Mushroom Coloring Pages

Mushroom coloring pages have a storybook feel that's hard to resist. Print a red toadstool with white spots, a cluster of tiny caps on a mossy log, a mushroom house with a round door or a ring of mushrooms in a forest clearing. Real species such as morels and chanterelles are here too, for anyone who likes to color from nature.

Types of mushroom coloring pages

  • Spotted toadstools: the red cap with white dots from fairy tales. It's a real mushroom called the fly agaric, and it's poisonous.
  • Button mushrooms: the smooth white ones from the grocery store.
  • Morels: a tall cap full of pits, like a honeycomb.
  • Chanterelles: golden and shaped like a small trumpet.
  • Shelf mushrooms: flat brackets that grow out of a tree trunk like steps.
  • Fairy rings: mushrooms that come up in a natural circle on a lawn or a forest floor.
  • Mushroom houses: caps for roofs, with doors, windows and tiny chimneys.

Mushroom facts and colors

A mushroom is not a plant. It belongs to the fungi, a separate group of living things that can't make food from sunlight. The part you see is only the fruit. The main body is a web of fine threads called mycelium, hidden in the soil or in rotting wood. Under the cap, most mushrooms have thin ribs called gills, which drop millions of tiny spores. Spores do the job that seeds do for plants.

Parts to color:

  • Cap: the top. Red, brown, tan, yellow, white, orange and even purple or blue all exist in nature.
  • Gills: under the cap. Cream, pink or brown. Draw them as thin lines fanning out from the stem.
  • Stem: usually white or cream, shaded with gray or tan on one side.
  • Ring: some mushrooms have a small skirt around the stem.

For a natural look, color the cap darker in the center and lighter toward the rim. Surround the mushrooms with moss, ferns, fallen leaves and bark in greens and browns.

One safety note for curious kids: never eat a wild mushroom. Some poisonous ones look almost the same as safe ones, and even experts are careful.

Frequently asked questions

Are these mushroom coloring pages free?

Yes. All mushroom coloring pages are free to download and print for personal and classroom use.

Do you have cute mushroom coloring pages?

Yes. The Easy pages have round toadstools with big spots, and one has a small face. They're a favorite with cottagecore fans and with kids who like fairy gardens.

Are there mushroom coloring pages for adults?

Yes. The Detailed pages include a forest floor crowded with different species, a mushroom village and a mushroom filled with patterns. The gills and spots make good practice for shading.

Why are fairy tale mushrooms red with white spots?

That's the fly agaric, a real mushroom found in forests across the Northern Hemisphere. It's bright and easy to recognize, which is probably why artists have put it in storybooks for generations. It's also poisonous, so it's best enjoyed on paper.