8 Cute Animal Crafts for Kids

Learning about animals is great for younger kids. There’s just something magical about being able to identify the animal sounds and funny faces they make when teaching children about animals. While we spend a lot of time talking about animals, it’s also great to show how the animals look. Animal crafts for kids allow that learning and creativity to combine perfectly together to help young minds grow.

Here are a few animal crafts that will have kids excited and engaged for many weeks to come!

1. Lions, Tigers, Bears – Oh My!

Take kids into the dark and lush forest jungles, where the wildest of animals live.  These wild animal crafts are great for older kids or younger ones.

• Tiger Craft:  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!

• Lion Craft: The lion is the king of the jungle. The kids will start singing immediately; you know the song…
  • 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.

Oh, they just can’t wait to be King!

• Bear Crafts: Who doesn’t want a big bear hug? 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, you can paint the toilet roll brown using oil or pastel colors.
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.

Your valentine bear is ready to give lots of love!

2.  It’s Better Under the Sea!

This is an excellent way to help your kids learn more about sea creatures or perhaps get them ready for a trip to an aquarium!

• Turtle Crafts: Come out of your shells and get ready to create a paper plate turtle craft that can be done in a snap.
  • You will need:

• Paper plate
• Green card stock or construction paper (for the head, feet, and tail)
• Tissue paper squares (use two different shades of green)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Googly Eyes

How to:

1. Flip a paper plate upside down.
2. Cut out several green squares and glue the squares to the plate’s flat part to make the turtle’s shell.
3. Cut out a head, legs, and tail to add to the paper plate.
4. Stick the googly eyes on the head. Draw the mouth using a black sketch.
5. Get creative! Add unique features, colors, or textures to your turtle.

Turtle Power!

• Fish Crafts: This craft is great for a fish or ocean themed birthday party.  It’s so fun; the kids will be excited to make their own party decorations.
  • You will need:

• Construction paper in whatever colors you’d like your fish to be
• Single hole punch and string for hanging
• Glue
• Scissors
• Googly Eyes

How to:

1. Take two pieces of construction paper, and accordion fold each.
2. Lie the papers one above the other.
3. Press them together and staple them right in the middle.
4. Pull down the bottom of each side, so it fans out and glue the sides together where they meet at the bottom. Do the same on the top side of the fish.
5. Once you pull them around together, you will have a full circle. Glue them together.
6. Cut out a triangle and glue it on the circle for a tail, and add a googly eye to each side of your fish.
7. Punch a hole through the top of your fish, tie a string through the hole, and hang!

Go FISH!

• Crocodile Crafts: Crocodile crafts may not seem as easy, but they don’t have to be that hard with this activity. Here is a simple crocodile craft idea for the little ones.
  • You will need:

• 2 ice cream sticks
• 1 light green and 1 dark green colored pipe cleaners
• Glue
• White Foam Sheet
• 4 Googly Eyes

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.

These little crocodiles will make you smile!

3.  Down on the Farm

Farm animals are lovable, cute, and cuddly. With these crafts you can bring your own farm to life using everyday objects such as buttons, cotton wool and newspaper.

• Pig Craft:  Whether it’s Wilbur or Babe, you will love this pig craft that will create those famous pink pig friends to have in your homemade craft farm!
  • You will need:

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

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.

This little piggy is ready to go wee wee wee all the way home!

• Sheep Craft:  You will be counting these sheep all the way until you sleep.
  • You will need:

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

How to:

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

These fluffy little sheep will be baaaaaaa-utiful !

Doing animal crafts with your kids allows you to teach them all about the animal world. What’s your child’s favorite animal? How was your experience making animal crafts with your child? Share it with us here!