These free animal coloring pages are a simple, open-ended activity that works well for a wide range of ages. There are ten pages in total, each featuring a different animal with a clean, simple design and a blank background. The empty backgrounds are intentional. They give kids room to add their own details, whether that means drawing a habitat around the animal, adding other characters, or just filling in the animal itself.
The designs are basic enough that they work well for toddlers and preschoolers, but older kids can use them as a starting point for more detailed artwork. Crayons, colored pencils, markers, watercolors, and oil pastels all work well on these pages. If your child is just starting to experiment with paint, these simple outlines make a low-pressure canvas to practice on.
You can find even more coloring pages on the site, including printables for specific themes and holidays. There is also an Animal ABC’s coloring book available in the printables shop, with a coloring page for every letter of the alphabet.
How to print these coloring pages
Click on any image below to open it in a new tab. From a computer, right-click the image and select print. From a phone, save the image to your camera roll first, then print over wifi. Each page prints on a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
The animal coloring pages
The ten animals included in this set are a turtle, shark, giraffe, monkey, cat, dog, horse, fox, cow, and moose. Each one is drawn in a simple, friendly style that works well for young children. The blank backgrounds mean there is plenty of white space to color, draw into, or leave open.
If you are looking for a specific animal, we also have a dedicated turtle coloring pages post with more turtle designs to choose from.
Why coloring is worth the time
Coloring does more than keep kids busy. It builds fine motor control, which supports writing skills later on. It also helps kids practice color recognition, focus, and patience. For many children, coloring is genuinely calming. It gives them something to do with their hands while their minds settle.
These kinds of arts and crafts activities are also a good way to open up conversation. Ask a child what they think a fox eats, or where a moose might live, and you have a natural starting point for learning without it feeling like a lesson.
Coloring works especially well alongside other science activities for preschoolers or quiet time at home. It requires almost no setup and very little cleanup, which makes it easy to pull out on short notice.
More coloring pages to print
If your child works through these quickly and wants more, there are several other sets available. The sunflower coloring pages are great for spring. The fire truck coloring pages and T-Rex coloring pages are popular with kids who love vehicles and dinosaurs. There are also apple coloring pages, ballerina coloring pages, cake coloring pages, and a full set of unicorn coloring pages to choose from as well.
All of the free printables on the site are designed to be easy to use at home. No special paper or ink is needed. Print as many copies as you like.
