🦔 Wondering how to draw a hedgehog for kids without any fuss? You're in the right place! With their spiky backs, button noses and tiny twinkly eyes, hedgehogs are one of Britain's most-loved garden visitors — and one of the most fun animals for children to draw. All those prickles might look tricky, but we promise: by the end of this tutorial, your little artist will have a brilliant hedgehog to be proud of. 🎨
Easy Hedgehog Drawing with the 6 Simple Steps Method
We'll be using the Chunky Badger 6 Simple Steps method — the same approach we use in all our books. Every animal starts with basic shapes, builds up feature by feature, and finishes with a splash of colour. No reading required, so even younger children can follow along independently.
🎨 What You'll Need ✏️
- ✏️ Pencil (HB or 2B is perfect)
- 🧹 Eraser
- ✏️ Sharpener
- 🎨 Coloured pencils or markers
That's it! Find a comfy spot at the kitchen table, and let's get drawing. Check our FAQ page if you have any questions about supplies or age-appropriate materials!
Let's Draw a Hedgehog — Step by Step
Draw the Body
Start with a large oval sitting sideways on your page — a bit like a squashed egg. This is your hedgehog's body. Don't worry about making it perfect; hedgehogs come in all shapes and sizes!
Add the Face
At one end of the oval, draw a small pointed shape sticking out — like a little party hat lying on its side. This is your hedgehog's snout. Hedgehogs have lovely long noses for snuffling through leaves, so make it nice and pointy.
Draw the Legs
Underneath the body, add four short, stubby legs — two at the front and two at the back. Hedgehogs have surprisingly little legs, so keep them small and simple. Little rectangles with rounded ends work brilliantly.
Add the Ears and Nose
Draw a small round ear near the top of the head, and finish the tip of the snout with a little round nose — like a tiny blackberry. These small features are what make your hedgehog start to feel real!
Time for the Prickles!
This is the fun part! Cover the top and back of the body with short, zig-zag lines pointing outwards. You don't need to draw every single spike — hedgehogs have around 5,000 prickles, and nobody has time for that! 😄 A spiky outline plus a few zig-zags inside the body does the trick. Then add a small round eye just above the snout.
Colour Your Hedgehog
Well done — your hedgehog is drawn! Now bring it to life with colour:
- Prickles: A mix of brown and dark grey — try layering both for a lovely spiky texture
- Face and tummy: A soft cream or light tan
- Nose and eye: Black or very dark brown
- Legs: A warm mid-brown
Fancy going further? Add some green grass, a few autumn leaves, or even a little snail friend beside your hedgehog. 🐌
Colouring Your Hedgehog: Quick Guide
Layering colours gives your hedgehog a natural, realistic look:
Well Done, Little Artist! 🎉
You've just drawn a brilliant British hedgehog in 6 simple steps! Every drawing makes you a little bit better, so why not practise again tomorrow — or challenge yourself with a fox, a badger, or a barn owl next?
Fun fact to share: Hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they sleep all day and come out at night to snuffle around gardens looking for beetles, slugs and worms. If you're very quiet on a summer evening, you might just hear one rustling in the hedge! 🦔
Want to draw more British animals?
Meet the Learn to Draw: British Animals Book
Loved drawing this hedgehog? There are over 45 more British animals waiting inside our book — from foxes and badgers to puffins and red squirrels — each one broken down into 6 simple steps. It's screen-free fun the whole family can enjoy for just £8.99.
🛒 Get the Book on Amazon UKOr grab our FREE 5-day drawing pack — 5 British animals delivered to your inbox, one per day. Completely free!
