Zoo Animal Craft Projects for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are fascinated with the wonderful world of zoo animals. While parents typically introduce their preschoolers to these animals with trips to the zoo, teachers use other imaginative ways to expose preschoolers to them. One way to stimulate the minds of preschoolers when it comes to learning about zoo animals is through hands-on zoo animal theme crafts that are detailed below.

Paper-Bag Zoo Animal Puppets and Pets

With the use of paper bags, preschoolers can make numerous zoo animals including elephants, pigs, giraffes, and owls.

Materials:

medium paper bags, mini paper bags, newspaper, tempera paint, paint brushes, markers, construction paper, glue, tape, kids' scissors, large pictures of zoo animals

Instructions:

1. Lay out large pictures of zoo animals before the preschoolers' work area.

2. To make zoo animal puppets, give each preschooler one regular-sized paper bag, construction paper, scissors, and glue.

3. Have the preschoolers cut out triangles, ovals, and half circles from the construction paper.

4. Have the preschoolers glue these cutouts to the bottom of the medium paper bag to make the zoo animals' faces. For example, to make an owl, position the paper bag upside down and glue two half circles to the bag to make the eyes, glue one triangle beneath the eyes to make the beak, and glue two triangles behind the head to make the ears.

5. To make zoo animal pets, have the preschoolers stuff one medium paper bag with crumbled newspaper, pull another bag over it, and tape them together.

6. Draw or have the preschoolers draw pig and elephant eyes, ears, noses, tails, and feet on construction paper that the preschoolers will cut out.

7. Have the preschoolers paint the stuffed paper bags the color of the zoo animals, glue the cutouts to the face of the bags, and draw a mouth and eyebrows with the markers.

8. To make the pig's feet, preschoolers may stuff mini paper bags in the same manner and glue four of them to the bottom of the medium paper bags.

Egg-Carton Zoo Animals

Preschoolers have many zoo animal options including turtles, fish, giraffes, and turkeys that are crafted using egg cartons.

Materials:

styrofoam egg cartons, kids' scissors, glue, tempera paint, paint brushes, markers, construction paper, large pictures of zoo animals

Instructions:

1. Lay out large pictures of zoo animals before the preschoolers' work area.

2. Cut out or have the preschoolers cut out the cups of the styrofoam egg cartons to make zoo animal heads, legs, wings, fish fins, tails, and core bodies.

3. Cut out a strip of construction paper and fold one end of it to make a giraffe's head and neck. Also, draw and cut out turkey feathers using the construction paper.

4. Have the preschoolers glue body part cutouts to the core body cutout to make a zoo animal.

5. Have the preschoolers paint the animals using tempera paint and draw additional body part with the markers.

Milk-Carton Zoo Animals

Pint-sized milk cartons can be used to make neat zoo animal theme crafts including chickens and ducks.

Materials:

milk cartons, tempera paint, paint brushes, markers, construction paper, glue, tape, kids' scissors, large pictures of zoo animals

Instructions:

1. Lay out large pictures of zoo animals before the preschoolers' work area.

2. Have the preschoolers save their milk cartons from lunch and paint them.

3. Cut out or have the preschoolers cut out eyes, beaks, and wings from construction paper and tape or glue them to the milk cartons.

4. Use markers to draw additional body parts.

With these zoo animal theme crafts in mind, preschool teachers are on their way to creating an adventurous learning environment. Preschoolers will develop a love for zoo animals and gain a lasting impression of their zoo animal craft experience.