Français
Español
Português
Italiano
Deutsch
中文
日本語Animal Crossing colouring activities and island resources
Animal Crossing is full of small details that are easy to miss: a fish caught at the right time of day, a new museum donation, a neighbour with a surprising gift, or a corner of the island that suddenly feels finished. This page gathers a few official activities for the drawing table, plus useful Nintendo resources for fans who want to spend more time with New Horizons away from the console.
From one small village to a life that keeps moving
Animal Crossing began in Japan on April 14, 2001, with Dōbutsu no Mori for the Nintendo 64. It was a very unusual kind of game for its time: there was no final boss or fixed route, just a village to live in, animal neighbours to meet, letters to write and small routines to make your own. Katsuya Eguchi became the series’ general producer, with Hisashi Nogami later leading it as series producer.
The first village already ran on real time. Morning, evening, seasons and holidays passed whether or not the player had switched on the console. Up to four people could live in the same village, leaving messages, sending letters and noticing what had changed for the next resident. That quiet sense of a place continuing without the player became the series’ signature.
A revised GameCube version brought the idea to more players, including North America as Animal Crossing. The series then travelled through Nintendo DS, Wii and Nintendo 3DS, each game adding new ways to visit friends, collect furniture, customise homes and shape the town. It also reached other formats, from the animated film released in Japan to the mobile world of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
In 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons moved the familiar daily life to a deserted island on Nintendo Switch. Players could place paths and furniture outdoors, reshape rivers and cliffs, travel to other islands and build a village from the ground up. The setting changed, but the heart of the licence remained the same: time, friendship, collecting and a place that slowly becomes yours.
Official colouring pages to print
Play Nintendo offers a free printable set featuring Isabelle, Tom Nook and Blathers. The three sheets are ready to download, print and colour with pencils, markers or crayons.
Download the official Animal Crossing: New Horizons colouring pages
For a more guided activity, the official Tom Nook paint-by-number lets children colour online, then download their finished picture or a blank version to print.
Try the official Tom Nook paint-by-number
Paper activities for a quiet afternoon
Nintendo also has an Animal Crossing activity sheet with a blank space to draw an island character, as well as an island-themed printable with games and puzzles. They work especially well after a colouring session, when there are still pencils and stickers on the table.
Look a little closer at island life
The official New Horizons guide is a useful refresher for the parts of island life that inspire so many drawings: flowers, fossils, fishing, diving and bug catching. It also explains the museum’s role and the Critterpedia, the in-game collection where new catches are recorded.
Explore island life on the official Animal Crossing website
If a visitor, event or activity does not appear on an island, Nintendo Support has a clear troubleshooting page explaining the conditions that can affect what happens during the day.
Read Nintendo’s help for missing visitors, events and activities
Continue colouring with Just Color
These Just Color picks are not tied to Animal Crossing, but they keep the parts of the game many fans enjoy most: a garden to tend, a small home to personalise and animal neighbours to meet. They are a good next choice when the Animal Crossing pages themselves are no longer available.
