Hippo Coloring Pages
Hippo coloring pages show the round river giant of Africa, yawning, wallowing and floating with its baby. Big simple shapes make hippos a great pick for toddlers, with detailed river scenes for older kids.
Very simple hippo coloring pages ages 2-4
Easy hippo coloring pages ages 3-6
Medium hippo coloring pages ages 6-10
Detailed hippo coloring pages ages 10+ and adults
More ways to browse
Hippos look funny and friendly, and kids enjoy the huge mouth and tiny ears. Talk about why hippos stay in the water all day: it keeps their skin cool and safe from the sun. Real hippos are gray to purple-gray with pinkish skin around the eyes, ears and mouth. Add blue water, green reeds and maybe a bird resting on the hippo's back.
Hippo pages are a good way to practice blending. Color the body gray, then go over the belly and face lightly with pink. Kids can also color only the part above the water and make the rest blue.
Fun facts to share while you color
- The word hippopotamus means river horse in Greek.
- Hippos spend most of the day in water to keep cool.
- Hippos come out at night to eat grass on land.
- Hippos cannot really swim, so they walk or push off the river bottom.
- A hippo's skin makes a reddish oily liquid that helps protect it.
Ways to use these hippo pages
- Make a hippo puppet with a mouth that opens by gluing the head and jaw onto two parts of a folded paper plate.
- Fill the hippo's open mouth with drawn food and count how much it ate.
- Color a river scene and add cut-out paper fish and birds around the hippo.
- Play a hungry hippo game by tossing paper balls into a big colored hippo mouth taped to a box.
Questions parents and teachers ask
What color is a real hippo?
Hippos are gray to purple-gray, with pink or reddish skin around the eyes, ears and mouth. Wet skin can look shiny.
Where do hippos live?
Wild hippos live in rivers and lakes in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
Are hippo pages easy enough for toddlers?
Yes. The round body and big head are easy to fill in, and the very simple pages have thick lines for small hands.
