Grinning Spotted Hyena With Spiky Dark Mane

A hunched, spotted hyena creeps across the page with its head turned toward the left and a wide, toothy grin on its face. It has big rounded ears, a round nose, heavy slanted eyebrows and narrowed eyes that give it a sneaky look. A ragged dark mane runs along its back, and the bushy tail and all four legs are drawn as solid black shapes. Several oval spots are outlined on the shoulder and hip, ready for color. Since the legs, mane and tail are already filled in, younger kids can focus on the big open body and ears. Try tan or golden brown for the fur and a different shade inside the spots, then talk about how real hyenas have spotted coats. This free page works well for a quick afternoon activity.