If you’re on the hunt for a fun and ridiculously easy craft project that’s just begging to be made, then grabbing some clothes and trying to sew a dress might not be the way to go. An elephant paper bag puppet is actually a great pick because it’s an awesome way for your little one—or any child—to learn some basic crafting skills like using scissors and glue while making something that they can both play with and use to show off their creativity. Plus it’s perfect for preschoolers and older kids alike – everyone can join in on the fun. This craft also helps children develop creativity and scissors skills. Elephants are one of the most popular zoo animals with kids, making this project even more exciting for them.
- Why Paper Bag Puppets Are A Real Winner With Kids
- What You Need – The Essentials
- Getting Started – Time to Cut and Print
- Putting It All Together – The Puppet Takes Shape
- Time to Get Creative – Decorating Your Elephant
- Playing With The Puppet – Letting The Fun Begin
- Why Kids Love This Craft
- Tips for Getting It Right
- Some More Ideas to Try Out
- Zoo Animal Unit for Kids
- Wrapping Up – A Fantastic Craft Project
Why Paper Bag Puppets Are A Real Winner With Kids
Paper bag puppets are so much fun because they’re incredibly easy to make and they totally fire up that little imagination of theirs. They are perfect for themed activities, such as zoo animal days or classroom craft activities. The kids get to have a go at cutting and gluing which is a great way to help with those fine motor skills of theirs. Then when its all done you get to play with the puppet, which is a fantastic way to get that language and social skills of theirs going in the right direction. Children can develop social-emotional skills by taking turns and sharing the elephant puppet. And given the fact you can use nothing more than a paper lunch bag and some basic craft supplies, its a low-cost project that will keep the kids entertained for hours on end.
What You Need – The Essentials
- A plain old paper bag or a paper lunch bag – white or brown will do just fine
- Some scissors and a glue stick – the staples of any good craft session
- Crayons, markers, or coloured pencils (don’t forget black for detailing the elephant) – get the kids creative juices flowing
- A free elephant paper bag puppet template that you can find online or print from Simple Everyday Mom (printing the template is an essential step before starting the craft)
- Optional: a few stickers or other decorations to add an extra bit of fun
To make an elephant paper bag puppet, a paper bag, construction paper, scissors, and glue are needed.
Getting Started – Time to Cut and Print
First off – print out the elephant puppet template onto either cardstock or just plain old paper. Cardstock is a good option if you want the puppet to last a bit longer. Then get to work cutting out all the individual parts – the ears, eyes, trunk and body bits. This is a great time for the kids to get some practice in with those scissors of theirs.
Putting It All Together – The Puppet Takes Shape
Start by laying your paper bag flat on the table with the flap facing up – this one’s going to be the elephant’s face. Glue the head of the elephant onto the flap so it overlaps just a bit with the main part of the bag. Facial features like eyes can be drawn, glued on, or made from googly eyes for the elephant puppet. When you open and shut the flap it’ll look like the elephant is actually talking to you.
Next, before you glue on the ears on either side of the head, you can pin them in place temporarily to help with positioning. If you want to get creative you can even use darker inner ears on top of the lighter outer ones for a really cute look. Cut two identical ears from gray construction paper and optionally use pink paper for the inner ear for the puppet. Then pop the trunk in between the eyes, letting it stick out just a bit for that classic elephant feel.
For the body glue it to the main part of the bag below the flap. Add the feet at the bottom sides of the bag – and make sure they’re angled in a bit so its all nice and realistic looking. If any bits of paper hang off the sides just give them a quick trim to tidy things up.
Time to Get Creative – Decorating Your Elephant
Now its time for the fun part – colouring in and decorating your elephant puppet. Encourage the kids to pick their favorite color for the elephant and get creative! Get out the crayons or markers and let the kids loose – they can add all sorts of colours to the ears, trunk and body. A nice grey for a traditional look or get totally out there with some bright colours – its up to the kids. The trunk of the elephant puppet can be created from a long, curved shape cut from gray construction paper and folded in an accordion style for dimension. Stickers and other decorations are also welcome to join the party.
Playing With The Puppet – Letting The Fun Begin
Once the glue is dry, your elephant puppet is ready to come to life. Get the kids to stick their hand inside the bag and get their hand moving the flap to make the elephant talk. To test the puppet, slide your hand into the bag and move your fingers to make the elephant’s mouth open and close. It’s a great tool for storytelling, role-playing, or just general silliness—and it can become a new friend for imaginative play and stories.
Why Kids Love This Craft
This one’s a winner with the kids because it’s a great way to develop those fine motor skills of theirs with the cutting and gluing, especially for preschool children. Its also a fantastic way to get them using their imagination – it’s all about what your elephant puppet is getting up to. The puppet can be part of a wider zoo animal unit or just a fun thing to make on a rainy day. And the fact that the kids get to make their own puppet gives them an awesome sense of accomplishment.
Tips for Getting It Right
- Try and keep the surface nice and flat when gluing the pieces together so everything sticks just fine.
- Make sure the glue is completely dry before letting the kids play with the puppet to avoid any bits falling off.
- Get the kids to add their own special touches – a little bow or some glitter would be perfect.
- If you want a sturdier puppet then use cardstock for the template and a bit more glue.
Some More Ideas to Try Out
Once you’ve made your elephant puppet why not try making some other animals? Paper bag puppets can be just about anything – a lion, a monkey, and even a hippo. This way the kids can complete their own little puppet zoo by making a variety of animal puppets and have hours of imaginative play ahead of them.
Zoo Animal Unit for Kids
If your little ones had a ball making their elephant paper bag puppet, why not turn the whole thing into a proper zoo animal unit? This cracking project is a dead-simple way to bring the jungle to life right in your classroom or at home. Using just a paper bag, some scissors, glue, and crayons, kids can knock up a whole pack of cute animal puppets—each one ready for hours of imaginative play and storytelling that’ll keep them busy for ages.
Start by grabbing the free elephant paper bag puppet template from Simple Everyday Mom and print it out on cardstock or regular paper. Let the kids chop out the ears, trunk, and eyes, then glue them onto the paper bag to create their own unique elephant puppet. Get them to use different colours or even a bit of paint to make a coloured version thats totally their own. Its a brilliant way for preschoolers and young kids to practice their scissor skills and fine motor skills while having an absolute blast.
But don’t stop at elephants! With a bit of creativity, you can expand your zoo to include lions, monkeys, giraffes, and loads more. Each animal can be made using a simple paper bag puppet template, and kids can muck about with different colours and decorations to make every puppet special. Creative ideas for an elephant paper bag puppet include telling stories like Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and creating puppet shows with other animals. Its a fantastic way to teach kids about animals, their habitats, and life in the jungle—all while encouraging creativity and hands-on learning that really sticks.
This activity is perfect for classroom units, drizzly day fun at home, or even as a group project for a birthday party. Kids will love bringing their animal puppets to life, acting out stories, and learning through play that gets them properly engaged. Plus, using paper bags for puppets is a cracking way to reuse materials and teach kids about caring for the environment without being preachy about it.
So, gather round your paper bags, scissors, glue, and crayons, and get ready to create a whole zoo of animal mates. Download the free template, let the kids creativity run wild, and sit back and watch as they bring their own jungle adventure to life—one puppet at a time!
Wrapping Up – A Fantastic Craft Project
Making an elephant paper bag puppet is a super fun and ridiculously easy project that the kids will just love. Its a perfect mix of crafting and playtime that will help your kids learn and have a blast at the same time. Grab those supplies, print out the template and get ready to make some furry little friends that are just begging to go on an adventure.
For more animal craft ideas and printable templates, be sure to check out our blog. You can also read our related post for additional animal puppet templates and inspiration.
