Archive for the ‘animal crafts’ Category

Footprint Easter chick

Monday, March 30th, 2009
Baby chick from footprint

Baby chick from footprint

The child’s own footprint forms the base for this cute yellow chick! This craft is great for Easter, but would also work for a farm unit at school.

What You Need: Yellow paint (nontoxic washable); paintbrush; sheet of white or cream construction paper; scrap of orange cardstock; black marker; yellow feather; glue.

How to Make It: Help child paint a clean foot yellow. (Alterative: step into a shallow tray with yellow paint in it.) Press foot onto construction paper and lift away slowly, without wiggling. Let dry. The heel is the chick’s head. Use black marker to add eye. Cut triangle shape from orange cardstock and glue to “face” for beak. Glue feather to body. If you’d like, children could glue birdseed or Easter grass to the paper as well.

Paper plate bird

Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Paper plate bird

Paper plate bird

Let kids explore their creativity and create an entire flock of birds using paper plates, pipe cleaners, cardstock scraps and paper punches. I saw this idea in Woman’s World magazine.

What You Need: 1 sturdy, colored paper plate (we used dessert size);  1 or 2 pipe cleaners; cardstock scraps; paper punches; googly eye; glue and/or tape.

How to Make It: Cut paper plate in half and then cut one of the halves into three triangles. Use scissors to make “fringe” for tailfeathers and wing. Tape pipe cleaners (however long you’d like your bird’s legs and neck to be) as shown. Bend them if you want, for crooked neck or legs. Tape paper plate triangle to top of neck and add beak cut from cardstock. Glue on plastic eye. Cut feet and tape to legs. Punch out shapes and glue to body.

Paper plate lion mask

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Paper plate lion

Paper plate lion

Dessert-size paper plates are the perfect size to make masks for little preschool faces. Don’t limit kids to lions; set out a variety of supplies (yarn, paint, etc.) and let their creativity go wild.

What You Need: dessert-size paper plate; yellow crepe paper; black marker; 3 orange pipe cleaners; transparent tape; scissors.

How to Make It: First adult must cut out triangles for eyes and nose and cut pipe cleaners in half. Cut crepe paper into eight strips about 5 inches long. Tape to back (curved size) of paper plate. Draw around eye holes with black marker. Tape three pipe cleaners to each side for whiskers.

Paper plate rabbit for Easter

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

paper plate Easter bunny
This quick bunny craft is great for Easter or anytime.
What You Need: paper plate; red or pink pom pom; 2 cotton balls; black marker; red or pink construction paper; glue; scissors.
How to Make It: Cut out ear shapes and glue to back of plate. Glue on pom pom nose and cotton ball muzzle. Use marker to add mouth, whiskers and eyes.

Popsicle stick Valentine’s Day butterfly

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Popsicle stick butterfly
Preschoolers can present their love bug with this cute butterfly on Valentine’s Day. It’s quick and fun, and can double as a bookmark.
What You Need: Popsicle stick (craft stick); 2 medium foam heats and 2 small foam hearts; 2 googly eyes; glue (foam glue works best).
How to Make It: Glue small hearts inside larger one and then glue to Popsicle stick, overlapping slightly. Glue on 2 googly eyes.