Mycology Coloring Books

Today was Shrinky Dink Day!

In our Science Club: Mycology session, we spent some time looking at the incredible diversity of Basidiomycota. The children each got a page from a mushroom coloring book to trace onto Shrinky Dink paper and then color (trace on smooth side using ultra fine point Sharpie, color on rough side with colored pencils). Then we cut them out carefully and shrunk them (be sure to use an old toaster oven for this and work in a well-ventilated space). What a great keepsake and super-fun way to end our final Science Club session!

Shrinky Dinks Creative Pack 10 Sheets Frosted Ruff n' Ready

how to shrink your Shrinky Dinks:
https://youtu.be/H0B6KhaQgyU

I had purchased two different Mycology Coloring Books and, in case you're shopping for such a thing, here is the list of species included in each. I prefer the Dover one (text by David Arora, illustrations by Jeanette Bowers) because it contains fascinating informational text AND shows accurate coloring for some of the mushrooms (inside the front and back covers). The self-published one by E.M. Ledford has absolutely no guidance as to coloring, and no information on the organism besides its common and scientific name.

Mushrooms of the World with Pictures to Color
38 plates; 92 species

plate 1 - Boletes (inside front cover)
Boletus rubripes, Boletus frostii, Strobilomyces floccopus

plate 2 - King Bolete (inside front cover)
Boletus edulis

plate 3 - Rough-Stemmed Boletes
Leccinum insigne

plate 4 - Larch Lovers
Fuscoboletinus ochraceoroseus, Suillus cavipes

plate 5 - Slippery Jacks
Suillus grevillei

plate 6 - Oak and Pine Mushrooms (front cover)
Suillus pictus, Chroogomphus vinicolor, Boletus miniato-pallescens, Lactarius atroviridis, Cortinarius semisanguines

plate 7 - Death Cap
Amanita phalloides

plate 8 - Fly Agaric (inside front cover)
Amanita muscaria

plate 9 - Caesar's Amanita
Amanita caesarea

plate 10 - Coccora (inside front cover)
Amanita calyptroderma, Amanita aspera

plate 11 - Parasol Mushrooms (inside front cover)
Lepiota procera, Chlorophyllum molybdites

plate 12 - Flower Pot Parasol
Lepiota lutea

plate 13 - Lawn Mushrooms (inside front cover)
Agaricus campestris, Marasmius oreades

plate 14 - The Prince (inside front cover)
Agaricus augustus

plate 15 - Mushroom Jewels
Hygrophorus psittacinus, Hygrophorus conicus, Hygrophorus calyptraeformis, Hygrophorus coccineus, Hydnellum diabolus, Cortinarius violaceus, Leptonia carnea

plate 16 - Shaggy Mane
Coprinus comatus

plate 17 - Dung Inhabitors
Psilocybe cubensis, Panaeolus campanulatus, Coprinus cinereus

plate 18 - Milk Mushrooms and Russulas (front cover)
Russula rosacea, Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius indigo, Lactarius camphoratus, Russula virescens

plate 19 - Stropharias
Stropharia ambigua, Stropharia aeruginosa

plate 20 - Miniature Mushrooms (inside front cover)
Mycena amabilissima, Marasmius siccus, Microglossum viride, Microstoma floccosa, Cordyceps sphecocephala, Cyathus striatus

plate 21 - Rust-Gills
Cortinarius traganus, Cortinarius cedretorum

plate 22 - Pholiotas (inside front cover)
Pholiota squarrosa, Pholiota aurivella

plate 23 - Blewitt (inside back cover)
Clitocybe nuda

plate 24 - Jack-O'-Lantern Mushrooms
Omphalotus olivascens
[Omphalotus illudens, Omphalotus olearius]

plate 25 - Chanterelles (inside back cover)
Cantharellus cibarius, Cantharellus cinnabarinus

plate 26 - Woolly Chanterelle (inside back cover)
Gomphus floccosus

plate 27 - Horn of Plenty
Craterellus cornucopioides
[Craterellus fallax]

plate 28 - Coral Fungi (inside back cover)
Ramaria araiospora, Ramaria formosa, Clavaria purpurea

plate 29 - Teeth Fungi (inside back cover)
Dentinum repandum, Hydnum imbricatum

plate 30 - Polypores (inside back cover)
Ganoderma tsugae, Albatrellus flettii

plate 31 - Wood-Rotters (back cover)
Laetiporus sulphureus, Boletus mirabilis, Naematoloma fasciculare, Trametes versicolor, Hirschioporus pargamenus, Stereum hirsutum, Ramaria stricta, Tremella mesenterica, Collybia acervata

plate 32 - Puffballs
Lycoperdon perlatum, Scleroderma citrinum

plate 33 - Earthstars
Astreus hygrometricus, Geastrum fornicatum

plate 34 - Stinkhorns (inside back cover)
Phallus impudicus, Mutinus elegans
[Mutinus caninus]

plate 35 - Latticed Stinkhorn (inside back cover)
Clathrus ruber

plate 36 - Morels (inside back cover)
Morchella esculenta

plate 37 - Elfin Saddles
Gyromitra esculenta, Helvella lacunosa, Helvella elastica

plate 38 - The Mysterious Mushroom (back cover)
Laccaria amethystina, Aleuria aurantia, Boletus satanus, Clavariadelphus pistillaris, Gomphidius subroseus, Tuber melanosporum, Clathrus archeri

Adventures in Mycoflora: A Realistic Mushroom Coloring Book
28 plates

Fluted Bird's Nest Fungus
Cyathus striatus

Witch's Hat
Hygrocybe conica

Dyer's Polypore
Phaeolus schweinitzii

Fairy Fingers
Clavaria fragilis

Scarlet Waxy Cap
Hygrocybe coccinea

Golden Chanterelle
Cantharellus cibarius

Rounded Earthstar
Geastrum saccatum

Common Puffball
Lycoperdon perlatum

White Morel
Morchella americana

Summer Oyster
Pleurotus pulmonarius

Ringless Honey Mushroom
Armillaria tabescens

Crown-tipped Coral Fungus
Artomyces pyxidatus

Common Brown Cap
Phylloscypha phyllogena

Hexagonal-pored Polypore
Neofavolus alveolaris

Wine Cap
Stropharia rugosoannulata

Shaggy Mane
Caprinus comatus

Chicken of the Woods
Laetiporus sulphureus

Purple Laccaria
Laccaria ochropurpurea

Yellow Morel
Morchella esculenta

Shaggy Scalycap
Pholiota squarrosa

Old Man of the Woods
Strobilomyces floccopus

Reddish Brown Bitter Bolete
Tylopilus rubrobrunneus

Blusher
Amanita rubescens

Common Bonnet
Mycena galericulata

Bear's Head Tooth
Hericium americanum

False Turkey-tail
Stereum ostrea

Lilac Bolete
Boletus separans

Yellow Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria var. guessowii

adding the color really brings this Latticed Stinkhorn to life

carefully cutting out a False Turkey-tail... ready for the toaster oven!

notes to myself regarding baking:

put the old toaster oven on a card table in the garage
(open garage door for ventilation)

have two potholders and some plain computer paper handy

preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
(use oven thermometer to ensure the temp is 325)

line baking sheet with alum foil

place mushroom on baking sheet with colored side up

bake for 1-3 minutes

DO NOT PANIC when the mushroom curls itself up into a burrito... wait for it to uncurl and flatten

when nearly flat and still malleable, pull it out and turn baking sheet upside down so mushroom will drop onto a piece of computer paper

quickly cover with remaining stack of paper and one potholder and push down firmly to flatten fully (this will only work while it's hot)

keep mushroom on that bottom piece of computer paper to cool

write child's initials on the paper

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