How to draw an octopus

Draw along here, then watch it take a bow. Free, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing uploaded.

  1. Draw a big balloon
  2. Four wiggly arms
  3. Four more wiggly arms
  4. Color the head
  5. A unicorn horn!
  6. Cheeks and a smile

How to draw an octopus in 7 steps

To draw an octopus, draw a big dome for the head, then four wiggly arms coming out of each side, eight in all, using the fattest crayon. Color the head, and finish with pink cheeks and a smile. It takes seven steps and about five minutes, and the arms are simply one wavy line each, which makes it one of the easiest animals a child can draw.

You need purple, yellow, orange, pink and black crayons, and paper if you are away from the screen.

  1. Step 1 of drawing an octopus: draw a big round head
    Step 1

    Draw a big round head

    Draw a big dome in the top half of the page, like a balloon. Join the bottom with a shallow curved line.

  2. Step 2 of drawing an octopus: draw four arms on one side
    Step 2

    Draw four arms on one side

    Take the fattest crayon. Draw four wavy lines starting at the bottom of the head on the left. Let them curl in different directions.

  3. Step 3 of drawing an octopus: draw four arms on the other side
    Step 3

    Draw four arms on the other side

    Do the same on the right, so there are eight arms in all. An octopus really does have eight, so this is a good one to count aloud.

  4. Step 4 of drawing an octopus: color the head
    Step 4

    Color the head

    Scribble purple across the head. Octopuses can change color in a moment, so any crayon in the box is a true one.

  5. Step 5 of drawing an octopus: give it a unicorn horn
    Step 5

    Give it a unicorn horn

    This one is optional, and it is what makes it ours: a yellow triangle on top, tilted to one side. Our mascot is an octopus with a unicorn’s horn.

  6. Step 6 of drawing an octopus: add cheeks, a smile and spots
    Step 6

    Add cheeks, a smile and spots

    Press a pink dot on each side of the head, draw a curved smile between them, and press a few yellow spots on top.

  7. Step 7 of drawing an octopus: give it eyes
    Step 7

    Give it eyes

    Draw two big circles on the head with a black dot in each, close together, above the smile. On the screen, press Bring it to life, then tap twice and two googly eyes stick on.

Easier or harder, for any age

Most children can copy a circle at about three and a triangle at about five, so the shapes set the level. The sources are in our guide to what a child can draw at each age.

Ages 3 and 4
Draw a big circle and let them add as many wiggly lines as they like, then count them together. Nobody needs to stop at exactly eight. Wiggly lines come easily to a two-year-old.
Ages 5 and 6
Follow the steps as they are, and count the arms aloud as they go on. This one is quick at this age, so there is time for the horn, the spots and whatever else they want to add.
Ages 7 and 8
Draw each arm as two lines that get closer together toward the tip, add rows of round suckers underneath, and hide the octopus in a coral cave with a few fish looking on.

Make your octopus your own

  • Draw round suckers along each arm
  • Give each arm something to hold
  • Add bubbles rising from its head
  • Draw fish swimming between the arms
A crayon drawing of an octopus cut out as a paper puppet with googly eyes, on a little lit stage

Then your octopus takes the stage

Press Bring it to life and scissors go around the drawing. It lifts off the page as a paper puppet, gets two googly eyes and hops onto a little lit stage under the sea. From there every key or tap makes it jump, spin or sneeze while bubbles rise, a school of fish goes by and a whale sings. The show is saved as a short video on your device.

Start drawing

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This page is for children, so it is kept apart from the rest of the shop. Children’s privacy notice

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Drawings
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What to draw next

12 draw-alongs, all free See them all

Keep a drawing forever

A drawing that has just taken a bow can be stitched in real thread or kept on a necklace. From the grown-up gate it goes straight into the studio, and you see how it comes out before you order.

A painting of a ballerina held beside the sweatshirt it was stitched onto Drawing embroidery On a sweatshirt, hoodie, tee or tote, from $45 A gold pendant cut to the outline of a child’s ballerina drawing Drawing necklace Every line kept, from $59

Questions about drawing an octopus

Anything else, write to hello@thecuriousthing.com.

How do you draw octopus arms?

Draw each one as a single wavy line with a fat crayon, starting from the bottom of the head and curling at the tip. That is easy enough for a small child and still looks right. For more detail, use two lines that taper toward the tip and add round suckers.

How many arms does an octopus have?

Eight. They are arms, not tentacles, and all eight carry suckers. Squid and cuttlefish have eight arms and two longer tentacles as well.

Is this drawing website free, with no ads and no sign-up?

Yes. There is nothing to pay, no ads, no account and no email to give. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing a child draws is uploaded: the drawing, the puppet and the show stay on your device. Read the children’s privacy notice.

Can we do it on real paper instead?

Yes. Every step is written out on this page with a picture. If you draw it on paper, tap the cross on the page, choose Upload a drawing and take a photo. The paper is removed on your device, and the octopus still goes on the stage.