DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Paper Bag Goat Craft

Contributed by Leanne Guenther

This is a fun and easy cut and paste paper craft that uses a paper bag as a base to make a goat puppet.  I think puppets are a great tool to use in the preschool and kindergarten classroom!

Materials:

• grey paint and paintbrush or grey paper,
• a paper lunch bag
• a printer,
• some crayons,
• scissors,
• glue,
• paper for the printer

Optional:

• big wiggly eyes

Print the Template:

• You can either print just template one or both templates.
  • The more children you have per adult and the younger the children are, the simpler (less templates) you want the craft to be.
  • If you aren't sure how many templates you should use, print both, but hide #2.  If the kids make it through #1 and are eager for more, bring out the other.  If they are tired of crafting, save them for another day or just discard them.
• Color (as required) and cut out the template pieces.

Get Familiar with Your Paper Bag:

• I'm going to walk through this slowly.  Look at your paper bag.
• It should be closed and flat like a piece of paper.  Just like when they are brand new.
• On one side, it's all smooth.  This will be the BACK of your puppet.
  • It's important that all the kids get the back and front straight at the beginning!
• On the other side there's a flippy tab (which is typically the bottom of the bag when you're carrying your lunch around...)
  • This flippy tab will be the HEAD.
• Lift the flippy tab up a bit.  Underneath of the tab will be the mouth,
  • When the child puts her hand in the bag, she'll be able to make the puppet talk.
• Look at the rest of the front of the bag.  (The 3/4 or so of the bag below the part with the flippy tab)  This will be the BODY.
• Look at the sides of the bag.  There should be a FLAP of paper. 
  • We'll be slipping the arms (template 2) into this flap.
  • If the kids goof and glue the arms onto the front or back of the bag, it isn't a big deal.
• OK, now that we're comfy with our bags, let's craft!

Template #1

• Grey Goat:  Cover the paper bag with grey construction paper (just glue it on and trim) or paint the paper bag grey and let dry.
• Glue the upper jaw onto the HEAD.  It should overlap the body a bit.
• Glue the beard onto the BODY beneath the lower jaw.
• Glue the lower jaw onto the BODY so that part of it is underneath the flap that is the HEAD.
• Glue the eyes onto the HEAD so they are above the upper jaw.  If you like, you can use wiggly eyes instead of the paper template pieces.
• Glue the ears onto the sides of the HEAD close to the top.
• Glue the horns onto the top of the HEAD beside the ears.
• Glue the hair onto the top of the HEAD between the horns.
• Glue the tongue underneath the flippy tab so you cannot see it when the mouth is closed.

Template #2

• Glue the arms into the FLAP.
• Glue the legs to the bottom of the BODY.
• Fold the tail in half (so it's colored on both sides).  Fold the dotted line tab and use this to glue the tail onto the BACK giving it a 3D effect.
• Glue the stomach onto the BODY.

Templates:

• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Template 1:  (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 2:  (color)   or   (B&W)