What is on this coloring sheet
The turtle is seen from above with four legs, a head to the right and a small tail to the left, and its shell carries a brown pattern inside a green rim. That pattern is what makes this the most interesting sheet of the eight to color: the plates sit inside the shell rather than at its edge, so a child has to hold two colors in mind for the same area instead of filling one shape and moving on.
How to use it
Print the sheet and color the green shell first, then the brown plates inside it, then the yellow head, legs and tail. The light blue background is water and goes in last.
Three ways to practice
Green first, brown second
Color the entire shell green, then go back and color the plates brown on top. Layering rather than leaving gaps is how the sheet is meant to be done and it produces a much cleaner result.
Count the legs
Four legs, one head and one tail all stick out from the shell in yellow. Counting them before starting means looking carefully at the outline, which is exactly the attention the rest of the sheet needs.
Compare it with the fish
Print the turtle and the fish together and ask what both animals need. Both live in water, one has legs and one has fins, and the two sheets sitting side by side make that easy to see.
A tip worth knowing
The brown plates sit inside the green shell rather than on the outline, so color the whole shell green first and go back for the plates. Trying to leave gaps for them is much harder.
Printing this sheet
Frequently asked questions
Why does the shell have two colors?
Real turtle shells are made of plates with visible joins, so a single flat green would look wrong. The brown pattern inside the green rim also makes the sheet more interesting to color than a plain oval.
Which way is the turtle facing?
To the right. The head is the yellow shape sticking out on that side, and the small yellow piece on the left is the tail.
Is this harder than the other coloring sheets?
A little. The shell pattern means going over the same area twice, so a child who has finished the cat or the flower is ready for this one but a first attempt might not be.