50 Easy Animal Crafts for Kids

Grab your pipe cleaners, craft sticks, paper plates, and paint and get ready for a list full of animal craft ideas. Are you a teacher entering an animal unit, reading a book about animals, or a parent heading to the zoo or farm with your kids? Crafts are a great way to introduce those little (or big!) outdoor creatures.

Below you will find a list full of great ideas for a wide variety of animals and animal types. You’ll be able to find zoo crafts, farm animal crafts, arctic animal crafts, forest animal crafts, and pet crafts all listed below.

Zoo Crafts for Kids

These adorable zoo animal crafts for kids cover a wide range of the wildest animals! From peacocks to lions, you should be able to find something that will fit in with what you are teaching and learning.

Pom Pom Hand Giraffe

Centered around one of everyones’ favorite zoo animals, this giraffe craft is easy peasy. If you have some pom poms already on hand, you probably have everything you need!

Photo Credit: Glued to my Crafts Blog

Paper Plate Giraffe

Paper plates are an easy craft supply to come by and this craft is easy to complete. This one uses tissue paper to fill in the giraffe instead of paint or markers!

Photo Credit: Glued to My Crafts

Fingerprint Giraffe

This is similar to the pom pom giraffe above, but it uses your fingerprints instead of pom poms for the spots! It also comes with a free printable template for the giraffe cut out.

Photo Credit: OurKidThings

Paper Plate Panda

This paper plate craft comes with a free printable template. Cut the pieces out and you are ready to go!

Photo Credit: SimpleEveryDayMom

Fork Painting Lion

This easy craft uses a fork instead of a paint brush! It adds a nice texture to the lion’s mane.

Photo Credit: TheChirpingMoms

Coffee Filter Peacocks

This fun project uses a very cheap craft supply: coffee filters! Kids of all ages will love this colorful animal craft.

Photo Credit: Gluedtomycrafts

Paper Plate Tiger

Paper plates, construction paper, and tissue paper are all you need for this simple zoo animal craft.

Photo Credit: Gluedtomycrafts

Newspaper Elephant

This easy craft is a great way to use up your extra newspaper instead of tossing it out!

Photo Credit: BuggyandBuddy

Newspaper Koala

Another easy newspaper craft! If you have some big googly eyes around, you can use those instead of drawing and making your own.

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Paint Splatter Lions

Nearly everyone’s favorite zoo animal, this lion craft will get the creative juices flowing. While you don’t actually splatter paint in this craft, it sure looks like it!

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Farm Animal Crafts for Kids

Farm animals are popular with young children, because there are so many fun rhymes and songs that go along with them! Belt out one of those animal rhymes with your group and finish off with one of these crafts!

Handprint Duck

This craft uses your handprint and a free printable template to make this adorable duck.

Photo Credit: SimpleEveryDayMom

Easy Sheep Craft

If you don’t have paint around or don’t want to make a mess out of paint, use cotton balls for the wool!

Photo Credit: CraftsonSea

Muddy Pigs

This craft is perfect for sensory play and working on some fine motor skills.

These Little Piggies

This personalized piggy craft may get their feet messy, but it’s one parents will love to keep around forever.

Photo Credit: Sight and Sound Reading

Spinning Chicken

This spinning chicken craft gives preschoolers some time to work on fine motor skills with some scissor practice!

Photo Credit: BooksandGiggles

Horse Headband

This easy peasy construction paper craft gives children some help with their pretend play! If you switch the colors and ears around, you could make any farm animal you want.

Photo Credit: SimpleEveryDayMom

Hatching Chick Craftivity

This hatching chick craft is so much fun! Crafts like this, ones that come with a built in activity, will keep children entertained even after the crafty part is done.

Photo Credit: KidsSoup

Twirly Pig

Paper plates are an easy supply to gather, and this pig will make a great bedroom or classroom decoration!

Photo Credit: KidsCraftRoom

Paper Plate Cow

This paper plate cow is so easy and adorable! Add some googly eyes if you like! Did you know cows are one of the most popular animal crafts for kids?

Photo Credit: HomeschoolPreschoolNet

Arctic Animal Crafts

Arctic animals are some of the most interesting animals on the planet! How on earth do they survive in those temperatures? If you are working on uncovering that answer with your students or children, finish off the lesson with one of these crafts.

Fork Paint Polar Bear

Forks are a great tool for painting if you are working on animals! The fork gives the paint a feathery and furry looking texture — perfect for all of your animal crafts!

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Paint Splat Penguin

No worries, children do not actually need to splatter paint with this craft. Like the paint splatter lions above, you simply apply some paint to one side of the construction paper and fold it for a mirror effect. No splatter paint mess here!

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Paper Plate Penguin

Penguins are amazing animals! They are so interesting and complex, but their crafts do not have to be! If you are looking for a simple and cheap polar animal craft, this penguin one is perfect.

Photo Credit: OurPotLuckFamily

Polar Bear Paper Plate

For this all you need are paper plates, cotton balls, and the free template for the facial features! Easy peasy.

Photo Credit: LittleBinsforLittleHands

Handprint Polar Bear

This polar bear craft is simple and personalized. Construction paper, white paint, and a marker are all you will need for this. This one is perfect for even the youngest of age groups.

Out of blue paper trace your handprint and paint a polar bear.

Photo Credit: GrandKidsMakeLifeGrand

Ocean Animal Crafts for Kids

Ocean animals make easy art projects! There are also so many different ocean animals to choose from. You can create something popular like a sea turtle or shark or something a little more unique like the puffer fish!

Paper Plate Sea Turtle

This paper plate craft has an easy supply list, but the painting of the shell lets you get as creative as you want! You don’t even have to limit yourself to green and brown paint. Get as colorful and creative as you wish.

sea turtle craft made out of a paper bowl sitting on a pink background

Photo Credit: IHeartCraftyThings

Coffee Filter Animals

This is a fun way to use up an oversupply of coffee filters and introduce many different ocean animals.

Ocean Animal Coffee Filter Suncatcher Kids Craft and Free Template (summer, ocean, whale, shark, dolphin, kids craft)

Photo Credit: ALittlePinchofPerfect

Paper Chain Jellyfish

Most of us have made paper chains as a Santa countdown before, but not a jellyfish! This craft is so easy and children will love hanging it up.

Paper jellyfish craft-image for pinterest

Photo Credit: CraftsbyRia

Melted Crayon Sea Turtle

Have some broken crayons? Use them for this craft!

Melted Crayon Turtle Suncatcher Craft For Kids

Photo Credit: Iheartartsandcrafts

Jellyfish Suncatcher

Grab some tissue paper and make this beautiful underwater creature!

Cupcake Liner Octopus

This cupcake liner octopus is so cute and creative. Fruit loops are used for the suction cups on their tentacles!

Paper Plate Tropical Fish

With this fish, you can get as colorful and creative as you wish.

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Easy Sea Turtle

Construction paper crafts are easy peasy and easy to gather materials for. This sea turtle is simple and a great time for everyone.

Photo Credit: PocketofPreschool

Shark Hat

Looking to act out or play as ocean animals? This shark hat would be perfect.

Paper Plate Seahorse

Sea horses are some of the tiniest sea creatures, but they should not be forgotten!

Photo Credit: GluedtomyCrafts

Fork Paint Puffer Fish

Forks work as a great tool to create texture with paint. It can look furry, but also can pass as the spikes on a puffer fish!

Photo Credit: CraftyMorning

Handprint Crabs

This crab craft is almost as simple as it gets. Grab some paint and make this easy, personalized craft.

Paper Plate Stingray

Use whatever color paint you want with this paper plate stingray.

Photo Credit: ThePinterestedParent

Forest Animal Crafts for Kids

There are so many different animals in wooded areas! Forest animals can mean giant creatures like brown bears or elusive jungle animals like the python or leopard. No matter what outdoor area you are learning about, you should be able to find an animal that fits well below!