Sand Dollar Ocean Colouring

Meet the sand dollar, a flat ocean animal that is related to sea stars and sea urchins. A living sand dollar is not a coin or an empty shell. It is an echinoderm covered by thousands of tiny movable spines that help it crawl, burrow, breathe, and guide food toward its mouth. Different species live along sandy coasts around the world, from shallow tide-washed flats to deeper seabeds. The familiar keyhole sand dollar of the western Atlantic is often about 8 to 10 centimetres across, although other species can be smaller or larger. Many sand dollars live for roughly 6 to 10 years, and scientists can study growth rings on the hard internal test to estimate age. A living sand dollar may look dark purple, reddish brown, greenish, or grey because its short spines cover the surface. The pale white sand dollars people sometimes find on beaches are empty tests left after the animal has died and the spines have fallen away. The beautiful five-petal design marks rows of tiny tube feet and helps reveal the sand dollar's close relationship to five-armed sea stars. Sand dollars usually hide partly beneath the sand, where they catch microscopic algae, plankton, and edible particles carried by water. Burrowing also protects them from waves and hungry predators. On this colouring page, the large sand dollar rests on gently rippled sand with its flower-like pattern easy to see. Colour a living animal purple, olive green, rusty brown, or slate grey. Try a slightly lighter shade inside the five petals so the pattern stands out. Make the sand pale gold, cream, or peach, and use several greens for the two seagrass tufts. The smooth pebbles can be grey, tan, pink, or speckled, while the little fish can add one bright splash of colour. Leave the bubbles white with a thin blue edge. Use broad, gentle strokes on the sand dollar and shorter strokes around its rim to suggest tiny spines without covering the clean outlines.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Make it an activity

Choose a favourite colour palette
Add a simple background
Display the finished artwork

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