Easy Animals To Draw: Step by Step Tutorials For Kids
Looking for a fun art activity to do with your kids? I created a list of 22 easy animals to draw. My easy step-by-step tutorials will have your kids drawing furry, scaly, and feathered friends in no time. And the best part is these tutorials are designed for kids just starting out, so they’re easy to follow. Ready to get started?
Drawing is an excellent way for kids to express their creativity. It can also be a fun bonding activity for parents and kids.
The best part? Anybody can learn how to draw. It just takes a little practice. This post will show you how to draw all kinds of animals using simple step-by-step tutorials.
These tutorials are designed specifically for kids who are just starting out. So, grab some pencils and paper and follow along. You will be drawing animals in no time!
In a hurry? Use the table of contents below to jump straight to the section you want to read.
- How To Start Drawing Animals
- Get Ready To Offer Encouragement
- 22 Easy Animals To Draw – Step-by-Step Tutorials
- Easy Animals To Draw Beginner Level
- Easy Animals to Draw – Mid Level
- Easy Animals to Draw -Hardest Level
This post is part of my growing collection of easy drawing and coloring projects. Need more inspiration to keep kids busy? Our Indoor Activities page is also packed with fun ideas.
How To Start Drawing Animals
Cartoon Animals Are The Easiest Place to Start
For young artists, cartoon characters can be the perfect introduction to the world of drawing. Cartoon critters are the easiest animals to draw and provide a fun way to begin honing your drawing skills. Cartoon characters are not meant to be realistic replicas, so there is less pressure to create a masterpiece. Plus, cartoons often have simple shapes and features. This makes them a great starting point for developing hand-eye coordination and understanding basic principles of proportion and perspective. All of the step-by-step drawing guides feature cartoon-type animals.
Starts By Looking at The Shapes
Observing and recognizing shapes is one of the most critical skills in drawing. By teaching young artists to identify basic shapes like circles, triangles, and squares, we can help them to lay the foundation for more complex drawings.
When working through our tutorials, draw attention to the simple shapes that start the animal. For example, the mouse face begins with a triangle, to which you add three circles. This exercise helps shape recognition and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving.
Have Drawing Materials Ready To Go
One of the best ways to encourage kids to draw is by ensuring they have all the materials they need.
This doesn’t mean you must go out and buy expensive supplies. A simple pencil and paper will do just fine.
However, it can be helpful to have a variety of different types of drawing tools on hand. Keep them out and ready to be used.
You probably have everything you need, but here is a list. Buy the best quality you can.
- Ticonderoga pencils and a sharpener
- Sketchbook and an eraser
Get Ready To Offer Encouragement
Like any skill, learning to draw takes practice. Children may get discouraged if their drawings don’t look ‘perfect.’ Remind them that practice makes perfect and that everyone’s drawings look different. It’s important to offer encouragement and praise along the way.
Please read this article to discover one powerful word that will inspire a child that says I can’t.
Use our step-by-step tutorials to help your child develop their drawing skills painlessly. Starting with our 22 easy animals to draw.
22 Easy Animals To Draw – Step-by-Step Tutorials
The best way to help your child learn to draw the animals is to show the step-by-step process, so each of our animal tutorials has 8 or 9 steps.
Most animals start with simple shapes, and some of these shape overlap. As shown in the diagram below, you must erase some overlapping lines.
Encourage your child to make fainter lines first, so the overlaps are easier to erase. Once the outline is completed, they can go over their drawing with darker lines.
These tutorials are designed for kids who are just starting out. Why not join your kids as they learn how to draw these animals. Just grab some pencils and paper and follow along.
Easy Animals To Draw Beginner Level
The following tutorials are for complete beginners and are the simplest drawing tutorials we have to share. We have 8 really easy animals to draw. Follow the simple step-by-step instructions to create your first animals.
Step by Step Snake
This snake is one of the easiest animals to draw. Start with an oval head and add two circles for the eyes. Add the mouth and a tongue next. Then draw two S shape lines for the body, and you are done. What color will you make your snake? Can you draw some patterns on its body?
Step by Step Alligator
Who would have thought an alligator was such an easy animal to draw? Start with a long thin oval. Add a tail and two eyes. The mouth is a zigzag line, and the legs are more ovals. Alligators live in water, so remember to add some ripples around it.
Step by Step Spider
Draw a bunch of spiders for Halloween with our easy tutorial. They are such easy animals to draw. Start with an oval head and add two circles for the eyes. Another oval makes the body; now, add features and legs. Can you also draw a web for your spider?
Step by Step Owl
We are moving forward with this owl tutorial. It still uses simple shapes but is a little more involved. Start with two overlapping circles. Notice that the top circle is a little larger than the bottom one. Add some eyes. Now draw five triangles to make the beak, wings, and feet, and your owl is complete. Owls live in trees. Can you draw a tree branch for your owl to sit on?
Step-by-Step Mouse
Mice are also easy animals to draw. Start with a triangle face. Notice that the corners of the triangle are rounded. Add circles for the nose, ears, and eyes. What can you add to your picture? Can you draw a home for your mouse?
Step by Step Ant
We’ll start with 3 overlapping circles. Add a rounded triangle to complete the ant’s body and two circles for the eyes. Now all that is left is the legs. Can you draw your ants climbing up a blade of grass? How about making a comic strip with ants as the hero?
Step by Step Cat
Our cute cat starts with a round circle. Add eyes, nose, and mouth, and 2 triangles for ears. Draw a small oval for the body and add two little legs. Finish off with a tail and whiskers, and you are done! Can you make a scene with your cat? You could add a mouse to the picture. Would the cat and mouse be friends?
Step by Step Elephant
Our elephant may look more complicated at first glance, but it is quite easy. Just break it down into simple shapes. Start with a circle and add two small circles for the eyes and two small ovals for the ears. Finish the face by adding a trunk. The body is just an oval with two simple legs. Finish with a tail, and you have an elephant! You can find some beautiful photographs of elephants here. Look at the landscape in the pictures. Can you add something similar to your elephant picture?
Want another easy drawing activity? Try making a comic strip. Click here for step by step instructions.
Easy Animals to Draw – Mid Level
Now that you have completed the easy tutorials, it’s time to move on. The following tutorials still feature easy animals to draw, but the tutorials have a few more steps. Follow along, and soon you will be drawing some fantastic animals.
Step by Step Butterfly
Like many other animals, the butterfly starts with a series of circles. Add some ovals for the body, and then add both wings. Now add some legs and an antenna. All that is left is to draw in some pretty patterns on the wings. Can you draw some flowers for your butterfly to visit?
Step by Step Frog
Our frog starts with three circles. Add the details of the eyes. Draw another circle for the body and two oblong ovals for the legs. Some more tiny ovals and circles will give you feet. Can you add some details to your picture? Draw the pond. What is your frog sitting on? Could it be a lily pad?
Step by Step Beetle
Like the frog, the beetle starts with three circles. Notice that the circles for the eyes are different sizes. One is a little smaller than the other. This gives a sense of depth to the finished picture. Now add an oval for the body. The next shape is a little trickier. It is like an oval, but the bottom edge is flattened. Add another wing and some legs, and your beetle is finished. Can you draw some large blades of grass for your beetle to explore?
Step by Step Ladybug
The ladybug is the same as the beetle for the first 8 steps. Then you add two extra wing tips at the back. Of course, the ladybug has beautiful red colors with black spots. How many spots will your ladybug have? Lady bugs like to hang out on flowers to wait for their food. Can you draw some flowers for your ladybug?
Step by Step Rabbit
I love this cute rabbit. Start your drawing with an oval head and some facial features. Draw a larger oval for the body and add some long skinny ovals for the ears and feet. Now you can draw a rabbit? Would this rabbit look cute on an Easter card? Can you draw a garden full of yummy vegetables for the rabbit to eat? The gardener won’t be happy!
Step by Step Giraffe
Now we are moving on to slightly harder animals, but they all use the same simple shapes. Start with two ovals and connect them with a long tube. Add the legs, facial features, and little horns. Your giraffe is done. Did you know that Giraffes like to eat the leaves from the trees? That is why they have such long necks. Can you add some trees to your drawing?
Step-by-Step Chicken
This is another tricky one! Start with a large circle and then follow the instructions to shape the body from the circle. Add the beak, eyes, comb, and wattle. The comb is above the head, and the wattle is below. Legs come next, and then some triangles for feet. Can you draw a farmyard for your chicken?
Easy Animals to Draw -Hardest Level
These last tutorials are for the more advanced artists. But don’t worry; they are still easy animals to draw. They start with basic shapes to create the animal form. These drawings have more steps, and some of the shapes are refined as you go. Just follow along one step at a time, and soon you will be able to draw these animals like a pro. This stage will need lots of practice, so keep going.
Step by Step Pig
We’ve got another farm animal. This time it is a pig. Start with a circle and an oval. Add a snout as shown. You will start with triangle ears, and the legs are rectangles. Finish your pig off with a curly tail. Can you draw a whole group of pigs? You could draw Wilbur the pig and his friend Charlotte the spider from the book Charlotte’s Web.
Step by Step Cow
The cow starts with four rectangles. One for the head, body, and legs. These are slowly shaped into the cow. Follow along step by step, adding the face and then the udder. Shape the body and add horns and a tail. Can you draw a herd of cows in a field?
Step by Step Horse
We are moving on with this adorable horse. Start with the body and head. Please take a moment to study the shapes, as they are close to the ovals but are not regular. Once you have the body in place, add the neck and legs. You can add the mane and tail when you are happy with those. Can you draw a lovely meadow for your horse to live in? You could draw a friend for them to play with.
Step by Step Sheep
Next, we will draw a sheep. Soon you will be able to draw a whole farm! The sheep starts with an oval for the outline of the face. There are seven steps for the face alone. Follow along one step at a time to add eyes, ears, mouth, and a little tuft of hair. Now add a larger oval for the body. Add lots of overlapping circles to create the sheep’s wooly coat. Add the legs. Can you draw a flock of sheep in a meadow?
Step by Step Dog
I love this cute puppy with its tongue hanging out. The body and legs start as ovals, and then you need to shape these ovals as shown in each step. You start with a circle for the head and an egg shape for the body. Notice how one end of the oval is slightly flattened. Add the eyes and a circle for the puppy muzzle. Then add the ears. Add a tail, and you are done. Can you draw some toys for your dog to play with?
Step by Step Monkey
Doesn’t this monkey look cheeky? Its face starts with a series of circles and one oval. Add a smaller circle for the body, arms, legs, and feet. The tail is the final touch. You could draw a jungle for your monkey to live in. Monkeys live in the jungle.
Step by Step Zebra
Our last animal comes from Africa. The Zebra starts with an oval body and a circle for the head.
Follow the steps to add the neck and then the face. The mane legs and tail are filled in next, and the final touch is the stripes.
You can see some glorious photographs of zebras in the wild. Look at the landscape in the pictures. Can you add something similar to your Zebra picture?
Looking For Some More Easy Animals To Draw?
Now that you’ve seen how easy it can be to draw animals try a few more. Here are some books that have easy drawing tutorials.
There you have it! We hope you have enjoyed our step-by-step drawing tutorials.
Drawing is an excellent activity for kids because it sparks their creativity and imagination while also providing an opportunity to learn new skills.
Our list of 22 easy animals to draw is designed for beginners. Just remember to offer encouragement and praise along the way!
Practice makes perfect! So grab some paper and pencils and start drawing cute critters with your kids today!
Stuck inside and need more ideas? Our Indoor Activities page is packed with crafts, games, science experiments and more to keep kids happily busy.