Make animals come to life with our wobble animal craft. See them wiggle with a gentle tug and have a wonderful time filled with fun and giggles! As animals are kids’ all-time favorites, we have designed this simple yet cute craft to help kids make their beloved animals.
And that’s not just about it! After the kids are done crafting, they can use their animals as props to do a host of other activities. More on that later. But first, let us show you how to make a cute little wobbly animal and enjoy it.
Wobble and wiggle! – Cute wobble animal craft for budding artists
Things you’ll need:
- A4-size paper (orange and yellow)
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Black marker
- A pair of scissors (Disclaimer: Adult supervision is required as a pair of scissors is a sharp tool. Please be vigilant.)
Steps to follow:
Start making your wobbly animal by grabbing an orange A4 sheet, a ruler, a pencil, and scissors.
Draw multiple ½ cm-wide or slightly larger lines on the paper. Use scissors to cut them out. Although you need only six such paper strips, it is better to cut a few extra so you can use them if required.
Place four strips on the table such that they form an asterisk. Join them at the center with the help of some glue.
Now bring the two ends of each strip together and fix them with glue.
You will now have a ball-like structure made up of paper strips. This will be used as our animal’s tummy.
Next, pick two strips and glue one of their ends together at a 90-degree angle. Fold the horizontal strip over the vertical one by pushing it toward the left side. Next, fold the vertical strip over the horizontal one by pushing it toward the top.
Continue making similar folds based on which direction the strips point to make a garland-like structure.
You will form a small paper garland looking something like this! Keep this aside and move on to the next step.
Cut three circles out of orange paper. The bigger one is for the face, and the two smaller circles are for the ears. Size the circles accordingly, so they match the size of the tummy you previously made.
Use a small piece of yellow paper to cut two more circles, smaller than the ones we prepared earlier. Glue them into orange circles to finish with the ears.
Make a tiger face (yes, we’re making a tiger!) on the large orange circle with a pencil.
Outline the drawing and fill in the color with a black marker to make prominent tiger stripes. Add eyes, a nose, and other features, and don’t forget to stick the ears to the face.
Assemble the tiger by securing the small, springy garland on top of the tummy portion. This will be the tiger’s neck and make his head wobble!
Glue the face to this springy neck. You can also use tape to fix the face if glue is not enough to hold it in place.
Draw tiger paws on the leftover orange paper. Make them in two different shapes to differentiate hands and feet.
Cut out these paws and use a marker to highlight tiger stripes on them.
Attach the hands and feet of the tiger to the tummy portion by applying a drop or two of glue.
And you’re done! Your tiger is now ready. Try pulling its hands and shaking it a bit. You will notice the tiger’s wobbly neck and body doing a funny dance!
Similar to the tiger, you can craft other animals as well, like the black and white panda and the little green frog we made to give company to our wobbly tiger.
Try placing the animals side by side and make them dance together with a slight tug at their hands. They will all look super cute and adorable!
Activities kids can do with their wobble animal crafts
1. Tell a story
After the kids have made their wobbly animals, give them some time to brainstorm ideas and come up with a story of their own. If you have many kids, divide the class into a few groups and ask them to create a story revolving around the animals they made and share it with the class.
2. Story retelling
Wobbly animals can be awesome tools if you want to teach retelling a story. Coming up with a new story is one thing, and retelling a story is another. It requires kids to recollect the nuances carefully and present them in a sequential manner. To help kids practice story retelling, read a book with animal characters, have kids prepare their wobbly animals or make a quick and easy animal craft, and use them for the retelling activity.
3. Puppet show
Kids love puppets. So why not organize a puppet show where kids use their wobbly animals as the characters of the show? It can be an impromptu activity wherein kids come up with the plot and dialogues instantly, or you could help them plan and conduct the activity after the kids are prepared.
4. Zoo diorama
Preparing a miniature zoo can be a fun activity for the kids. Have the kids craft their favorite animals with the same basic structure as we have shown in this article and set them up in a miniature zoo setting, showing different animals in their habitats.
5. Compare and contrast
Interactive compare and contrast activities are great for young minds. Kids can perform a similar activity with wobbly animals. Call every child, one after the other, and have them compare their animal figure with that of their peers. It will help them learn to point out similarities and differences and widen their perspectives.
6. Wh- questions activity
Similarly, Wh-questions activities are also fun for little kids. You can divide the class into groups and ask them questions based on the animals they just made. Questions like – “Where does the tiger live?” “What does the panda eat?” and “How does the frog leap?” can be asked to the kids. The team that gives the most correct answers is the winner.
That is all!
As we wrap up this blog post, it’s time to remind ourselves that projects like these are more than just creative pastimes. They bring joy to the kids, boost their development in multiple ways, and make their imaginations soar. Therefore, it is upon us to provide them ample opportunities to explore various forms of arts and crafts and give them a chance to express their creativity.
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.