Looking for a simple and engaging activity to do with your little ones? Making DIY Cardboard Cats is a fantastic idea for shared creativity with children as young as three! All you need are a few common household materials, a dash of imagination, and soon you’ll have a whole feline family joining your household!
What You’ll Need:
- Sturdy cardboard or thick paper (like a cereal box or an old delivery box)
- A cardboard toilet paper roll
- Scissors (kid-friendly ones are best!)
- Markers, crayons, or paints (whatever your kids love to use for decorating!)
- Glue (PVA or school glue works great for little hands)
- Optional: A craft knife (for adult use, if needed for thicker cardboard)
How to Make Them:
- Draw your templates: Start by sketching out three simple shapes on regular paper: the back of the cat, the front piece with the face, and a tail. Think of classic cat silhouettes!
- Prepare the body: Take your toilet paper roll and cut it in half. You’ll only need one half for each cat’s body.
- Trace and cut: Place your paper templates onto the cardboard and trace around them. Carefully cut out all the pieces.
- Decorate your cats: This is where the fun begins! Let your kids go wild decorating each piece. Add whiskers, eyes, spots, stripes, or any patterns they can imagine. Encourage them to make each cat unique and colorful!
- Assemble with glue: Once all the pieces are decorated, it’s time to put them together. Use your glue to attach the front, back, and tail to the cardboard roll.
- Create a whole litter! Repeat the process to make an entire company of cardboard cats. The more, the merrier!
These DIY Cardboard Cats aren’t just great for developing fine motor skills; it also sparks imagination, encourages creative play, and creates wonderful family memories. You can even set up a little “cat show” or invent fun stories about each of your new feline friends!