Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to Get a Shovel

Animal Crossing New Horizons features largely the same tools as in the last game and as such, the shovel is still hugely important. Problem is, you won't have one at the beginning of the game, so you'll want to get one as fast as you can. We'll show you how in this guide.

On this page:

• How to Get a Shovel
• How to Upgrade Your Shovel

How to Get a Shovel

To get your first shovel in Animal Crossing New Horizons you will need to donate 5 fish and/or bugs to Tom Nook. He'll give you a spot to set up for the museum, and once that's there Blathers will give you a recipe for a shovel. This will allow you to craft it whenever you want. You'll need these materials to make a flimsy shovel:

• 5 Hardwood (more on getting that here)

How to Upgrade Your Shovel

To upgrade your shovel you will need to purchase the Pretty Good Tools kit from a Nook Stop. It'll set you back around 2000 Miles, but it's worth it as you'll get a bunch of recipes downloaded straight to your phone. Here's how to make a better shovel.

• Flimsy shovel
• Iron Nugget (more on getting that here)

Shovels are great for a number of reasons, so make sure you craft one as soon as you can. They're used for digging up fossils, planting stuff, and more.

There's plenty for AC New Horizons content to be found right here on USG. For a look at our official review, head here. For a look at how cloudsaving works, head here.