Eight arms, squishy heads and literally three hearts beating inside them. My youngest is currently convinced they are basically just friendly aliens living in the ocean waiting to say hello.
I don’t correct him. The team sat down and drew up these octopus coloring pages to capture all that weird underwater magic for your kids.
I printed a stack for my classroom days and they were always a massive hit during quiet time. You just pass them out and watch the kids get totally lost in all those curling tentacles.
Grab some crayons or let them loose with messy watercolors if you feel brave today. These printables are ready to handle whatever creative chaos happens at your kitchen table.
Featured Octopus Coloring Pages
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Highlighted Octopus Coloring Pages
Holding Tight in the Surge
This one shows an octopus gripping a large round rock while the waves crash around it. It feels very dramatic.
Kids can color the swirling water in the background using different shades of blue. These printable octopus coloring pages are really dynamic for older kids.
Opening the Tank Lid
They are escape artists. Here the octopus is sitting on a metal tank lid and figuring out the mechanical latch.
I love the industrial feel of the metal mixed with the organic shape of the tentacles. Finding coloring pages for octopus that show how smart they are is pretty rare.
Coral Camouflage Master
The camouflage ability of these creatures is just wild. Our team drew this octopus blending perfectly into a complex patch of coral branches.
It looks almost like a mandala or a puzzle waiting to be solved. Grab these octopus coloring sheets if you want to keep them busy for a solid 47 minutes.
The Flatfish Disguise
Sometimes they flatten out completely to look like a flatfish sliding across the sand. The texture dots on its back make it look so realistic.
It is crawling over some smooth rocks on the ocean floor here. Whenever I need a coloring page of an octopus that tells a story I print this one.
Catching a Crab Lunch
Nature is a bit ruthless sometimes. This guy has pinned a crab down onto the sand using four of his arms.
The underwater plants in the background frame the action perfectly. It is a fantastic coloring page of an octopus for kids who love ocean predators.
Pushing the Glass Bottle
My middle child thinks this one is just playing a game. The octopus is pushing an old glass bottle around on the seabed while bubbles float up.
They are incredibly curious animals that investigate literally everything they find. We make these free octopus coloring pages to spark that same curiosity in kids.
The Surprise Attack
Here we have a sudden ambush from above. The octopus is swooping down onto an unsuspecting crab with all arms spread wide.
The sea grass at the bottom adds some nice texture to the scene. I keep a stack of these printable octopus coloring pages in my classroom emergency drawer.
Cracking Open a Shell
Those suction cups are incredibly strong. You can see the octopus using them to pry open a stubborn bivalve shell right down the middle.
The kelp forests in the back give it a nice deep water atmosphere. When you need coloring pages for octopus that show real behavior this is the winner.
Tips for Coloring Octopus Coloring Sheets
1. Think Beyond Just Blue and Purple
I think everyone grabs the purple crayon first. I get it. But octopuses can change their skin to literally any color they want.
Try using bright reds or murky greens for a change. It makes the picture look more alive and less like a standard cartoon.
2. Adding Texture to the Skin
Their skin isn’t totally smooth all the time. Sometimes it gets bumpy and rough to match rocks.
Teach your kids to use tiny dots or little circles with their markers. Stippling creates this really cool effect on the paper. And what follows from this? They develop better fine motor control without even realizing it.
3. Make the Suction Cups Pop
The suction cups are the best part of these drawings. Leave them white or color them a very pale yellow.
This creates a strong contrast against the darker colors of the tentacles. It is a tiny detail that makes a huge difference.
4. Shading the Deep Water
The ocean background shouldn’t just be one flat wash of cyan. Water gets darker the deeper you go down.
Start with a light blue near the top of the page. Then press harder with a navy blue crayon near the sandy bottom. All this shading advice comes down to one thing: don’t overcomplicate it.
5. Using Watercolors for a Fluid Look
Watercolors are honestly perfect for ocean themes. The paint just flows like the water itself.
We print our octopus coloring sheets on slightly thicker paper so they can handle the wet paint. Just let the colors bleed together a bit. It might cause some minor chaos on the table but the results are completely worth it.
6. Highlighting the Eyes
Octopus eyes are weirdly horizontal and very intelligent looking. They have rectangular pupils that look alien.
Use a metallic gel pen for the eyes if you have one. It catches the light and makes the creature look like it is staring right back at you.
7. Blending the Camouflage
For the camouflage pictures try to match the animal exactly to its surroundings. If the coral is pink make the octopus pink too.
It is like a hide and seek game on paper. The kids have to really pay attention to where the animal ends and the reef begins.
8. Don’t Forget the Sand
A lot of kids ignore the ocean floor entirely. The sand needs some love too.
I like mixing tan and a little bit of grey for a realistic seabed. Add some tiny dark brown specks to look like pebbles and dirt. Will they actually draw every pebble? No idea. But today it works to keep them focused.