Free Printable Safari Animals to Cut Out – Looking for free printable safari animals you can cut out for kids’ crafts, classroom activities, or party decorations? These simple paper templates let children color, cut, and create lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras, and more. Perfect for preschool and elementary ages in the USA, they help build fine-motor skills, scissor practice, and animal recognition while keeping things low-cost and screen-free.
Print on standard US Letter (8.5 x 11 inch) cardstock or regular paper, color if desired, then cut along the outlines. Many sets also work as standing figures, puppets, or matching games. Below you’ll find trusted, currently available free resources with direct links to the download or printable pages.
Best Free Sources for Safari Animal Cut-Out Printables
FirstPalette Safari Animal Templates
FirstPalette offers clean, free PDF templates designed specifically for coloring and crafts. The sets include giraffe, lion, zebra, elephant, hyena, impala, cheetah, baboon, and rhinoceros in both black-and-white (ideal for coloring then cutting) and pre-colored versions.
Print on cardstock, cut out the animals, and optionally add the free bases and stands to make standing paper figures. These work well for classroom displays, dioramas, or simple sorting activities.
Download the free sets directly:
FirstPalette Safari or African Savanna Animals printables
Simple Mom Project Jungle Safari Craft Templates
Simple Mom Project provides free printable cut-and-paste templates for classic safari animals. Individual free templates cover monkey, lion, elephant, giraffe, rhino, hippo, crocodile, leopard, tiger, and zebra. Kids color the pieces, cut them out, and glue them together to build the animal.
These are sized for easy preschool and kindergarten use and support letter recognition (for example, “G” for giraffe or “E” for elephant) as well as fine-motor practice. Ideas include turning finished animals into paper-plate or paper-bag puppets, or hiding them around the house for a backyard “safari” hunt.
Start here for the full collection of free templates:
Simple Mom Project Printable Jungle Safari Animal Craft Templates
Gathered Free Safari Printables
Gathered offers a free multi-page set of African safari patterned papers and animal characters (lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, hippos, and more). The designs are ready for fussy-cutting—print, then carefully cut out the animals and foliage to use in cards, box scenes, or collage crafts.
Direct PDF downloads are available on the page so you can save and print only what you need.
Get the free collection:
Gathered Free Safari Printables
Free Printable Safari Animals to Cut Out
How to Use Free Printable Safari Animal Cutouts?
- Classroom or homeschool: Use for animal unit studies, counting, size ordering, or habitat matching.
- Fine-motor practice: Provide safety scissors and let kids cut along simple outlines.
- Parties and decorations: Create banners, table scatter, or photo-booth props.
- Play extensions: Glue finished animals to sticks for puppets, or make a 3-D scene with cardboard and grass cutouts.
- Printing tips: Use US Letter paper or cardstock. Color first if using black-and-white versions. Laminate finished cutouts for reuse if desired. Always supervise young children with scissors.
These resources are free for personal and educational use as stated on the source sites. Avoid commercial redistribution.
FAQ
Are these printables really free?
Yes. The linked pages from FirstPalette, Simple Mom Project, and Gathered provide free downloads or direct PDFs for personal and classroom use at the time of writing. Always check the individual site’s terms.
What paper should I use?
Standard US Letter (8.5 x 11″) cardstock gives sturdier cutouts that stand up better. Regular printer paper works for temporary crafts.
Can I use them for a large class or party?
Most allow printing multiple copies for non-commercial educational or personal use. Confirm the license on each site.
Any tips for younger kids?
Pre-cut the more detailed shapes or provide thicker outlines. Focus on coloring and simple gluing first.
With these free printable safari animal cutouts, you can quickly put together engaging, educational activities that kids enjoy. Grab the templates, print a few sheets, and start creating your own paper savanna today.