grown on farms, making it much smaller than the forest canopy above. It has broad glossy leaves and remarkable tiny flowers that grow directly from the trunk and thick branches. This is called cauliflory. Large ridged pods develop in the same places and may take five or six months to ripen. In warm, humid regions flowers and pods can appear through much of the year, often with stronger activity around rainy periods. Productive trees may live for several decades. Tiny midges are among cacao's important pollinators, even though only a small fraction of flowers become pods. Toucans, monkeys and other rainforest animals move through the surrounding canopy, while fallen pulp can feed wildlife. This scene enlarges one gentle midge so children can spot it beside a flower, and a toucan perches above the trunk-borne pods. Cacao pods are harvested with tools by trained workers. Children should never cut a pod from a tree. The raw seeds are bitter and require fermenting, drying, roasting and careful processing before they become familiar chocolate. Shade trees and leaf litter help protect soil, moisture and biodiversity on responsible farms. Colour cacao leaves deep rainforest green with lighter new leaves in copper, pink or lime. Pods may be green, yellow, orange, red, maroon or purple depending on variety and ripeness. Use two or three colours but keep the raised ridges easy to follow. The tiny flowers can be cream, pale pink or light purple. Make the trunk warm brown and grey, and use many gentle greens for the understory. A toucan can have black feathers with a bright yellow, orange and green bill, while the midge can be light brown with transparent pale-blue wings. Add blue-grey raindrops and leave the distant canopy soft. Long curved strokes make the pods look rounded; tiny strokes suit flowers and insect wings. Keep the central trunk bright enough that children can clearly see flowers and pods growing directly from wood.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.