How to Draw a Kaiju Lizard for Godzilla Day: A Free Page and a Draw-Along Video

Every year on November 3, monster movie fans around the world celebrate Godzilla Day. It marks the day the original Godzilla film first opened in Japanese theaters, on November 3, 1954, and started the whole giant-monster craze. To join the fun, I drew my own goofy kaiju (that’s the Japanese word for a giant monster): a big, friendly lizard with googly eyes, a toothy grin, bumpy arms and a long spiky tail. In this post you’ll find the free step-by-step drawing page and a video that shows the whole kaiju coming together, line by line.

Like every page in my books, the kaiju is broken into six easy steps. A light gray outline of the finished kaiju appears on every step to help kids plan the size and spacing of their drawing, and the black lines show what to draw, adding a little more each step. It’s a great fit for kids ages 5 and up, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Download the Free Kaiju Lizard Drawing Page (PDF)

Watch it being drawn

Watch the pencil draw it one step at a time, then grab a pencil and try it yourself.

How to Draw a Kaiju Lizard, Step by Step

Here’s what happens in each of the six steps. Draw lightly at first, and don’t worry about wobbly lines. Kaiju are supposed to look a little lumpy.

  1. Step 1: Start with the big rounded snout and the line of the mouth, then draw the long lines of the neck and the two thick legs.
  2. Step 2: Add the two big eyes, the top of the head, the jaw and the pointy teeth. Then draw the bumpy arms, the outline of the body and the wide, flat feet.
  3. Step 3: Draw the little clawed hands, the bumpy lines down each side of the belly and the stripes on the legs.
  4. Step 4: Draw the outline of the long, bumpy tail, curving down to the ground behind the kaiju.
  5. Step 5: Finish the tip of the tail and add the curved lines across it.
  6. Step 6: Add the row of spikes down the kaiju’s back and the little horn on its head.

Then try it again without looking at the steps. Kids are always surprised by how much they remember the second time around.

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What Is Godzilla Day?

Godzilla Day is a fan holiday held every year on November 3, the anniversary of the day the first Godzilla movie premiered in Japan in 1954. That film made the giant city-stomping monster famous, and kaiju movies have been popular ever since. Fans celebrate by watching the old movies, building cardboard cities and, of course, drawing monsters. A drawing day is a fun way to mark it with kids, even if they’ve never seen the films.

My kaiju lizard is my own cartoon character, drawn just for this day. It isn’t the movie monster, and this page isn’t connected to the films or their makers. It’s simply a giant lizard kids can learn to draw.

Tips for Coloring Your Kaiju

Once the drawing is done, it’s time for color. Here are a few easy ideas:

  • Classic monster green: color the body green, then go over the edges with a darker green so it looks big and round.
  • Glowing spikes: make the spikes down its back bright blue, purple or yellow, like they’re charged up and ready to roar.
  • A lighter belly: color the belly a pale yellow or tan to make the bumpy lines stand out.
  • Make it silly: who says a kaiju has to be green? A pink kaiju with orange stripes is just as scary (or just as cute).

Turn Your Kaiju into a Monster Movie Scene

A finished drawing doesn’t have to stay on the fridge. Here are a few ways to keep the Godzilla Day fun going:

  • Draw a city: add tall buildings, cars and a tiny bridge around the kaiju’s feet, so it towers over the town.
  • A movie poster: give your kaiju a name and make a poster for its very own movie, with a title in big bold letters.
  • A kaiju family: draw a whole crew of kaiju, each with a different face: happy, sleepy, grumpy or surprised.
  • Write the story: what does your kaiju do on its day off? Draw it, then write a few sentences about it.

Using This Kaiju Page in the Classroom

Teachers are welcome to print copies of this page for the whole class, for classroom or home use. It makes an easy art center, an indoor recess activity or an early-finisher page.

See the free use page for the full details on printing and sharing.

Love Drawing Monsters, Robots and Dinosaurs?

If your kids had fun drawing a kaiju, my book How to Draw: Cool Stuff is packed with monsters, aliens, robots, dinosaurs and more to draw, each one broken down into six simple steps. Like all of my books, every character in it was hand-drawn by me, Kevin Coulston. None of the art in my books is AI-generated or copied from anywhere else.

Check out How to Draw: Cool Stuff

Free Activity Page (save and print)

Print it on US Letter paper (choose “Fit to page” if your printer needs a little room at the edges), grab a pencil and follow the six steps to learn how to draw a kaiju lizard.

How to draw a kaiju lizard in 6 steps, free printable Godzilla Day drawing page by Kevin Coulston Download this free worksheet to learn how to draw a kaiju lizard

Download the Free Kaiju Lizard Page (PDF)

Happy Drawing, and Happy Godzilla Day!

Print the page, play the video and draw along. When your kaiju is finished, color it in, give it a name and build it a city to stomp through. Happy drawing, and happy Godzilla Day!

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