From Craft Table to Story Time: Meet Your New Favorite Giraffe
Craft Time with The Middlest Giraffe
Looking for a gentle and creative way to connect with your child about the value of family, teamwork, and asking for help? This Giraffe Paper Bag Puppet Craft is the perfect hands-on activity to pair with my picture book, The Middlest Giraffe—a story that reminds kids (and adults!) that it’s okay to lean on others when things get hard. It doesn’t have to be the middle child, this relates to all of us, but seems to be especially hard for the 2-6 group who want to do it all themselves.
This easy, adorable puppet is a wonderful addition to storytime or a fun weekend craft with a heartwarming message. After the book is read and the puppet made, as your little crafter to retell you the story. It doesn’t have to be perfect or resemble the book at all, let their imagination rule!
✂️ What You’ll Need:
- Yellow or orange paper bag (5.1 x 3.1 x 9 approximately)
- color printer and paper
- scissors
- glue
- googly eyes (1 /2 inch or size desired)
🦒 Let’s Make It!
1. Print and Cut out Giraffe Pieces
Download the Giraffe pattern pieces, then with a color printer print out pages 3 & 4. Then carefully cut out each piece.
2. Make the Face
- Glue the small oval to the bottom of the head
- Glue small black dots to the small oval
- Glue on googly eyes in the middle top half of the large oval (head)
3. Add the Ears and Horns (Ossicones!)
- Glue the two ears to the sides of the head about even with the eyes (glue to back of head)
- Glue the horns (Ossicones) between the ears (glue to back of head)
4. Attach head to body
- Glue finished head to the bottom of the orange or yellow bag, making sure you don’t glue it to the body of the bag
5. Add Spots
- Add the half oval spots to the body of the bag
📖 Tie It In with the Story
Once your puppet is complete, it’s the perfect companion for reading The Middlest Giraffe. In the story, our middlest giraffe sometimes feels stuck—not the baby, not the oldest, just… stuck in the middle. But when she finds herself in a tough spot, she learns something powerful: it’s okay to ask for help—and that family is there to lift each other up.
🧡 Talk About It:
- What does it mean to ask for help?
- Have you ever felt “in the middle”?
- How can we help others in our family or friend group?
Your child can use their puppet to act out the story or create their own adventures starring the middlest giraffe.
👉 Click here to read more or order your copy of The Middlest Giraffe
💌 Get the Free Puppet Template
Want to make it even easier? Download our free printable little bee puppet pattern from the Free Resource Page (find the password in the last newsletter) or get it straight to your inbox by signing up for the newsletter below.
You’ll also get access to my full library of book-based crafts, coloring pages, and more creative fun.
🧡 More Than a Craft
This isn’t just about cutting and gluing—it’s about:
- Sparking imagination
- Reinforcing emotional growth through storytelling
- Reminding our littles that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness
Happy crafting and reading!
Blessings,
—Shannon L. Mokry
Want More Paper Bag Puppets?
Click the link below for the whole paper bag collection…
