31 Cute Animal Drawings for Kids
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Looking to help you kids expand their drawing skills? These cute animal drawings for kids are fun for children of all ages!
You can never go wrong with an animal! If someone’s more a colorer than a drawer, these animals are all simple enough for anyone to try!
You draw them, and your kid colors! Take a look at the video if you need some help as you go.
If you’d like to know the material I’m using for this project, here it is!
I’m using this paper, but if you’d like something more child-oriented, let me recommend this pad.
If your artist is a little younger, I think these no-mess paints would be great, and these markers would be fun.
I hope you and the little ones enjoy what gets created on your pages!
VIDEO: 31 Cute Animal Drawing Ideas
1. Dog
A good old standby, man’s best friend. Here’s a simple way to portray a dog.
I will say for most of my drawings, I start at the head and work my way down. It’s a better chance to get the proportions right, but do whatever suits you best!
Any dog-loving kids will have fun with these dog drawing ideas.
2. Koala
Next, we have our friend from the southern hemisphere, the cuddly koala! For some reason, I would just love to hold one of these friends, but I’ve heard they aren’t very kind!
Very easy to draw, great for our younger artists! Start with the larger body parts and then go back in and fill in the details.
3. Hippo
Another simple pal to draw—the hippopotamus!
Straightforward lines to follow for any stage of an artist while practicing. Don’t forget to make that back leg that’s peeking through the backside to avoid a three-legged hippo!
I do like to make my hippos a more fun color, usually! For our purposes, though, the classic colour will do.
4. Giraffe
One of my favorite animals is the giraffe!
So tall and lanky, but such a sweety, and a stunning tongue colour. An unforgettable animal, that’s for sure!
I would start with either side of the neck to help the animal’s dimensions look better. Although, a lopsided giraffe would look pretty cute!
5. Cat
Our other favorite household pet is the cat! Another choice may be easier for our younger kids or those starting to practice drawing.
Simply made with circles, you can draw this feline in no time. A fun addition may be a cute cat toy in the foreground or a mouse zipping by!
If your kiddos love cats, find these cat drawing ideas here!
6. Hamster
My hamster drawing is in the same skill area as the cat. Lots of round lines for this fella, a few simple details, and done!
Just don’t forget that tasty snack for our little friend! Even cuter, a trail of eaten seeds behind this little one!
7. Squirrel
Although a pretty easy animal to spot in the wild, drawing the squirrel may be a bit trickier for some.
Some finer details go into drawing our furry pal.
I’d recommend starting with a backward “G” for the body, then arms, and then the bottom of the head.
Once you have all the body drawn, I’d first fill out the tail, making the middle “S” shape. Then mirror the line on either side to fill the rest of the rear out.
8. Monkey
Who doesn’t love a monkey? Fun to draw, fun to watch goofy videos of them, and fun to act like them every now and again!
I’ve never seen a monkey drawing and not loved it. All you really need is an open-ended rounded rectangle for the body with a circle for the head and then the details however you see them!
9. Tiger
One of the friendliest tigers I’ve ever seen! I know big cats are nothing to joke around about, but seeing a drawn one smiling gets me every time.
I’d love to see a pack drawing of tigers all smiling on the page! Simply make an upside-down “U,” leave a space for the head, and add a circle.
10. Lion
Another big cat to draw is obviously the lion! A friendly lion is just as great as a lovely tiger.
I’d love to see the two of them together on the page! I’d start with the head and mane, then work out from there.
11. Elk
Start practicing early for the holiday season by drawing some elk—a cute cousin of reindeer. I know those antlers can be a tricky business, but they’ll be a piece of cake in no time.
A good trick is to draw the head first and then add the antlers. That way, you can gauge how far apart the antlers should be.
Who else wants some cookies and hot cocoa now? Find more easy drawing ideas here!
12. Pig
A pig is next up on our lineup!
Another more straightforward animal to draw on the list. If you want to dress this pig up, put some mud on it and add a pig sty!
I’d start with a gentle arc between its ears, then ears, and the rest of its face. The body and details are the easy part!
Basing the body on the top of the head helps the proportions of the pig look better.
13. Bear
We’ve had lions and tigers on the list, so naturally, I had to include a bear! No reason to be afraid of this bear, though.
Like the other two, we’re only making friendly animals here!
Use its head as the anchor to draw the rest of the bear. For the body, start with the chest, move towards the rear, and finish up with the back.
14. Deer
Related to the elk, deer are the next item on this list. Although not as showy, deer are sweet animals and are very fun to draw.
To start, draw the ear and continue down the neck, continuing the line to the back and tail. Here’s a good place to rest your pen if needed.
We’ll start from the tail or continue from here downward towards the legs, making two sets of tight “W’s” with a straight horizontal line in the middle for its stomach.
Continue upward, curve outward to make a face, and then back in to make an antler to end back up on the other side of the ear.
15. Frog
Hopping right along, next is the frog!
A favorite amongst many children, frogs are pretty easy to draw. It’s even easier to add silly faces to or illustrate them eating flies with that long tongue!
A good tip, though, is to start with its head. Drawing the head first will help determine the size of the frog and help with proportions.
16. Horse
Horses are another favorite amongst children, it seems. I had many friends when I was little that only drew horses or ponies.
I think they loved making the mane and tail any color of the rainbow on any given horse. Which, I will admit, is my favorite part of coloring a horse.
In a similar fashion to the deer, start at the top of the horse’s body and work your way down and around.
If your kids like this horse, they’ll love this unicorn toilet roll craft.
17. Flamingo
A flamingo is a bird of a different color, literally! So pretty and exotic that you can’t help but draw it.
Here is a fun fact about why they’re pink! It’s because of their limited diet of reddish-pink foods. Draw a fancy two, with a little more arch at the bottom to begin the flamingo neck and back.
Mirror the two shapes drawn previously, but round out away from the rest of the animal when coming to its chest and underbelly.
18. Owl
A wise animal is next on our list: the owl! It’s fun to draw this owl, but the wings take a minute to complete.
You could suggest a different shape or horizontal lines for our younger drawers. But only if they have issues with the form and feel frustrated or see what they create on the page.
19. Hedgehog
When I think of hedgehogs, I usually think of one in particular–Sonic the Hedgehog! Maybe you or your kids do too.
Although Sonic is incredible, a real hedgehog is just so cute! Start out with those spikes and then draw its head and belly after.
Find more cute drawing ideas like that here!
20. Cow
No one can mistake this next animal, the cow, with its signature black and white spots! Another achievable animal for most, it’s an ‘udderly’ fun thing to draw.
In the style of the deer or horse, but simpler!
21. Rabbit
There are countless rabbit and bunny characters out in the world—one had to make it on the list!
This rabbit will be hopping off the page with how simple it is. Start with a half football shape for its head, connect the front ear to the head, and then start the body from the lower back half of the ear.
22. Sheep
Sheep are fluffy clouds with legs, a tail, and a head coming out at the correct spots.
We’ve all gotten a sheep drawing, and I haven’t seen a ‘baaaaad’ one yet! I’m sorry, I’ll stop with the animal puns!
23. Kangaroo
Another from down under, alongside the koala, the kangaroo!
Kangaroos are another drawing subject from childhood I remember kids obsessing over. It happened after learning that mothers carry the roos around in their belly pouch.
I omitted a roo in this post, but if you’re daring enough–add one! Find more easy drawing ideas for kids!
24. Camel
Camels have always brought a little smile to my face. They are goofy-looking animals, and they walk funny.
My camel looks a little friendlier than its living counterpart (I’ve heard they spit!). When drawing, start with its head, then body.
25. Badger
Up next is the badger. Another cute-looking animal on the page is an entirely different story in real life.
Start between its ears and work your way out from there.
26. Rhino
Another animal sweet on the page but potentially dangerous is the rhino. A simple sweetie to draw and even more fun to make another color, anybody will have fun with the rhinoceros!
To get started, start with the rounded edge of the rhino’s forehead and move towards the horn, making a “C” shape for its head.
Need more ideas? Why not try some tree drawing ideas!
27. Seal
A friend from the sea is next, the seal!
Seals can be found all over the world along the coast. However, most do live in arctic waters.
Draw an open thought bubble to start its head! Don’t close the thought bubble.
Add a fishesque or drumstick shape to the back half of the seal. Add the far ligament and fill in details!
Love water animals? Try these fish drawing ideas!
28. Elephant
The other wisest and classically luckier animal, the elephant, has also made the list! So kind and gentle and with more prominent features, a simpler animal to recreate.
I, again, included the elephant in grey, but I love to colour one in a different colour. It makes the drawing feel more special that way.
Make a crooked “S” to start its head and trunk, mirror the trunk line underneath, and then connect the two lines with a wavy line for the snout.
Struggling with your drawings? Try these drawing hacks!
29. Snake
Sssslithering into the next spot is the snake!
The thing about a snake is you either love them or hate them. I’ve never found someone who doesn’t have a feeling about the reptile.
All this is to say; I’ve made this one a little more humourous and friendly looking. As you draw this one, mirror the above and below the lines as you go for a more even-looking snake.
30. Bat
Just in time for the spookiest time of the year, the bat is the next animal on our list. Truth be told, I love coloring a bat with a different color too!
Start with the middle of the head and work your way outwards! For the wings, draw the outside lines, the ribs inside, and the bottom arching lines to connect everything.
You could turn this into a Halloween decor craft, draw many of them, cut them out, and hang them anywhere! Maybe even from a string, so they look like they’re flying!
This little bat is perfect for Halloween, just like these Halloween crafts for toddlers.
31. Crocodile
And for our final friend on the list of characters to draw, the crocodile!
To start were making two different sizes of the number three facing downward. The threes will make the nose and eyes of the crocodile, then continue the back, round towards the tail.
Pick the pen up and do the bottom side.
Looking for more ways to get creative? Try these fun flower painting ideas.
That animal labeled “panda” is clearly a koala.