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First-School.ws
Hare or Jackrabbit Paper Bag Puppet Craft Preschool Printable Activity
This is one of a collection of easy-to- assemble paper bag puppets for children ages 2+ and older. It can quickly become one of your favorite "teaching and learning helpers" and a great homemade toy! If you don't have paper bags, that's O.K., because it can also be a craft stick puppet printed on card stock.
Materials:
- printer
- paper, card stock or print directly to paper in your color of choice
- coloring tools for B&W template
- scissors
- standard lunch paper bag or, attach to wide craft stick
- glue stick
The color version is meant for the educator (parent, preschool teacher, child care provider or baby-sitter) to use as a teaching helper. Laminate for durability. The black and white version can be printed directly on color craft paper.
Ideas and suggestions:
- Story time helper: Review Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare activities. The puppet can be your assistant storyteller and reader. It can
bring excitement and enthusiasm into the reading time. This puppet "helper" can be one of the characters, an ask questions to the children during and
after the reading. Later the children can have fun assembling
their own puppet using the black and white version templates.
- Alphabet: Matching printable activities featured at the end of this page. Introduce or reinforce letter recognition and early handwriting
skills. You can print the upper and lower case letter on the
body of the puppet.
- Introduce related and new themes: Review topics for this puppet in the themes at the top of this page.
- Nutrition and health | Safety | Character education:
The puppet can be a great aid in those special times when parents need a fun helper, and give that little nudge and friendly reminder to have the children cooperate with chores, learn how to dress themselves, potty training, alleviate the anxiety related to the doctor or dentist visits, or to help introduce a new caregiver, meal times, and safety issues, etc.
- Music and Physical Activity 'Conductor'> Singing, Dancing, Marching, Finger plays > These puppets are great to get the children in the mood for music and movement.
Craft Version and Homemade Toy > Coloring version black & white
- Print black & white templates. This version can also be printed directly on color craft
paper or construction paper to match a particular character in a book,
for a example a story with a "Pink Hare."
- This version allows the children to be creative and personalize
the puppet. Provide a
variety of art materials to color, paint and/or decorate the puppet.
- The template can be colored and decorated before or after
assembly, whichever you or the children prefer. My experience
has been that many children like to color and decorate after the
pieces are glued to the bag.
- Assembly instructions: Here is an illustration of how to assemble the craft. Cut about 2 to 2/12 inches off the bottom of the bag or
adjust based on the body template. This makes the
puppet more comfortable and manageable for the children.
- Craft Stick Puppet
Version:
Print the templates using card stock or heavy duty construction paper. Tape a craft stick (Popsicle stick | tongue depressor), or an unsharpened pencil on the back of the finished puppet.
Matching printable materials > Hare Animal
Progressive Puzzle
These are printable puzzles that adapt to children growing abilities. Available in for stages - 18 months old to 6 years old.
Templates:
- Close template window after printing to return to this screen.
- Set page margins to zero (minimum) if you have trouble fitting the template on one page or review Print Help.