On this page, you will find 22 hippo coloring pages that are all free to download and print! While hippos are undeniably cute, they are actually one of the most fierce and dangerous animals in the Sahara. Whether for a class project, or a rainy day activity, these sheets offer tons of creative fun! All you need are some markers and some imagination!
For this series of sheets, I illustrated various hippos, including simple to-color ones for kids, mandala hippos for adults to relax, cute kawaii hippos, famous hippos from movies and TV shows, plus tons more!
If you want to bring these hippopotamuses to life, simply click on any of the below images or links, which will open the high-resolution PDF on a new page. From there, you can download and print any of the PDFs entirely for free!
All these PDF coloring pages are on standard US letter size, but they also fit perfectly onto A4 paper sizes! Enjoy!
10 Craft Ideas To Do With Hippo Coloring Pages
Here are 10 cheap, fun, and creative craft ideas you can do with your completed coloring page!
1. Hungry Hippo Serving Tray
If you use serving trays for dry snacks, have your youngster make a hungry hippo tray.
Use any size plastic tray, as long as it’s transparent. The finished coloring page should be glued face-up to the bottom of the tray with invisible glue.
The hippo can be cut out or the page used in its entirety.
The key is to arrange the snacks near the hippo’s open mouth so that it looks like he is eating them!
2. Make a Funny Storage Folder
This craft is as easy as it is fun! Let your youngster color two identical hippo coloring pages, trim them as desired, and carefully glue the outer edges together on three sides.
The hippo’s mouth should be at the top, and this should be the fourth side left open.
Small items that are easily lost can then be placed inside the hippo’s “mouth.” The finished craft works somewhat like a manila envelope, only it’s a lot more fun!
3. Hanging Hippo
For an adorable hanging ornament, fold a paper plate in half and have your child color it like a hippo’s mouth.
The youngster should then color the face of the coloring page.
The hippo head should be cut out and glued to a piece of cardboard with a small hole at the top so it can be hung up.
The folded paper plate should then be glued or stapled over the hippo’s mouth. Whenever the paper plate is moved, it will look as if the hippo is talking!
4. Adorable Hippo Containers
If you use containers to store food or other edibles, why not let some hungry hippos help you out?
All children love this craft, and it begins with coloring amusing hippos, making sure to choose variations with open mouths!
One should be colored to laminate the container lid, and another to use as a decal for the side.
If you have an entire set of containers, the youngster can use similar coloring pages to make a “matched set.”
5. Who’s that Hippo?
Time to put those hippo coloring pages to good use in a classroom.
Using simple, white paper plates and have the youngsters color hippo faces and glue them to the back of the plates.
Next, a place for the eyes should be cut out, and large craft sticks should be attached to the backside of the paper plates. The children can now hold the hippo up as a mask.
The youngsters can then switch seats and see if the teacher can identify them from behind their hippo masks by their voices only.
6. Laminate a Lunch Box
A boring lunch box can easily be made interesting with one or more of the above coloring sheets.
Youngsters can choose their favorite hippo designs and use them as decals on an otherwise plain lunch box.
One can be used on the outside of the box, another to line the inside, and even one to laminate the handle.
Contact paper works well to seal your child’s work and keep the box looking nice!
7. Hippo in a Hammock
For this fun craft, cut a “hammock” out of an ordinary paper plate. Glue the hammock to a piece of poster board, leaving space to tuck something behind it.
When the coloring page is finished, the hippo can be cut out and tucked into the hammock, and the child can color the poster’s background however he or she chooses.
When finished, it can be hung in a bedroom or classroom for an adorable piece of wall art.
8. Make a Lifelike Hippo
For this craft, the hippo’s body is cut from the coloring page and glued to the top of a styrofoam bowl, with the head cut out separately.
From a piece of construction paper, a large “U” shaped hippo mouth should be cut out and attached to the end of the hippo’s body.
The inside of the “mouth” should be colored pink, and a big red tongue drawn in the center.
Two white pom-poms are perfect for teeth, and wiggle eyes can be attached to complete this funny lifelike hippo.
9. Paper Bag Puppet
Hippo coloring sheets are perfect for paper bag puppets and hippos are the ideal size to make this craft lots of fun.
The hippo’s head and body should be cut from the coloring page in two parts.
The head should be glued to the bottom of the paper bag, and the body to the sleeve.
In the fold, youngsters can use pink or red markers and white puffy paint to create a mouth that can be opened wide whenever they put their hand inside!
10. A Hilarious Hippo Pin Cushion
Any of the above pages will work for this fun craft. Once the hippo is colored, it should be cut out and glued to a circular piece of corkboard.
The youngster can add wiggle eyes, pink pom-poms for the ears and nose, and part of a pipe cleaner for the tail.
A giant craft pom-pom can be used to create a bulging tummy on the hippo, which can serve as a comical pincushion in mom’s sewing room!