Free printable hippo coloring pages

Follow hippo calves along the riverbank, watch mothers and young walking through shallow water and join a group heading out to graze at dusk. Broad shapes and layered river scenes offer different amounts of detail.

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Coloring Pages

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1–12 of 18 coloring pages

A hippo lowers its head to a small grass clump, with its full body shown against a plain background.

Hippo Nibbling Grass

easy

A hippo places a front foot on the riverbank while its back feet remain in the water.

Hippo Stepping onto the Bank

easy

A hippo calf stands with its nose close to tall reed leaves on a plain background.

Hippo Calf Sniffing Reeds

easy

A hippo faces forward above the water, surrounded by broad rings of ripples.

Hippo Peeking above the Water

easy

A hippo mother walks along the riverbank beside her calf, which turns its face upward toward her.

Hippo Mother and Calf on the Riverbank

medium

A hippo calf lifts its nose to its mother’s cheek as she lies on the riverbank.

Hippo Calf Nuzzling Its Mother

medium

A hippo mother and calf walk side by side, with their feet drawn below a wavy waterline.

Hippo Mother and Calf Walking in Shallow Water

medium

Two hippos rest in the water, showing their broad faces and rounded backs among ripples.

Two Hippos Resting in the Water

medium

In this hippo family scene, a larger and a smaller hippo lower their noses to separate grass clumps at dusk.

Hippo Family Grazing at Dusk

medium

Two young hippos gather beside a rounded river stone: one lowers its nose and the other raises a front foot.

Young Hippos Discovering a River Stone

medium

Three hippos follow a winding channel, with their heads and rounded backs above the water.

Hippos Following a Shallow Channel

medium

A hippo mother and calf lie close together beneath a wide tree canopy, both with their eyes open.

Hippo Mother and Calf Resting in the Shade

medium

Choose a face above water or a fuller underwater view

The waterline changes which parts are visible. You do not need to draw the hidden parts yourself.

Peeking above the surface

Choose this for a broad face, visible back and a few water ripples.

Hippo Peeking above the Water →

Walking below the waterline

Choose the mother-and-calf scene if you want more of the bodies and the surrounding water to color.

Hippo Mother and Calf Walking in Shallow Water →

Color only what rises above the water

Print the original line drawing linked below. The numbered areas match the color key and steps; use the colored example as a starting point, then choose your own colors if you prefer.

Try it on paper

Original coloring page: Hippo Peeking above the Water →

Gray hippo peeking out of pale blue water ripples on white paper. — A digital color suggestion, not a photograph of a printed result. Open the original line drawing to print and try your own colors.

1. Gray hippo
2. Pale blue ripples

Color the visible head and back gray, leaving eye highlights white.
Add pale blue around the existing ripples, fading gently where the lines open. Leave the outer paper white.

The face and back should stand out, and the ripple lines should still be readable.

Use the waterline as a clue

Compare which body parts appear in the two pictures. Point to the line where water meets the hippo; the blank space below it does not mean legs need to be added.

More selection and activity ideas

Choose a page

Start with a single animal and big open shapes. For more detail, choose a scene with several animals, plants and places to explore.

Try it together

Color the animals first, then try different shades for the foreground and background. Tell a little story about what they are doing.

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