Elephant At The Pond
Draw one friendly elephant standing beside a small pond, with very large ears, a curved trunk and four sturdy legs. Add two large water lilies and a few broad grass shapes around the….
Animal Templates
These animal templates give children simple outlines to colour, cut, decorate and use in craft projects. They suit children aged 3 to 12, with easier designs for younger children and more detailed ideas for older learners. The templates are free to print for home or classroom use.
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Choose an animal to make
Bunny In The Garden
Draw a seated rabbit with two long upright ears, a round body and a fluffy tail, facing a large carrot in a simple garden. Add only three large leaves and a wide ground line.
Fish With Bubbles
Draw one large side-view fish with a rounded body, clear fins and a wide tail, swimming past three big bubbles and two simple seaweed shapes. Leave generous spaces for colouring scale….
Turtle On The Sand
Draw a friendly turtle walking from left to right on a sandy beach, with a large rounded shell, four chunky feet and a small sun shape above the horizon. Add two broad shell pattern….
Lion With A Mane
Draw a front-facing lion head with a large round mane, two clear ears, big eyes and a simple muzzle. Add three large mane sections around the head without placing any background objects….
Cow In The Meadow
Draw a standing cow facing left, with a large body, short legs, a clear tail and three oversized irregular patch shapes. Place it on a simple meadow with two wide grass clumps.
Butterfly On A Flower
Draw a front-facing butterfly perched on a single large flower, with two matching rounded wings on each side and a simple body. Add one broad stem and two large leaves.
Owl On A Branch
Draw a front-facing owl sitting on a thick branch at night, with two large circular eyes, a small beak and broad feather sections. Add one large crescent moon shape and two simple stars….
Peacock With Open Feathers
Draw a front-facing peacock standing with its tail fully open as one large rounded fan, a clear body and two feet. Divide the fan into a few large feather sections with big oval eye shapes.
Puppy With A Ball
Draw a sitting puppy with floppy ears and a large round ball beside its front paws. Add a simple garden ground line and one broad bush shape behind the puppy.
Goat By The Village Wall
Draw a standing goat facing right beside a low rural wall, with curved horns, a beard, four legs and a small leafy plant near its feet. Keep the wall and plant behind the goat so its….
Monkey In A Mango Tree
Draw a monkey hanging by one arm and its curled tail from a thick mango-tree branch, reaching toward one large mango. Include two broad leaves and a few additional rounded leaves behind….
Frog On A Lily Pad
Draw a frog sitting on a large lily pad at a pond edge, with bent hind legs, raised eyes and one front foot touching a small ripple. Add two reeds and one open water lily behind it.
Cat With A Yarn Ball
Draw a playful kitten crouching beside a large yarn ball, with one paw touching the ball and a single thick curved strand looping across the ground. Add a small cushion behind the kitten.
Penguin On The Ice
Draw a standing penguin sliding one foot forward on an ice floe, with a rounded white belly, flippers and a clear beak. Add two simple snow hills and three large snowflake-like shapes….
Horse And The Cart
Draw a side-view horse pulling a small two-wheeled village cart, with a harness shown by broad straps and a driver seat left empty. Place the pair on a simple Indian rural path with a….
Parrot On A Balcony
Draw a parrot perched on a rounded balcony rail, with a curved beak, long tail feathers and one raised wing. Add a potted plant with three large leaves beside the rail, suggesting an….
Seal By The Shore
Draw a seal lying on its belly at the seashore, lifting its head toward a floating beach ball. Add two wide waves, a smooth shoreline and a small shell near the front flipper.
Deer In The Forest
Draw a side-view deer taking a careful step between two tree trunks, with branching antlers, a spotted back and a lowered head. Add ferns, a few fallen leaves and a distant forest opening.
Squirrel With An Acorn
Draw a squirrel sitting on a tree stump and holding one large acorn in its front paws, with a full curved tail behind its back. Add three broad autumn leaves and a simple woodland ground.
Duck Family At Dawn
Draw one adult duck leading two smaller ducklings across a pond at sunrise, with clear bills, feet and rounded bodies. Add a low sun, two reeds and gentle wide water ripples while….
Tiger In The Jungle
Draw a side-view tiger walking through an Indian jungle, with a strong body, curved tail, clear paws and bold stripe sections. Frame it with large bamboo leaves, tall grasses and a….
Elephant At The Festival
Draw a decorated Indian elephant walking in profile with a raised trunk, large ears, layered blanket shapes and a simple floral headpiece. Place it on a village street with a few large….
Peacock In The Rain
Draw a peacock standing with its feather fan partly open during a monsoon shower, showing layered feathers, a crest and a curved neck. Add large raindrops, puddle ripples, broad banana….
Camel In The Desert
Draw a camel walking across Indian desert dunes with a simple saddle blanket, a curved neck and a long tail. Add two large desert plants, a distant fort-like silhouette and a low evening….
Panda In Bamboo
Draw a seated panda holding one bamboo stalk, with distinct eye patches, rounded paws and a large belly. Surround it with several thick bamboo stems and broad leaves, leaving the panda….
Crocodile River Crossing
Draw a crocodile moving through a shallow river with its head and back above the water, showing a long body, sturdy legs and a segmented tail. Add reeds, flat stones and a small Indian….
Sparrow At Breakfast
Draw a sparrow perched on the edge of a shallow Indian kitchen windowsill, pecking at a small bowl of grains. Include a window frame, one potted herb and a morning sky beyond, while….
Fox In The Snow
Draw a fox curled beside a snow-covered log at dusk, with a large bushy tail wrapped around its paws and clear pointed ears. Add pine branches, three broad snowdrifts and a large moon….
Bear By The Campfire
Draw a friendly bear sitting beside a small contained campfire, holding a mug with both paws. Place the bear in a forest clearing with tree trunks, rocks and a few broad evening stars,….
At a glance
- Ages: 3 to 12
- Skills: Cutting, colouring, drawing and creativity
- You need: Paper, crayons, scissors and glue
- Time: 15 to 40 minutes
Animal outlines for different ages
This set includes familiar animals with clear outlines that children can use in many ways. Younger children can colour large shapes, add simple patterns and practise cutting around wide edges. Older children can combine pieces, create puppets, make masks or turn an outline into a labelled animal study. The set can sit alongside Shape Templates when your child wants to build an animal from circles, ovals and other basic forms. Choose a simple design for first attempts, then offer a more detailed one as cutting and drawing become steadier.
Craft ideas for home and class
At home, let your child colour an animal, cut it out and stick it on a paper bag, card or folded scene. Several finished animals can become a farm, forest or zoo display on a wall or large sheet of paper. In class, children can work in pairs to make an animal group, sort the pictures by habitat or add labels such as legs, tail, ears and eyes. You can also use the templates for story prompts, puppet theatre, a nature topic or a display connected to an Indian animal theme.
Helping children cut and decorate neatly
Young children often start cutting from the middle of a shape, turn the paper too quickly or snip through a narrow part by mistake. Show your child how to keep the scissors moving slowly while the other hand turns the paper. Encourage short cuts around curves and leave small details uncut until the main outline is finished. Too much glue can make a paper animal curl, so small dots work better than a thick spread. Older children can add symmetry, texture, labels or a habitat background without hiding the animal's main features.
Lumi's tips
- Make it easier by choosing a large outline and drawing a thick guide line just inside the cutting edge.
- Make it harder by asking your child to add the animal's habitat and label three body parts.
- Keep it fun by using finished animals to act out a short story about caring for wildlife.
How to download and print
- Sign in or join free, it takes a few seconds.
- Choose a page and tap Download. Pick A4 or US Letter to match your paper.
- Open the PDF and print at "Actual size" (100%) so nothing is cut off.
- Your downloads stay in My Library, so you can print them again any time.
Questions parents ask
What can children do with animal templates?
Children can colour, cut, decorate and paste the outlines. They can also use them for puppets, cards, displays, story scenes and simple animal studies.
Are animal templates suitable for preschool children?
Yes. Choose large, bold outlines for children aged 3 to 5 and provide child-safe scissors with close supervision. Older children can use smaller details and add labels or habitat backgrounds.
How do I download and print the animal templates?
Create a free EarlyActivity account to download printables. The PDFs are made for A4 and US Letter paper, and the site recommends printing at Actual size, or 100 percent.
Can I use these animal templates in a classroom?
Yes. You may print them for use at home or in your own classroom. Sharing or reselling the files is not allowed.
How can I make an animal craft more educational?
Ask your child to name the animal, describe where it lives and label a few body parts. Older children can compare two animals or write a short fact card.
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Pumpkin Templates
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