Archive for the ‘animal crafts’ Category

Bunny ears

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Bunny ears

Bunny ears

Every preschool kid needs a pair of bunny ears! These are easy to make. Don’t get hung up on making them “perfect,” because this is a great chance to practice cutting and gluing skills.

What You Need: white cardstock; pink cardstock or construction paper; glue; staples.

How to Make It: Cut two strips of cardstock about 2 inches wide and staple together. Adult can help child wrap the strip around his or her head to see how long the band should be. Trim and staple. Cut two long, pink ear shapes and two white ear shapes that are a little larger. Glue pink to white and staple ears to band.

Sheep from toilet paper tube and cotton balls

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

Cotton ball sheep

Cotton ball sheep

Celebrate Easter or a farm theme with this sheep: a toilet paper tube and cotton balls. Preschool kids could also make this craft for a March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb theme.

What You Need: 1 toilet paper roll tube; bunch of cotton balls; glue; tape; scissors; 1 black pipe cleaner; 2 googly eyes; scrap of white cardstock; something black for the head (pom pom, crumbled-up tissue paper, etc. We used a piece of fleece fabric rolled into a ball.)

How to Make It: Cut pipe cleaner in half (adult job). Fold each pipe cleaner into a U shape and tape to bottom of toilet paper tube for legs. (These will probably not be sturdy enough for your sheep to stand on, so he’ll need to be resting, or use something stronger, such as painted dowels.) Use glue to cover top and sides of paper tube with cotton balls. Stuff black pompom, tissue paper or fabric into one end of tube for head. Cut two ear shapes from white cardstock and glue to head. Glue on googly eyes.

Easter chick purse from paper plate

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Easter chick purse

Easter chick purse

Your preschooler can make a cute Easter chick purse, or use it for a class party and fill with Easter candy!

What You Need: 1 dessert-size paper plate; nontoxic yellow paint; paintbrush; stapler; scrap of orange cardstock or construction paper; googly eye; black marker; scissors; glue; orange pipe cleaner (or use yarn).

How to Make It: Paint at least half of bottom of paper plate yellow. Let dry. Fold in half and secure with staples (adult help, please!). Use black marker to outline a chick wing. Cut triangle shape for beak and glue on. Glue on eye. Staple pipe cleaner to back side of “purse” for handle.

Handprint sheep craft

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Handprint lamb

Handprint lamb

For Easter, a farm unit or anytime, try these handprint (traced hand) sheep. One version (that’s Mom’s big ‘ol hand on the left) uses cotton balls for the fleece while the other (there’s Alec’s cute little hand) uses popcorn.

What You Need: Black construction paper; glue; white crayon; googly eye (optional); pencil; scissors.

How to Make It: Trace around hand and cut out. Position so fingers face down (these are the legs and the thumb is the lamb head). Use glue to cover “palm” with cotton balls or popcorn. Use white crayon to draw in eye and mouth, or use googly eye.

Easter bunny from small paper plates

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Paper plate bunny

Paper plate bunny

Two dessert-sized paper plates are just the right size for little hands. Let preschoolers decorate their bunny however they’d like.

What you Need: 2 dessert-sized paper plates; 2 cotton balls; small pink pom pom; 2 googly eyes;  black marker; pink crayon; scissors; glue; small piece of scrap cardstock or construction paper (for bow).

How to Make It: Cut one of the paper plates in half and color in with pink crayon on the inner part of each plate. Glue to back of other plate to form ears. Glue cotton balls and pink pom pom to center of other plate for muzzle and nose. Glue on eyes. Color in mouth with pink crayon. Cut out tie shape from cardstock and glue on.