Free Printable Apple Puppet Template and Craft
This cute little printable apple craft is perfect for fall. Use the free templates to help your preschool or elementary kids create their own apple puppet!
Kids love puppets! At least, mine do. Dinosaurs, bunnies, penguins, or turkeys, they love them all!
And what’s not to love? Puppets are easy to make and are a great way to allow kids to let their imaginations take the stage. Given that it’s apple season, this week we’re featuring an adorable apple craft. This cute free apple template allows kids to build a puppet that’s perfect for this time of year. With interchangeable eyes, mouths, and accessories, the kids can personalize their apple.
This is a great addition to your apple theme unit for your preschool craft. It’s also great as a fall craft for both preschool and lower elementary aged kids! I love that it’s low prep — just print the printable template, lay out some colored pencils or crayons, scissors, and glue, and let the kids go to town. At the end, you can tape a popsicle stick on, and voila! You have a simple apple craft!
Why you want this craft:
- encourages imaginative play
- low prep
- builds fine motor skills
- fun for kids!
- perfect for fall or alphabet preschool units
- cute and easy!
Materials
Easy Apple Craft Template (click here for free printable)
I would recommend printing your printable apple templates on card stock for a more sturdy final product. This can also be printed on plain computer paper. If you’d like to do this craft on construction paper, you can print the apple template on regular white paper, then cut and trace onto the construction paper.
Colors
Crayons, colored pencils, markers, and more! Let the kids color their apples and accessories before they cut and glue.
Scissors
One of the benefits of this activity is how well it builds scissor skills. The eyes and mouths have simple lines and curves to encourage kids to practice cutting on their own.
Glue Sticks
You can also use Elmer’s glue here. I like glue sticks, especially with younger kids, because it allows them to be more independent without creating a giant mess for me to clean up!
Popsicle Sticks
I used jumbo sized sticks to give little hands something to hold onto to. You can also use regular sized popsicle sticks or even straws to create the puppet.
Instructions
Step 1 | Prep
Start by gathering your supplies. You need a printed version of the apple template, colors, scissors, glue sticks, and popsicle sticks.
Step 2 | Color
Let the kids choose their own vibrant colors to make their adorable apple craft. They can color the apple shape and choose some features and accessories to color. Let them go to town!
Step 3 | Cut
Very small children may need help, but Kindergarteners and above should be able to cut out these simple shapes. Have the kids cut out their apples, then their features and accessories.
Step 4 | Glue
Use the glue sticks to glue the features and accessories to the apple shape. Create apples with their own personalities by mixing and matching! Finish by glueing the popsicle stick to the back of the apple shape.
Step 5 | Play!
As soon as the glue is completely dried, the kids can put on their own puppet show!
Other Apple Craft Ideas
Here are a few different ways you can use the printable apple template aside from making puppets:
Paint Your Apples
Instead of coloring the apples, let the kids use paint to create some apple art! Red and green paint is perfect for traditional apples, but you can let your kid’s imagination run wild!
You can use a variety of paint techniques, including bubble painting, shaving cream marbling, painting with cotton balls, watercolors, or just finger paint!
Tissue Paper Apple Craft
Use little squares of red or green tissue paper to fill in the apple outlines. Then, you can glue the features over the top of the tissue paper to create some more adorable apple projects!
Apple Sun Catcher Craft
Similar to the tissue paper apple craft idea, you can make sun catchers using contact paper, the printable template, and tissues paper squares. Just trace the apple shape onto contact paper using a Sharpie. Then, peel off the backing and stick the pieces of tissue paper to the contact paper, filling in the apple outline. Cover with another sheet of contact paper, then cut out the apple along the Sharpie lines. Punch a hole in the top and add a string so your sun catcher can hang from the window!
Games to Play with Your Apple Puppets
Playing with an apple puppet can be a delightful and imaginative activity for children. Here are some fun games and activities you can enjoy with an apple puppet:
- Apple Puppet Show: Encourage your child to put on a puppet show using the apple puppet as the star. They can create a story, use other puppets or toys as characters, and even perform for family and friends.
- Storytelling Adventures: Use the apple puppet to tell stories. Your child can take the puppet on adventures, describing its journey, encounters, and challenges. This fosters creativity and storytelling skills.
- Dance Party: Host a puppet dance party! Put on some music and have the apple puppet dance and groove. Your child can dance along and even teach the puppet some cool moves.
- Hide and Seek: Hide the apple puppet in various places around the house, and your child can go on a puppet hunt to find it. This game adds an element of excitement and exploration.
- Five Little Apples Song: Your kids could act out this adorable song from Kids TV!
10 Benefits of Puppet Play for Kids
Playing with puppets is a fun way for kids to learn and grow, and it’s a whole lot of fun too! Here are some cool things that happen when your child plays with puppets:
- Talking Like a Pro: Puppets make kids chatter like little chatterboxes! They chat with their puppet pals, making up stories and even learning new words along the way.
- Dream Up Adventures: With puppets, kids are like little creative geniuses. They dream up exciting adventures, invent characters, and take their imaginations on a wild ride.
- Feelings Talk: Puppets are like mini therapists! Kids use them to share their feelings and thoughts. It’s easier to talk about stuff when it’s the puppet doing the talking.
- Super Social Skills: Puppets are social butterflies. When kids play with them, they learn to share, take turns, and play nicely with others. Plus, they get a crash course in empathy.
- Puzzle Solvers: Puppets love a good mystery. Kids often use them to solve puzzles and think through tricky situations while having a blast.
- Confidence Boost: Puppets are like little confidence boosters! Kids feel super confident talking through their puppet buddies, which can help them be less shy and more self-assured.
- Super Fingers: Puppets need gentle fingers! Manipulating puppets hones fine motor skills, helping kids become little finger ninjas.
- Storytelling Whizzes: Puppets make kids into storytelling pros. They practice weaving stories and building plots, which is great for their language and literacy skills.
- Smart Learning: Puppets make learning fun. They can help explain tricky concepts in an exciting way, making learning feel like a super adventure.
- Peaceful Problem Solvers: Puppets help kids tackle problems. They can act out conflicts and come up with peaceful solutions, teaching valuable problem-solving skills.
So, whether they’re putting on puppet shows or having deep puppet chats, playing with puppets is a fantastic way for kids to grow, learn, and have a whole lot of fun along the way!
10 Benefits of Crafting for Kids
Craft projects open kids up to hands-on activities, and it’s full of incredible benefits. Here are some of the awesome things that happen when kids get crafty:
- Super Skillful Hands: Crafting makes little fingers nimble and skilled. Kids use scissors, glue, and tiny beads, which helps them build hand-eye coordination while having lots of fun!
- Imagine Anything: With crafting, kids can dream up the wildest, most colorful ideas. They pick their own colors, materials, and shapes, letting their imaginations soar!
- Puzzle-Solving Pros: Crafty projects are like fun puzzles. Kids figure out how to put things together, which boosts their problem-solving skills and makes them little puzzle-solving champions.
- Express Themselves: Crafting is a way for kids to show who they are. They can use art to say things when words don’t quite cut it.
- Focus and Patience: Crafting takes time, and kids learn to stick with it. They practice concentrating and following step-by-step instructions, which makes them super focused and patient.
- Proud Achievers: When they finish a craft, kids feel like superheroes! It’s a big confidence boost, and they get to say, “I made this!”
- Creative Talkers: Crafting gets the conversation flowing. Kids talk about what they’re making, why they chose certain things, and they follow instructions, which helps them become excellent talkers.
- Feel-Good Vibes: Crafting can be like a cozy, comforting hug. It helps kids feel calm and happy, managing their feelings.
- Project Owners: Kids craft with their hearts, and they own their projects. They make choices and become little decision-makers and independent thinkers.
- Learning and Play: Crafting is a smart way to learn while having a blast. Kids explore science, math, and art in a fun and hands-on way.
So, whether they’re making masterpieces or having crafty chats, crafting is a fantastic way for kids to grow, learn, and have a whole lot of fun!
This printable apple puppet craft sounds like a fantastic and creative activity for kids. It’s not only fun but also helps develop various skills while allowing them to express themselves. Plus, the additional game and storytelling ideas make it even more engaging!
Thanks for pointing out those benefits!