13 Printable Animal Paper Bag Puppet Crafts for Kids
- Jessie
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
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Looking for a fun, creative, and screen-free activity that kids will love? These 13 Printable Animal Paper Bag Puppet Crafts for Kids are perfect for sparking imagination, encouraging pretend play, and building fine motor skills—all while having a blast. With adorable designs ranging from farm favorites like the horse, pig, cow, chick, and lamb to wild animals like the lion, elephant, zebra, and hippo, there’s a puppet here for every little animal lover. And for a touch of extra excitement, we’ve even included unique options like the bald eagle, owl, penguin, bunny, and a bonus shark puppet that’s sure to make waves at craft time!
Each animal puppet comes as a printable template, designed to be easy for kids to assemble with just a few basic supplies—paper lunch bags, scissors, glue, and crayons or markers. Simply print the templates on white cardstock or paper, color them in, cut out the pieces, and glue them to the paper bag. In just a few steps, your child will have their very own puppet ready for storytelling, puppet shows, or imaginative animal adventures.
These animal paper bag puppets aren’t just fun to make—they’re also a fantastic educational tool. They can be used to introduce kids to different animals, habitats, and sounds, or even incorporated into classroom lessons about wildlife, farm life, and the natural world. Younger children will enjoy naming the animals and acting out their sounds, while older kids can create full puppet show scripts and storylines.
One of the best parts about these printable puppet crafts is how versatile they are. Hosting a farm-themed birthday party? Set up a puppet-making station with the pig, cow, lamb, horse, and chick templates. Planning an animal unit in your homeschool or classroom? Use the lion, elephant, zebra, and hippo puppets to bring your lesson to life. Celebrating seasonal events like Easter or springtime? The bunny and chick puppets fit right in. And when it’s time for something totally unexpected, break out the shark puppet for a surprise splash of fun!
Because the templates are black-and-white, every puppet can be customized. Kids can stick to realistic animal colors or get creative with rainbow zebras, pink lions, or polka-dotted penguins. There’s no right or wrong way to decorate—just endless opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Plus, since all the templates are reusable, you can print them again and again for new puppet-making sessions.
These printable animal crafts are also budget-friendly and easy to prep. You can make a single puppet in minutes or set aside an afternoon for a full puppet-making marathon. Best of all, once the puppets are complete, the fun is just beginning! Kids can use them for storytelling, role-playing, or even making their own YouTube-style puppet shows for friends and family.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, daycare provider, or craft-loving grandparent, these 13 Printable Animal Paper Bag Puppet Crafts are a fantastic way to keep kids entertained, engaged, and learning. From the roaring lion to the gentle lamb, the waddling penguin to the fierce shark, these puppets bring the animal kingdom right into your living room—or classroom—one paper bag at a time.
So grab your paper bags, fire up the printer, and let’s start crafting! With 13 adorable animals (plus one bonus shark), there’s a whole zoo’s worth of creativity waiting for you and your little ones.
How to Make Animal Paper Bag Puppets
Making these printable animal paper bag puppets is as simple as print, color, cut, and glue! Each puppet design comes with a black-and-white template you can print at home on regular paper or cardstock. Once printed, kids can color their animal any way they like—realistic or completely imaginative! After coloring, cut out each piece and glue them onto a paper lunch bag. The flap of the bag becomes the puppet’s mouth, making it perfect for pretend play.
You only need a few supplies:
Printable animal puppet templates
White cardstock or printer paper
Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
Child-safe scissors
Glue stick or tape
Paper lunch bags (standard size)
Once complete, your puppets are ready for storytelling, role-play, or even a puppet theater show!
Meet the 13 Printable Animal Paper Bag Puppets
This printable horse puppet is perfect for farm-themed lessons, storytime, or cowboy and cowgirl play. Kids can color their horse brown, black, white, or even give it rainbow hair for a magical twist.
Our hippo puppet template is a fun way to introduce little ones to African animals. Pair it with a story about the savanna or a pretend trip to the zoo.
This pig paper bag puppet is always a favorite for preschool and kindergarten. Great for Old MacDonald activities, farm pretend play, or story retelling.
Perfect for fall crafts or nighttime animal studies, this owl puppet template can be decorated in earthy browns or bright fantasy colors.
A winter favorite, this penguin puppet craft is adorable for cold-weather storytime, arctic animal units, or just because penguins are too cute!
The cow puppet printable is a classic for farm themes and dairy lessons. Kids can make spotted cows, brown cows, or even silly cartoon cows.
Celebrate patriotic holidays or bird studies with this bald eagle puppet. Perfect for lessons on national symbols or wildlife education.
Bring the king of the jungle to life with our lion puppet template. This one is great for animal alphabet units (“L is for Lion”) or safari pretend play.
This elephant paper bag craft is perfect for learning about big animals and their habitats. Kids can color realistic grays or add fun patterns for a circus theme.
The zebra puppet makes a striking black-and-white craft—but don’t be afraid to let kids create colorful, patterned zebras too.
Perfect for spring, Easter, or farm-themed lessons, this chick puppet template is a bright, cheerful craft for little hands.
The lamb puppet craft is great for spring celebrations, Easter activities, or bedtime story puppets. Soft pastel colors make this one extra sweet.
Whether for Easter, springtime, or just because, the bunny puppet template is a year-round favorite. Kids can create white, brown, gray, or rainbow bunnies.
For an unexpected twist, we’ve included a shark puppet! Perfect for Shark Week crafts, ocean-themed lessons, or under-the-sea playtime.
Why Parents & Teachers Love These Printable Animal Puppets
Screen-free fun that encourages creativity and storytelling
Budget-friendly—print as many as you need for home, classroom, or parties
Customizable—kids choose colors, patterns, and designs
Educational—introduces animal facts, habitats, and sounds
Perfect for themed events—farm parties, zoo days, or seasonal activities
These 13 Printable Animal Paper Bag Puppet Crafts for Kids (plus our bonus shark!) are the perfect mix of creativity, learning, and play. Whether you’re looking for a rainy day activity, a themed classroom craft, or something to keep kids entertained at a party, these puppets check all the boxes. They’re easy to make, budget-friendly, and endlessly customizable, making them a hit with both kids and adults. Once the glue is dry, the real fun begins—kids can put on puppet shows, create their own animal stories, or simply enjoy hours of imaginative play.
And the fun doesn’t stop with these animal puppets! On the blog, you’ll find tons of crafts for kids that are just as engaging and easy to make. Try our 3D Fairy Paper Dolls for a magical playtime activity, Unicorn Crown Templates for whimsical dress-up fun, or Butterfly Coloring Pages that let kids explore their creativity with vibrant colors. From seasonal crafts to everyday creative play, there’s always something new to spark your child’s imagination and keep little hands busy.
So grab your paper bags, print your templates, and get ready for a crafting adventure. With so many animals (and more craft ideas waiting for you on the blog), you’ll have an entire zoo of fun right at your fingertips!
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