This smiling, cute little bug just needs a little splash of color. Red is the color most commonly associated with ladybugs, but these beetles can also be bright yellow or orange as well. Of course, your kid is welcome to use any color of the rainbow when designing their own insect. (Honestly a purple ladybug would look rad.) To make the activity more interactive, ask your kid to count all the dots on the ladybug’s wings, or color each flower a different hue. Then put the completed picture of a ladybug and flowers somewhere special, such as the front of the fridge or on a cork board.

1. This picture looks more like the beetle your kid could encounter out in nature. Well, this particular one is a lot bigger than the real thing. In fact, the average ladybug is about 1 centimeter long. (True-to-scale ladybug coloring pages wouldn’t leave a lot of room for coloring, though, so this larger-than-life ladybug is better for artistic expression.) For older kids, you can also use the NatureMapping Program’s website to help identify the parts of a ladybug, including the head, antenna, and elytra (the cover that protects the wings underneath it). It’s an art and science lesson all in one.

A few simple lines are all that’s needed to create this friendly-looking ladybug. With its many spots and large eyes, it’s a cute, cartoon version of the beetles from real life. Younger kids will enjoy filling in the simple design with colors of their choice. Speaking of colors, feel free to invest in some eco-friendly art supplies for kids, such as recycled crayons and natural, vegan paint, if you have an active artist in the house. Kids can go through an overwhelming amount of paper, paint, and crayons as they master those fine motor skills, so these supplies can be a helpful addition to your art stash.

Learn about all the ways ladybugs change over time with this informative and educational coloring sheet. Ladybugs experience quite a few transformations during the course of their lifetimes. Much like butterflies, ladybugs go through a complete metamorphosis, moving through life as an egg, a larva, a pupa, and finally a grown ladybug, as this educational coloring sheet shows. (And yes, it’s totally OK if you just assumed baby ladybugs were super-tiny versions of the adults.) You can even look for ladybug eggs the next time you’re out in a garden: they are small, yellow, and often found under leaves. The larva and pupa stages might be tricker to spot, but you can certainly try.

For a change of pace, try printing this image on watercolor paper. (If you have an inkjet printer, give it a few minutes to totally dry first to avoid smudging.) Now your kid can use wet media such as watercolors, watercolor pencils, or even glitter glue to their hearts’ content. This gives you even more options for decorating this image of four big-eyed ladybugs playing on a pair of mushrooms. What if you glued sequins inside all the spots, or painted the background with a soft wash of different watercolor hues? There’s plenty of options for decorating this piece beyond the typical crayons and markers (although those are great, too).

Older kids will enjoy the challenge of filling in all the details of this intricate ladybug design. How many flowers and leaves can you spot on its back? A set of well-sharpened colored pencils or fine-tip markers will make getting into all the little spaces easier. Encourage your kid to experiment with different color schemes, too — sometimes limiting designs to a couple of colors can make very interesting results. If you’re inspired, feel free to print off an extra page and tackle the design, too. (Oh, and there’s plenty of free printable coloring pages for adults online, too, if you’re looking for a new hobby.)

This round, seven-spotted ladybug looks super stoked to be out on its branch. Want to make the ladybug coloring sheet activity a more immersive experience? Throw on some of the kids’ shows and movies about bugs, such as A Bug’s Life or Minuscule. While watching, ask your kid to imagine what it would be like to see the world from a bug’s point of view, because you’re sure to get some wild answers. And you can even double-down on the theme by serving up “bug snacks” such as ants on a log. It’s an easy way to turn a simple coloring activity into an entire afternoon activity themed around all things insects.

Although those two strawberries do look delicious, they aren’t necessarily a ladybug’s favorite food. Did you know that these tiny red bugs are actually fierce predators? In fact, many ladybugs eat aphids and other small insects that are often considered pests. (There are some videos on YouTube of ladybugs hunting down their prey, but these images might be a little too intense for younger kids.) This is why gardeners and farmers often love having these beneficial beetles around to help protect their plants from aphids, mites, mealybugs, and other pests. Fortunately, the ladybugs themselves are harmless to humans, so you don’t have to worry about one biting you when you’re out and about.

Toddler-aged kids will love coloring in the simple shapes on this sweet sleeping ladybug. The little crossed arms are just too cute. And speaking of sleeping, ladybugs are kind of amazing at it. In fact, ladybugs hibernate over the winter months in order to escape the cold. (This is why you aren’t likely to see one flying around during a snowstorm.) They look for warm, dry places to sleep out the season, and a few ladybugs may even take up residence in your house. So when you’re all cozy by the fire during the coldest parts of the year, a few ladybugs might be keeping you company nearby.

Sometimes you don’t need a lot of “extras” in order to create a picture of something. For instance, this cute design is a great way to have a conversation about simple shapes with your kid. The body is (mostly) a circle, the head is a half-circle, and the antennae are spirals, for instance. Put them together, and you have a ladybug shape. Older kids will appreciate the fact that simple shapes make up many basic cartoon images. Even some of the most iconic characters ever are just a collection of circles and a few carefully placed lines, just like this ladybug illustration.

Let’s talk about ladybug wings, because they’re way more complicated and interesting than you might realize. Did you know that the red and black shell on a ladybug isn’t its wings? Those are just the shields, also known as the elytra. The actual wings they use to fly are tucked up neatly underneath the elytra when they’re just walking around. Also, they’re bigger than you might expect. The wings are four times the size of the ladybug’s body, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The slow-motion video of a ladybug taking off in that Smithsonian article is simply amazing, because the wings are so large and graceful.

You know how every group of animals has its own particular term in English? Well, a group of these beetles is called a “loveliness of ladybugs,” in the US. In the UK, where these beetles are known as ladybirds, groups are called a bloom of ladybirds. Both terms highlight just how much people admire these gorgeous insects. Whatever you call them, the group of ladybugs in this coloring page appears to be captivated by something. Have your kid draw a background for them, or even add in a few more ladybugs for good measure. Whether you call it a loveliness, a bloom, or simply a group of ladybugs, there’s always room for more.

1. It’s easy to sneak a little counting lesson into just about everything, even art time. Count the ladybugs in this coloring sheet, or count all their spots, or add up all their antennae. (There’s a lot to count if you look at it long enough). Also, if your kid is still working on numbers, then there are some great math apps for kids that include lessons on counting. Oh, and once they start, children can get super into counting things. In other words, your kid will be able to count these ladybugs (and just about anything else) in no time.

This one is for all the kids who live for playing dress-up. Now your kid can become a ladybug (in their imagination at least). Have your kid fill in this coloring sheet with whatever crayons, markers, or colored pencils they prefer. And for a next-level mask, add some stickers, glitter, acrylic jewels, beads, or any other decorations you have on hand. Some washi tape designs could also be really interesting. If you want to take it to the next level, have your kid put on a red shirt and give them a scarf for the wings. It’s an instant ladybug costume.

This intricate, realistic study of a ladybug on a leaf shows just how captivating this insect can be. Does your family have any particular beliefs about the appearance of ladybugs? In some traditions, a ladybug landing on you is considered good luck. Regardless of what you believe, there is something special about seeing one of these brightly colored bugs choose to land on you for a bit. If you don’t happen to have a loveliness of ladybugs around to bring you good luck, then filling in this detailed ladybug coloring sheet is the next best option. Who knows? Maybe displaying the finished piece in your window will attract the ladybugs to your home.