Crazy Animal House - Toddler Art Project

Crazy Animal House

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years or older (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 15 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Doors, Windows, Houses

Books: The Doghouse by Jan Thomas, A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker

Materials:

Construction Paper
Glue Sticks
Small pictures or silhouettes of animals (I used recycled wrapping paper, but it is easy to find and print images)  
Adults get to use Scissors, Exacto Knife and a Ruler

Prep: The house is made from a half sheet of construction paper (6 x 9). You can freehand or use your own measurements for the house, window and door or use mine. Mine were cut with an exacto knife as follows: Mark the Center (3”) of the top of the sheet. From 2” down on each side cut to the top center, creating the ‘roof’. Cut parallel lines 1” and 3” below the roof edge (3” and 5” down from the top) and about ½” from each of the edges. Make a horizontal cut in the middle (3” from edge) to create two window shutters.  The door is 1” below the window (6” from the top), the horizontal cut (top) 2” long and the vertical edge cut to the bottom of the page. The animals are easier – size them so they can ‘hide’ behind the windows and door and cut them out.

Activity: Each child gets a full sheet of construction paper (or copy paper), a pre-cut house, an assortment of animals to choose from and a glue stick. Glue the house to the full sheet of paper (an adult can help fold the windows and door open so they don’t get glued closed). Choose and glue animals inside and outside of the house. Color if desired. 

Notes/Tips: Putting the animals out on a large paper plate will help them from ending up everywhere. The kids I did this with had a lot of fun playing ‘peek-a-boo’ with the animals in the houses, as well as inviting the adults to ‘guess’ where they were.

Duck, Duck Goose Swan Paper Plate Puppets - Toddler Art Project

Duck, Duck, Goose, Swan - Paper Plate Puppets

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Swans, Geese, Ducks

Books: Duck & Goose by Tad Hills, Petunia by Roger Duvoisin (for older kids), any variation of the Ugly Duckling or Old MacDonald

Materials:

Orange or Yellow construction paper

Paper dots (leftovers from a hole punch) or Googly Eyes

Small (desert size) paper plates

Feathers

Glue sticks

Masking tape (for attaching handles)

Adults get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut a triangle notch out the side of each plate, then cut a crescent following the inner circle half way around. Cut triangles of orange and yellow construction paper for the beaks (about 1” acute). From an extra plate cut a ½” strip at the widest point for a handle (exact length is not essential, so if you are making a lot, you can get 3 handles per plate)

Activity: Each child gets a cut plate, beak, eye, feather, handle & glue stick. Fold down the center of the plate to make the wing. Glue on the beak and the feather. With some adult help, attach the handle to the back with masking tape. Waddle, Waddle, flap, flap!

Notes/Tips: If you fold the handles in 1/3rds then fold the two ends in half again it will create a tab on each side that can be taped down easily (see pic). Crayons can be introduced to this activity to make it longer. If you have bigger kids that want to join in the fun, the more the merrier - but they can do all the prep themselves!