Easy Octopus Drawing Guide for Kids + Free PDF Worksheet

Get ready to draw a wiggly, wonderful creature of the deep sea! Octopuses are famous for their eight arms and incredible intelligence. This easy drawing guide uses simple shapes and curves to help you draw a cute cartoon octopus ready to hug the ocean floor!

To make practicing even easier, I’ve designed a free PDF practice worksheet specifically for this tutorial. This printable template features a dedicated practice area and clear step-by-step instructions. Download, print, and start bringing your eight-legged friend to life right on the page!

So, grab a pencil, and let’s start drawing your octopus!

How to draw an octopus


Follow these six simple steps to draw a cute cartoon octopus!

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
  • Our Octopus Drawing Guide PDF Worksheet (see bottom of lesson)

Start by drawing lightly so that you can easily erase if you make any mistakes.

Step 1: Draw the Head Outline

Start by drawing a large, rounded oval or slightly flattened circle for the head (mantle).

Draw the head outline of the octopus

Step 2: Draw the Octopus’s Arms

Draw the first three wavy lines coming down from the bottom of the head. Make them curved and thick, ending in rounded tips.

Erase any part of the head outline where the arms attach to make it look connected.

Add the octopus's arms

Step 3: Add the Remaining Two Arms

Draw the last two arms on the sides to complete the set of five visible arms in this cartoon style.

Draw the remaining arms

Step 4: Draw the Octopus’s Suckers

Draw small circles or dots along the bottom edge of the arms for the suckers.

add the suckers of the octopus

Step 5: Add Face Details

Let’s give our octopus a cute face!

  • Draw two large circles for the eyes with tiny dots inside for pupils, and add two small curved lines above them for eyebrows.
  • Draw a curved line for the mouth below the eyes.
  • Add two small ovals at the top of the head for texture or spots.
Draw the octopus's face details

Step 6: Color Your Friendly Octopus!

Time to add color! Octopuses are often reddish-pink, purple, or blue. Color the main body and arms a warm pink or orange. Use the same color or a slightly darker shade for the suckers and fill in the eyes with black.

Color your cute octopus drawing

Octopus Time! Download Your Free PDF Drawing Practice Worksheet!

Time to put a fun, cartoon octopus on your page. Download our free PDF practice worksheet—it’s a blast. Just follow the simple instructions. We left room for you to practice your sketching and make your own great ocean art. Grab your purple and blue pencils and let your imagination dive in!

Click below to get your printable worksheet and have fun drawing!

How to draw an octopus printable PDF practice worksheet

Terms of Use: You can print as many copies as you need for your kids, students, or groups. To share, please link to this page. Please don’t sell, email, post, or share these files in any other way. Thank you!

octopus drawing worksheet pdf

Dive In! Grab 28 FREE Octopus Coloring Pages!

Ready for an ocean adventure? We’ve got 28 free printable PDF coloring sheets packed with smart, interesting octopuses. From intricate patterns to playful cartoon designs, there’s plenty to choose from. Just download your favorites, print them out, and get creative with your crayons and markers today.

three octopus coloring pages surrounded by colored pencils and crayons
explore our ocotpus coloring pages

5 Ways to Make Your Octopus Drawing More Fun!

Draw Bubbles: Add lots of small circles floating up from the octopus to show it swimming underwater.

Octopus drawing surrounded by water bubbles

Add Seashells: Draw colorful seashells scattered around the octopus on the ocean floor.

Octopus drawing surrounded by colorful seashells

Add a Sunken Ship: Draw a large, broken wooden ship nearby to give your octopus a cool home.

Octopus drawing next to a sunken ship

Draw Coral: Give your octopus a home by adding colorful coral and seaweed in the background.

Octopus drawing surrounded by coral reefs

Change the Expression: Change the mouth from a smile to a surprised “O” shape for a different personality.

Surprised cartoon octopus drawing

How to Fix Common Octopus Drawing Mistakes

  • Head Shape: The head in Step 1 should be large and bulbous, like a balloon.
  • Arms Count: Remember that real octopuses have eight arms. Be sure all five visible arms added in Steps 2 and 3 look curved and wiggly, not stiff and straight.
  • Suckers: The circles for suction cups (suckers) detailed in Step 4 should be aligned neatly along the bottom edge of the arms.
  • Face Details: Ensure the eyes and mouth added in Step 5 are centered and look friendly!

Helpful Octopus Drawing Tips and Tricks For Kids

  • Wavy Lines: Use gentle, continuous S-curves to draw the arms to make them look fluid and realistic.
  • Shading: When coloring, use a slightly darker color at the top of the head to make it look round and three-dimensional.
  • Big Eyes: Giving your cartoon octopus large, expressive eyes makes it look friendly and curious.
  • Try Different Poses: Draw the octopus with its tentacles spread wide, or curled up in a ball for different effects.

Octopus Fun Facts for Kids

  • Eight Arms: The name “octopus” literally means “eight feet” or “eight arms.”
  • Blue Blood: Octopuses have blue blood because it contains copper instead of iron to carry oxygen.
  • Amazing Camouflage: They can instantly change the color and texture of their skin to match rocks, sand, or coral, making them nearly invisible!
  • Three Hearts: Octopuses have three hearts! Two hearts pump blood through the gills, and the third circulates blood to the rest of the body.

Explore our How to Draw a Butterfly for Kids

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Looking for more fun animal drawings? Check out our How to Draw Animals Tutorials for more easy step-by-step guides to drawing animals.