Cotton Ball Sheep

• Toddlers can help make a cotton ball sheep using black construction paper, scissors, cotton balls, markers, and glue. A simple handprint, with the thumb sticking out, traced onto a piece of black construction paper is your starting point. Cut out the handprint, and glue it to another sheet of construction paper background. To decorate, a cute little sheep face goes on the thumb part of the cutout. Naturally, a sheep needs a woolly coat, and you can mimic that type of coat by dipping cottons balls into glue and placing them on the sheep’s body.
  
  

Paper Plate Mask

• An inexpensive animal craft the offers plenty of room for creativity is a paper plate mask. Set your table with a 9-inch paper plate, construction paper, glue, scissors, elastic and a stapler. Decide which kind of animals you want to make, and create the cutouts of the animal ears, nose and mouth, then glue them to the paper plate. Every animal needs eyes, so help the child cut out holes for the eyes. By now, the mask should be looking good. Staple a piece of elastic to either side of the paper plate so the child can wear the mask.
  
  Don't be afraid to get creative with the embellishments. If you are making a lion, glue yarn pieces around the top for a mane. If you are making a raccoon mask, a black mask around the eye cutouts is essential. Attention to detail can be a learning experience for young children.
  
  

Puppets

• Puppets are a longtime children’s favorite. Handmade paper animal puppets are relatively easy to make using a paper lunch sack, construction paper, markers or crayons, glue and scissors. The fold in the bag serves as the animal’s mouth. You can cut eyes, nose, ears, whiskers and other characteristics out of the construction paper and glue them to the paper bag’s flap. Using the markers and crayons, decorate the rest of the bag for the body of the animal.
  
  

Hands and Feet Moose

• A child can make her very own animal art using her hands and feet to create templates. Trace her hands, with the fingers a little splayed, onto tan-colored construction paper. On the brown construction paper, outline one of her feet. When you have the templates traced, cut them out and arrange the pieces on a sheet of construction paper. Glue them down. For the features, you can get creative with pre-purchased wiggly eyes or buttons. Every animal needs a nose and a moose is no different. Just draw a nose on black construction paper, cut it out, and glue it in place.