Let’s go under the sea! Coloring pictures of a fairytale mermaid
So you think underwater fun on the land is not possible? Think again! Coloring pictures of a beautiful mermaid make it possible! With a magical mermaid for coloring your children’s creativity is unleashed. Whether using water colors, crayons, markers or crayons – this free printable mermaid coloring template offers numerous possibilities for coloring, so your kids can color until their heart's content. In addition to all the fun, coloring has learning benefits. Your kids’ concentration will be enhanced, as well as their motor skills. Children can even create an entire underwater world: they can redesign the white background of the mermaids' coloring template. How about, for example, an imaginative underwater world with small fish and plants?
The History of Mermaids
The story of The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1837, but the origin of these beautiful creatures date back much farther than that. There are depictions of creatures which are half women and half fish which appear in Mesopotamian artwork as far back as 1000 BC! African, Asian, and European folklore all make mention of merfolk. It is thought that the sirens of Greek mythology may have been the inspiration for these aquatic creatures, as they share many of the same attributes – including the ability to entice with their enchanting song.
colored by Leili (5)
Throughout history there have been many reported sightings of mermaids. In 1493 Christopher Columbus claims to have spotted three mermaids when sailing in the Caribbean off the coast of Hispaniola. Henry Hudson is also said to have seen a mermaid in the Artic Ocean during his second voyage in 1608. As recently as August 2009, dozens of people reported seeing a mermaid swimming and playing in a bay off the coast of Israel. A one million dollar reward was even offered for proof of its existence!
So, are mermaids real?
We may never know for sure, but certainly there have been many hoaxes over the years by those wishing to prove their existence. One of the most famous cases was P. T. Barnum’s Fiji Mermaid in 1822. Supposedly caught in the waters off of Fiji in the South Pacific, the “mermaid” was actually a fake made from a monkey and a fish. These days it is not so easy to fool the public, bust still many wonder if the reported sightings are real, and if somewhere deep in the ocean mermaids really do exist.