Preschool Hippo Craft With Template

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This children's hippo craft is super fun and easy to make! In fact, it's a fantastic and fun animal themed craft idea that you can make at home, in the preschool or kindergarten setting.

Use the fun Hippo craft template to create one, two or maybe three super cute love heart hippos. It's a great Hippo valentine craft and one we are super pleased to share with you today. You can also use this as a letter h hippo craft to help with literacy!

You can also use this Hippopotamus activity as a way to teach kids interesting facts about the hippo. I've shared some basic facts below.

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💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
🎨 Supplies Needed
🖌️ How To Make Preschool Hippo Craft With Template
Download Template
🧑‍🎨 Expert Tips
💭 FAQs
🖌️ Related Crafts
Preschool Hippo Craft With Template

💖 Why You'll Love This Craft

Easy for Little Hands: The included template makes this craft simple for preschoolers to follow, promoting confidence as they cut, glue, and create.
Cute & Quirky Design: The hippo’s adorable features are sure to capture kids' attention and inspire them to get creative with colors and textures.
Great for Animal Lovers: Perfect for young ones fascinated by wildlife or for incorporating into animal-themed learning activities.

🎨 Supplies Needed

🖌️ How To Make Preschool Hippo Craft With Template

Step 1: Print template out. Colour the template with crayons or markers.

Step 2: Cut pieces out and set aside.

Step 3: Paint the hippo toilet tube and allow the paint to dry completely. It may require multiple coats of paint.

Step 4: Glue the hippopotamus template pieces onto the toilet tube.

Step 5: Cut out your hippo's eyes and glue onto the toilet tube.

Step 6: Use a black marker to add a smile onto the face. Your Valentines Hippo craft is ready to enjoy.

You may really enjoy more animal-themed crafts. We have some fantastic ideas including some Paper Bag Alligators. We also have a fun Zebra Craft and a fantastic Monkey-themed preschool activity, which I am sure you will love.

Download Template

Download your free Printable Hippo Craft Template and Printable Eyes here!

💡 Pro Tip: Use a numbered layout sheet as a placement guide to help kids follow a consistent order while matching and attaching the template parts.

🧑‍🎨 Expert Tips

Shape Sorting: Ask kids to group similar-looking parts like ears, feet, or eyes before starting—this builds early categorization and visual grouping skills.
Segment Order: Encourage arranging all cut-out parts in the order they’ll be attached, helping children understand assembly flow step by step.
Visual Matching: Let children compare template parts to a reference image before gluing, reinforcing recognition of visual cues and relational detail.
Body Mapping: Guide them to locate where each part belongs on the main body shape—this supports logical placement through visual deduction.
Size Comparison: Have kids compare smaller parts to larger ones before attaching, developing judgment on where certain pieces logically fit best.
Completion Checking: After building, ask children to point out each part they added—this reinforces sequencing memory and self-review habits.

💭 FAQs

Can it improve sense of height use?

Yes, positioning head above legs or ears above face builds awareness of vertical position and helps train realistic placement choices.

Can it improve low-speed transitions?

Yes, working at a slower pace while changing hands boosts control. It prevents jerky movements and helps keep the project steady.

Why is gradual switching useful here?

Switching hands slowly during gluing or folding teaches smoother transitions. Kids learn to pace physical changes without rushing adjustments.

How does this craft build part structure sense?

Children learn how multiple small blocks come together to make one whole figure. It gives them a clearer view of part-to-whole relationships.

Did you make this craft? Leave a review and comment below! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest.