Maple Tree Colouring Page

Maples are trees and shrubs in the genus Acer. Most are native to temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, with especially rich variety in East Asia as well as many species in North America and Europe. Depending on the kind, a maple may be a small garden tree or rise 10 to 30 metres or more. Many live for well over a century. Their opposite leaves are often divided into pointed lobes, creating the familiar maple shape. Their paired winged fruits are called samaras. Children sometimes call them helicopter seeds because they spin as they fall. Autumn gives many maples their most famous display. As days shorten, green chlorophyll fades and leaves may reveal yellow, orange, scarlet, burgundy, or combinations of several colours. Chipmunks collect seeds and other food for cold weather, while chickadees search bark and twigs for insects and resting places. Earlier in the year, small maple flowers can feed pollinators, and the leafy crown cools the ground. Some maples, especially sugar maple, can provide sap used to make syrup, but tapping and boiling must be done responsibly by knowledgeable adults. Never taste sap, seeds, berries, or mushrooms found outdoors unless a trusted expert says they are safe. The page features five-lobed leaves, clusters of paired samaras, falling foliage, a chipmunk, and a chickadee. Start with three or four autumn colours. Place yellow near some leaf centres, blend through orange, and deepen the tips with red or brown. Keep a few leaves green to show that seasonal change happens gradually. Samaras can be tan, rose, green, or pale brown. Colour the trunk with gentle grey and warm brown stripes. A chipmunk often has warm brown fur and dark and cream back stripes. A chickadee usually has a black-looking cap and bib, white cheeks, and soft grey sides; on a colouring page, use very dark grey rather than pressing hard black over every detail. Add a light blue sky and muted green or gold ground. Work from the biggest crown shapes toward the tiny seeds. Follow the leaf veins with short outward strokes and the trunk with long vertical strokes. Keep the animal faces clean and leave small highlights in their eyes. Your finished autumn maple can look like a living rainbow that also supplies food and shelter.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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