Here’s a happy scarecrow who loves to wave hallo – just pull on the string to make the arms move up and down, and up and down, and up and down…..!
I especially like making crafts that kids can play with afterwards, and this scarecrow puppet was a hit with my little ones. You will need to help fixing the string to the arms, however, so make sure you leave extra time for that if you’re doing it with a small group.
I’ve also provided a printable template with guides for where to make the holes, and included template pages for groups that you can just print directly onto coloured card. See end of post for the download box.
This is a great activity for autumn/fall themes. I also make this scarecrow craft when teaching about parts of the body and love to tie it in with the song “Dingle Dangle Scarecrow” – there are several versions on YouTube, but I like the ones that show the actions.
Supplies
- Card in different colours
- Scraps of patterned wrapping paper
- Wooden kebab stick
- Hole punch
- Split pins
- Yarn or string
- Decorative ribbon or tape
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pen or pencil
- Googly eyes (optional)
How to make the Puppet Scarecrow Craft:
1. Trace the pieces onto coloured card. I’ve provided a template to make this easier, with guide marks to show where to make the holes on the arms and body – see the download link at the end of the post. You can print the single template page and use these pieces to trace onto coloured card. Alternatively, if you want to do this with a group of kids, I’ve provided template pages you can just print directly onto coloured card.
2. Cut out all the pieces of the scarecrow.
3. For the head, stick or draw on some eyes, cut a triangle of orange card or paper for the nose and draw a mouth. Cut several short, thin strips of yellow card for the hair and stick as shown.
4. Stick the hat on top of the hair.
5. For the body, cut two strips of patterned paper about 1.5cm wide and stick them onto the body as shown to make the scarecrow’s braces. Stick the strips onto the “back” of the body, so you don’t cover the hole guides. Trim off any excess.
6. Stick the head to the body. Add a decorative trim to the hat.
7. To make the arms and legs, stick the hands and feet as shown. Make sure kids stick the hands to the end of the arm opposite the hole guide.
8. Turn the scarecrow over and stick the legs to the body as shown.
9. Using a hole punch, make holes on the arms and body in the places indicated by the hole guides.
10. Fix the arms to the body with split pins. If you cut the top corners of each arm (see photo) they’ll move better afterwards. Make sure the heads of the split pins are bigger than the holes made by the hole punch, or they won’t stay in place!
11. Cut two pieces of yarn or string; one short (about 4-5cm) and one long (about 20 – 30 cm).
12. Tie the long piece to the middle of the short piece, so you make a long T shape with the yarn. Make sure the knot is tight.
13. Position the arms out straight as shown.
14. Using sticky tape, fix one end of the short piece of the yarn to one arm and the other end to the other arm. I’ve found that masking tape holds the yarn in position better than clear adhesive tape, but use whatever you have. Make sure you don’t tape the arms to the body! They should be able to move freely.
15. Lastly, cut the sharp end off a wooden kebab stick and tape it to the back of the body.
16. The Scarecrow Puppet is finished! Pull the yarn to make the arms move up and down – and watch your kids’ faces light up with delight!
Advice for small group classes:
Depending on the size of your group you will need 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete this craft.
Some tips:
- Make sure kids don’t stick the arms to the body!
- An adult will probably need to attach the yarn to the arms, as it is a bit fiddly for little ones.
- I recommend preparing the yarn “T’s” beforehand.
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