Coloring an existing character is fun, but designing one from the beginning gives children a different kind of creative freedom.
A blank axolotl can become a galaxy explorer, a strawberry baker, an underwater queen, a superhero, a nature guide, a musician, or a completely new character that does not fit any familiar category.
The design-your-own page shown in this post comes from The Big Axolotl Adventure Coloring Book by Sally Morris.
The book includes 50 cute and easy pages for kids ages 6–10, with adventures involving ocean life, food, space, camping, friendship, school, music, art, and fantasy.
This activity focuses on one simple goal: helping a child turn a clean axolotl outline into a character with colors, patterns, accessories, a name, and a story.
Start With the Four Main Features
The activity page points to four areas:
- Gills
- Eyes
- Body
- Tail
Choosing these colors first makes the activity feel manageable.
Children do not need to design the whole character at once. They can make one decision at a time and allow each choice to inspire the next.
Gills
The feathery gills are one of the most recognizable parts of an axolotl character.
They can match the body, use a darker shade, or provide a strong contrast.
Possible combinations include:
- Pale-pink body with coral gills
- Mint body with turquoise gills
- Purple body with magenta gills
- Blue body with yellow gills
- Cream body with rainbow gills
- Lavender body with aqua gills
- Orange body with dark-red gills
Using a darker shade near the base of each gill can add a little depth without making the design difficult.
Children can use these axolotl color palette ideas when choosing the character’s body, gills, eyes, and tail.
Eyes
The eyes can stay black with small white highlights, or children can add an iris color around the dark center.
Possible eye colors include:
- Blue
- Green
- Violet
- Brown
- Gold
- Turquoise
The eyes do not even need to match. One blue eye and one purple eye can immediately make the character feel more magical.
Body
The body is the main color and usually covers the largest area.
It can be:
- Solid
- Blended
- Spotted
- Striped
- Covered in stars
- Decorated with hearts
- Divided into different color sections
- Shaded from light to dark
A light body with bright markings can feel soft and cheerful, while a dark galaxy body can feel mysterious and adventurous.
Tail
The tail can repeat the body color or become the character’s most unusual feature.
Ideas include:
- Rainbow tail
- Galaxy tail
- Flame-colored tail
- Leaf-pattern tail
- Mermaid-inspired gradient
- Spotted tail
- Striped tail
- Star-covered tail
The tail is also a good place to test blending two or three colors together.
Discover More Axolotl Character Ideas
Explore 50 playful scenes featuring explorers, chefs, superheroes, musicians, royal characters, campers, and more.
See The Big Axolotl Adventure Coloring Book on Amazon
Choose a Character Theme
A theme helps children make decisions without limiting their creativity.
They can begin with one of the ideas below or combine several themes into something completely new.
Character Idea 1: The Explorer
An explorer needs a hat, map, compass, backpack, lantern, or magnifying glass.
Natural browns and greens create a classic adventure look, while pink, turquoise, and yellow make the outfit feel more playful.
Possible explorer names include:
- Scout Splash
- Coral Compass
- Map-Finder Max
- Tiny Trail
- Pearl Pathfinder
- Bubble Scout
- Captain Coral
Ask the child:
- Where is the explorer going?
- What are they looking for?
- What is inside the backpack?
- Who gave them the map?
- What will happen when the treasure is found?
The answers can inspire symbols, patterns, and accessories.
Character Idea 2: The Sweet-Treat Axolotl
Food can inspire both the character’s colors and personality.
A strawberry axolotl might have:
- Pink body
- Red gills
- Green tail
- Tiny seed-shaped spots
A mint-chocolate axolotl could use pale green, dark brown, and cream.
A rainbow-sprinkle axolotl might have a white body covered with colorful dots.
Children can add:
- Chef hat
- Spoon
- Cupcake
- Ice cream cone
- Candy necklace
- Patterned apron
- Cookie-shaped bag
- Sprinkle-covered tail
They can also name the character after an imaginary flavor, such as Coralberry Swirl or Minty Bubble Crunch.
Character Idea 3: The Royal Axolotl
A crown, cape, wand, necklace, and shell decorations can transform the axolotl into underwater royalty.
Purple and gold feel traditional, but other royal combinations can work just as well:
- Aqua and silver
- Pink and pearl white
- Red and turquoise
- Navy and gold
- Lavender and coral
The child can decide what the character rules.
Possible kingdoms include:
- The Kingdom of Bubbles
- The Coral Palace
- Pearl Lagoon
- The Jellyfish Garden
- The Rainbow Reef
- The Golden Shell Kingdom
The royal character might also have fish attendants, a seahorse carriage, or a starfish advisor.
Character Idea 4: The Superhero
Begin with:
- One main suit color
- One contrasting cape or boot color
- One smaller accent color
Possible combinations include:
- Blue suit, orange cape, white symbol
- Purple suit, yellow boots, silver belt
- Pink suit, green cape, navy symbol
- Red suit, turquoise cape, gold trim
- Teal suit, purple cape, yellow symbol
Next, choose the superhero’s power.
The character might:
- Create protective bubbles
- Clean polluted water
- Talk to fish
- Swim at incredible speed
- Glow in the dark
- Find lost treasure
- Turn drawings into real objects
- Create underwater rainbows
A symbol on the chest can represent that power.
Create a Whole World of Axolotl Characters
Discover the design activity and 49 additional coloring adventures in the complete book.
View The Big Axolotl Adventure Coloring Book on Amazon
Character Idea 5: The Seasonal Axolotl
A season provides an instant palette and set of accessories.
Spring
Try:
- Mint
- Pink
- Yellow
- Flowers
- Raindrops
- Tiny butterflies
Possible names include Blossom, Rainy, Petal, or Sprout.
Crowns, pearls, glowing jellyfish, and royal colors appear in our magical axolotl coloring pages
Summer
Try:
- Turquoise
- Coral
- Sunshine yellow
- Sunglasses
- Shells
- Tropical fruit
Possible names include Sunny, Splash, Mango, or Coral.
Autumn
Try:
- Orange
- Red
- Brown
- Gold
- Leaves
- Acorns
- A cozy scarf
Possible names include Maple, Amber, Rusty, or Pumpkin.
Winter
Try:
- Ice blue
- Silver
- Lavender
- Snowflakes
- Knitted hat
- Starry cape
Possible names include Frost, Snowdrop, Crystal, or Winter.
Character Idea 6: The Seahorse Rider
A companion animal can make the character feel like part of a larger story.
The axolotl might:
- Ride a seahorse
- Travel with a turtle
- Perform with a group of fish
- Explore beside a starfish
- Follow a jellyfish lantern
- Sail with a duck
Children can coordinate the companion’s colors with the axolotl’s gills, tail, or accessories.
Ask:
- How did the two characters meet?
- Where are they traveling?
- What problem will they solve together?
- What does each character carry?
- What is their next adventure?
Add Patterns and Small Details
Patterns make a simple body design feel more personal.
Try:
- Spots along the sides
- Stripes on the tail
- Stars across the back
- Hearts on the gills
- Wavy lines on the arms
- Tiny bubbles on the cheeks
- Freckles around the eyes
- A light-to-dark gradient
- Different colors on each gill branch
- Small shells along the tail
- Rainbow dots across the body
Children can test their pattern on scrap paper before adding it to the character.
Choose Accessories
Accessories reveal what the character enjoys.
Ideas include:
- Crown
- Cape
- Backpack
- Headphones
- Paintbrush
- Book
- Guitar
- Chef hat
- Telescope
- Lantern
- Scarf
- Shell necklace
- Party hat
- Glasses
- Bracelet
- Compass
- Tiny satchel
The child does not need to draw every accessory directly on the page.
They can make a separate “character equipment” box on another sheet and draw the important items there.
Give the Character a Name and Profile
After coloring, complete a short character profile.
Name:
Favorite color:
Special talent:
Favorite food:
Best friend:
Home:
Biggest adventure:
Favorite place:
Something the character always carries:
Young children can answer aloud while an adult writes.
Older children can complete the profile independently.
Turn One Design Into a Series
Once the first character is complete, children can design:
- A best friend
- A family member
- A rival
- A pet or companion
- A teacher
- A teammate
- A royal guard
- A band member
- A travel partner
- A superhero sidekick
Repeating the activity helps children experiment with different palettes and personalities.
The finished characters can be displayed together or used in a homemade story.
Make a Simple Character Card
Cut a piece of cardstock into a small card and add:
- A miniature drawing
- Character name
- Power or talent
- Favorite item
- One-sentence story
Keep scissors and craft materials appropriate for the child’s age and supervise as needed.
The character card can be stored in an art folder or displayed beside the original page.
Who Is This Activity Good For?
Design-your-own axolotl activities are especially useful for children who enjoy:
- Drawing
- Coloring
- Character design
- Costumes
- Storytelling
- Animals
- Fantasy
- Superheroes
- Creative decision-making
The activity can work during:
- Quiet time
- Art class
- Homeschool
- Playdates
- Rainy afternoons
- Travel
- Classroom rewards
- Screen-free activity time
There is no perfect final design.
A simple two-color axolotl and a highly detailed galaxy character are equally valid.
Final Thoughts
Character design begins with choices, not advanced drawing skill.
Choose the gills. Choose the eyes. Choose the body and tail.
Add a pattern, accessory, name, and story.
With those small steps, a blank axolotl becomes a character that did not exist before.
Find this design activity and 49 more playful scenes in The Big Axolotl Adventure Coloring Book by Sally Morris.
Disclosure
This post may feature HoneySketch books or products. If you purchase one of our books through a link on this page, HoneySketch may earn royalties or income from that sale at no extra cost to you.
