Welcome to Zoo Week! Yesterday we shared zoo animal salt painting and today we are creating puppets! We even used two cool tools to create our pandas. Any ideas what they were?
Have you guessed yet?
For our second day of Zoo Week we decided to read Eric Carle's Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and then we thought it would be fun to make some panda puppets. My daughter found a neglected pool noodle in our backyard and we cut it up and got started!
Here's what you'll need to make your own panda puppet:
- craft stick
- tape
- pool noodle (cut into little slices)
- white cardstock
- scissors
- black marker
- googly eyes
- glue
- black paint
- plastic cup
Here's how to make your panda puppet:
First, start by putting some black paint on a plate. Next you'll want to dip the rim of your plastic cup in the paint and then press the cup onto the paper to create a large circle. That will be the panda bear's head.
Next, cut a pool noodle in half and use one half to make panda bear ears. You kind of want to pinch the edges together to make them print in a "u" shape.
Once you've got the base of the panda bear, dip your thumb into the black paint to make two eyes and then use the very tip of your thumb to make a nose. Add a mouth with a black marker and then let the paint dry.
Once the paint is all dry, cut around the panda bear's head and tape it to a craft stick.
Now you are ready to create your own stories featuring some cute pandas!!
Ways to include younger toddlers:
This was a naptime activity I did with my three year old, while my 20 month old was sleeping. If he'd been awake, he would've spent his time just exploring the pool noodles and cups and paint. Paint would've been all over the place and all over him, but he would've had a blast.
Danya Banya also has a super cute Paper Plate Panda threading activity to try if your kids want to continue having fun with pandas.
LOVE the look of this activity! Thanks so much for sharing, will definitely be trying with my little ones this week. Cheers, Julia.