15+ Fun And Easy-To-Make Animal Crafts For Kids Of All Ages

Image: MomJunction Design Team

Animal crafts for kids are not only fun, but they can also teach children the importance of conservation, the environment, and wildlife. By creating animal figurines, children can develop an appreciation for nature and learn about different animal species. These crafts can be made using simple tools and materials, and contain easy-to-follow instructions. As a result, children can use their creativity to make something special while also learning about the world around them. So, if your child loves animals, encourage them to explore their creativity and learn about the environment through animal crafts.

Animal Arts And Crafts For Kids

Animal crafts can be a great way to combine fun and education, particularly if your child is interested in biology, zoology, or ecology. By creating animal-themed crafts, kids can learn about different species, their habitats, and their behaviors in a hands-on and engaging way. This activity can also tie into school projects, such as science fairs or presentations. It can also keep the children engaged during vacations. Making crafts or something artistic is also a great way to spend time with your child. Here, we will look at a few simple tutorials on animal activities for kids.

Farm Animal Crafts For Kids

Has your child ever been to a farm? Do you want to teach them about the animals that live on a farm?

Farm animals are lovable, cute, and cuddly. But when you cannot have live animals at home, you make your own versions of them using everyday objects such as beads, cotton wool and toilet paper rolls.

1. Pig crafts

Do you remember Babe, the smart pig on the farm? We will try to make something as cute as Babe with this new pig craft idea.

You will need:

• One big plastic drum bead (pink)
• Pipe cleaner
• Pink foam sheet
• Glue
• Pink shirt button
• Scissors

How to:

1. If you do not have a pink drum bead, you can choose a white one and paint it pink.
2. Cut out the ears for the pig from the pink foam sheet. See image for reference.
3. On one end of the bead, stick the pink buttons using the glue.
4. Cut a small piece of the pipe cleaner and twist it like a pig’s tail. Stick that to the other end of the bead.
5. Attach the ears and use a black sketch to draw the eyes of the pig.

The cute little piggy is all yours.

2. Dog crafts

Most of us have one or more of these at home. They are our best friends and love us more than they love themselves. For the love of these animals, here is one of the best dog craft ideas you can try.

You will need:

• Brown, red, and black foam sheets
• Ice cream sticks
• Googly eyes
• Glue

How to:

1. Use the glue to arrange or join three ice cream sticks for the lower body and six sticks together for the head. See image.
2. Cut the ears, nose, paws, tail, and tongue for the dog from foam sheets.
3. Join the head and the body using glue. Let it dry.
4. Attach the ears on either side of the head and attach the paws at the bottom.
5. Glue the nose and the googly eyes.
6. Draw a curve for the mouth, and stick the red foam cutout for the tongue.

A happy puppy dog is ready to adorn your walls.

3. Cat crafts

If you are looking for easy paper animal crafts for kids, here’s a simple cat art that needs no more than four things. Once done, the cat can go on the wall or the door.

You will need:

• Foam sheets – 2 orange sheets, 1 yellow sheet, 1 pink sheet
• Scissors
• A pencil
• Glue

How to:

1. Use the pencil to draw the outline of a cat’s body. If you cannot draw the shape, use a template.
2. Cut out the shapes as shown in the picture.
3. Cut the yellow outline into two and carve the ears, whiskers, and fur as shown in the image.
4. Stick the yellow foam sheet on top of one of the orange foam cutouts.
5. Attach the other orange cut out at the back. Use the pink foam sheet to cut the nose, and two circles for the blush on the kitten’s cheeks.
6. Use a black sketch to draw the mouth and eyes. A little white paint will complete the eyes.

Did you know?

Engaging in animal crafts enhance children’s motor skills, hand-eye-coordination, and decision-making abilities.

4. Sheep crafts

This sheep you are about to make is something out of the popular TV series Shaun the Sheep. Ready?

You will need:

• Cotton wool
• Black foam sheet
• Black colored drinking straw
• Googly eyes
• Toothpicks
• Newspaper

How to:

1. Make small balls of cotton from wool.
2. Roll the newspaper into a small ball and hold it tight.
3. Apply glue all over the paper and stick the cotton balls on it.
4. After the newspaper is covered entirely in cotton, press it using both your hands – this will ensure that the cotton stays intact.
5. Dip four toothpicks in glue and stick it on one side of the cotton wool ball, for the feet. Let it dry.
6. Cut the black straw into equal lengths (two-three inches) and stick them over the toothpicks.
7. Cut out the face and the ears of the sheep from a black foam sheet and attach them as shown in the image.
8. Add the googly eyes, and you have an adorable sheep ready.

Wild Animal Crafts For Kids

We move from farms into the dark and thick jungles, where the wildest animals are! And then we make these wild animal crafts for older or younger kids.

5. Tiger crafts

You might think that creating the ‘fearful symmetry’ of a tiger would be difficult. Well, not really. At least not when you are trying out this tiger crafts tutorial!

You will need:

• A big paper cup (white)
• Oil paints
• Paintbrush
• Orange pipe cleaner
• Glue

How to:

1. Color the paper cup in orange, leaving a small squared white patch, as shown in the image.
2. Using the black oil paint, draw the stripes on the tiger. Add the nose as well.
3. Stick the googly eyes above the nose.
4. Cut the pipe cleaner into two small pieces for the ears. Use the remaining piece to make the tail.

The cup-o-tiger is ready!

6. Lion crafts

The lion is the king of the jungle. So how can we have a list of wild animal activities for preschoolers without the big cat on it?

You will need:

• One yellow foam sheet, one orange foam sheet
• Toilet paper roll
• Heart shape puncher
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue

How to:

1. Cut the yellow foam sheet in length and breadth of the toilet paper roll. Stick it around the roll using the glue and let it dry. This will be the body.
2. Using the heart-shaped puncher to cut out 12 little hearts from the orange foam sheet. These will be used to create the mane.
3. Cut a small round from the yellow sheet, for the lion’s face.
4. Draw the eyes, the whiskers, and nose on the yellow circle.
5. Stick the googly eyes to complete the face.
6. Stick the face to the foam-wrapped toilet paper roll.
7. Cut three thin, small strips from the yellow foam sheet for the legs and the tail.
8. Stick a heart to one end of each of the strips.
9. Attach them to the body as shown in the image.

His majesty is now ready for you!

7. Crocodile crafts

Crocodile crafts are not as easy to make as they seem. Here is a simple crocodile craft idea for kids.

You will need:

• 2 ice cream sticks
• 1 light green and 1 dark green colored pipe cleaners
• 4 googly eyes
• White foam sheet
• Glue

How to:

1. Paint the ice cream sticks green. Let them dry.
2. Cut two one-inch pieces of white foam sheet, as wide as the ice cream sticks. Cut the longer edges of the foam in a zigzag pattern, to indicate the teeth. Stick this to one side of the ice cream stick.
3. Cut the pipe cleaners in two. Roll the halves around the center of the ice cream stick, while leaving a small portion towards the edges of the feet. See picture for reference.
4. Stick the googly eyes as shown in the image to complete the crocodile.

This is simpler and better than all the enormous crocodile activities, isn’t it?

Point to consider

Craft activities help children learn the importance of persistence. It makes kids understand that it’s fine to make mistakes and look for solutions rather than feeling frustrated.

8. Elephant crafts

You might think that you will need a lot of material to make an elephant craft. But our elephant craft ideas are easy to make. Here is one for example.

You will need:

• Three toilet rolls
• Green craft paper
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• White paint

How to:

1. Arrange the three toilet paper rolls as shown in the image. Use glue to make them stick together and leave them to dry.
2. Cut out two circles from the green craft paper, for the ears.
3. For the trunk, cut a small rectangular strip of the same paper.
4. Coloring the toes using white paint will make them look natural.
5. Stick the ears and the trunk using the glue – see image for reference.
6. Add the googly eyes and the green elephant is ready to roll!

9. Snake crafts

This snake is not slithery or creepy in any way. It is a colorful reptile made of drum beads and string!

You will need:

• 5 plastic drum beads
• 1 orange bead, round
• Green string
• A small piece of black foam sheet
• Googly eyes

How to:

1. Arrange the green beads in a line and pull the green string through them. Know the green string at one end.
2. Make sure that the string is not too thin or thick; it should pass through the beads and also hold them together when knotted.
3. Add the orange bead at the front end and fasten the other end as well.
4. For the tongue, cut the black foam sheet as shown in the image.
5. Attach the googly eyes on the orange bead, and stick the tongue.

The snake is ready.

10. Bear crafts

When I think of a bear, I think of hugs. So here is a valentine bear, with love and hugs for the little ones.

You will need:

• 1 toilet paper roll
• 1 brown foam sheet, 1 pink foam sheet
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors

How to:

1. Cut the brown foam sheet such that it covers the toilet roll entirely. Or, painting the toilet roll brown using oil or pastel colors will also work.
2. Cut out two hearts from the pink foam sheet – a small one for the nose, and a slightly bigger one for the bear to hold.
3. Cut out the shape of the bear’s face and the hands. Cut out the paws (small spheres) from the brown sheet.
4. Punch two small circles from the pink sheet – these will go on the paws.
5. Stick the googly eyes and the smaller heart on the face. Draw the mouth using a black sketch.
6. Attach the larger heart in the center of the roll.
7. Use glue to stick the hands, paws, and face to the toilet paper roll.

The cute, valentine bear is ready.

Easy Animal Crafts For Kids

We are done with wild and domesticated animal crafts (at least some of them). In this section, we will try to recreate cute craft models of other animals, some imaginary and some extinct, that can be used for decoration, as return gifts, or as fun playtime toys for kids.

11. Bat crafts

The bat is one of my favorite animals from nature. It is cool and has a superhero named after it.

You will need:

• Two plastic balls – a small one and a medium sized one (check image for reference)
• Black paint, paintbrush
• Black foam sheet, white foam sheet
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors

How to:

1. Paint both the balls black. Leave them to dry.
2. Once dry, glue the small ball on top of the larger one and let it dry.
3. Cut out two wings for the bat from the black foam sheet. Make sure they are of the same size – you can use a template to achieve this.
4. Cut out two small triangles from the white sheet and two black triangles, of the same size, from the black sheet.
5. Glue in the wings, ears, and teeth as shown in the image.

The cool superhero-like bat is ready. If you can manage to attach a string to the head of the bat (small plastic ball), you can even hang it in the room.

Point to consider

Arts and crafts create a common ground for children with different interests and hobbies and improve their social interaction skills.

12. Owl crafts

Owls are usually found in places where there is a lot of vegetation. This could be in the deep jungles or the national park near you. But with this craft, you can bring the owl straight to your home from the environment.

You will need:

• 7 foam sheets – 1 each in pink, blue, white, black, red, yellow and green colors
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

How to:

1. Use templates or a pencil to sketch and cut the shapes from the foam sheets, as shown in the image.
2. You should have an outline of the owl’s body, blue cut out for the face and the neck, a pink heart, pink and blue plumes, two white circles, two green circles, two yellow feet, a white heart, and two small triangles, one red and another yellow.
3. Place the red outline on the table and stick the large pink heart at the bottom, with its pointy side down.
4. Attach the blue cutout on that, as shown in the image.
5. Add the pink and the blue plumes on the top – see picture for reference.
6. Glue the green circles on the larger white ones, and then stick the googly eyes on them. Stick that on the blue cutout.
7. Create a nose using the red and the yellow triangles.
8. Glue the heart and the feet and the owl is ready.

It may seem like a lot of work goes into making this owl. But once you get the cutouts ready, it will take you less than ten minutes to get the owl craft done.

13. Fire breathing dragon crafts

Now a fire breathing dragon must be a complicated craft, right?

Wrong. We have figured out a way to make this one of the simplest fire-breathing Chinese dragon crafts and toys that your child can make.

You will need:

• 1 toilet paper roll
• 1 green foam sheet
• 1 sheet each of orange and yellow craft paper
• Googly eyes
• Green pipe cleaner
• 2 small woolen balls, for eyes
• Glue
• Scissors

How to:

1. Cover the toilet paper roll with a green foam sheet. This will be the face of the dragon.
2. Stick the googly eyes on the woolen rounds and let them dry.
3. Use two small coils of the pipe cleaner to make nostrils of the dragon.
4. Glue the eyes and the nostrils to the toilet roll.
5. Cut the orange and yellow craft paper in half and make thin, long strips from them. See image for reference.
6. Stick the strips of paper at the bottom, inside the toilet paper roll, to make it seem like there’s fire coming out from the dragon’s mouth.

Note: To use this as a toy, hold the dragon roll in hand and blow air from the top (head) to make the strips of the paper move. And then, the child can pretend to be a fire breathing dragon!

14. Dinosaur crafts

Dinosaurs may be long extinct, but we still are in awe of those magnificent creatures. That is why we have included this cool dinosaur craft on our list.

You will need:

• 3 foam sheets – off-white, orange, and green
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eye

How to:

1. Use a protractor to cut out the body of the dinosaur. Alternatively, you can use a pencil for drawing the body first and then cut it out.
2. Cut five small rectangular strips (one to two inches) from the green foam sheet. Cut another with a pointy end
3. Cut out small triangles from the orange sheet, and a small pear-shaped cutout for the head.
4. Use the glue to attach four green strips to the non-curvy side of the body, and one to the side to make the neck.
5. Fix the spikes on the curvy top portion of the body, head, and tail.

If the result looks like the final image in our collage, the dinosaur is ready!

15. Snail crafts

This one is a time-taking craft, not just because we will be making a snail, but because it has an intricate design.

You will need:

• A box full of shirt buttons – use different colored buttons
• Yellow foam sheet
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaner
• 1 compact disc
• Glue

How to:

1. Use a template or sketch an outline of a snail on the yellow foam sheet.
2. Cut it out using scissors.
3. Glue a compact disc on the spherical part of the snail’s body. See image.
4. Apply glue on the CD and start sticking the buttons on it, until the disc is covered entirely.
5. Add the googly eyes and the pipe cleaner to complete the craft.

16. Cotton ball bunny crafts

Image: IStock

Bunnies are fluffy and adorable. Who doesn’t love them? That is why we are including a simple but imaginative bunny craft such as this one on our list.

You will need:

• Paper plates of different sizes
• White cotton balls
• Glue
• Cardstock papers (white, pink)
• Googly eyes
• Scissors
• Markers or crayons

How to:

1. Spread glue all over the paper plate and cover the plate with white cotton balls.
2. Set aside and let it dry.
3. From the cardstock, cut out a bunny shape with scissors. Use white cardstock for the bunny’s body and pink for the ears and nose.
4. You can use additional cardstock papers for other accessories, like a bow.
5. Paste the cardstock pieces onto the paper plate with the help of glue and place the googly eyes. If you don’t have googly eyes, you can draw them on.
6. Use markers or crayons to draw details like a mouth, whiskers, or any other features. Your cotton ball bunny is ready!

Infographic: Simple Animal Crafts For Children

Whether pets or wild animals, they play a significant role in human lives. Explore the infographic below to learn various animal crafts for children. You can use this creative time to engage your children productively while also teaching them about different types of animals and interesting animal facts.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Fun And Easy-To-Make Animal Crafts For Kids Of All Ages

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Introduce your children to this step-by-step video guide, which teaches them to make a playset of wild animals in simple language and with easy directions.

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Erin DeCarloCraftsperson

Erin DeCarlo is an avid crafter and greeting card business owner. Her expertise lies in creating handmade paper crafts and DIY home decor. She has sold handmade greeting cards and gifts on Etsy and in local stores over the last nine years.

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Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.

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Deepa ThomasMA (English)

Deepa Rachel Thomas holds a master’s degree in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has done a certification course in Child Development and worked as a mentor for young children at an NGO that focuses on helping children develop their language and soft skills.

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