Best animal craft kits for children

By BBC Wildlife Magazine

Published: Friday, 29 July 2022 at 12:00 am

Whether you’re looking for an educational craft kit to encourage an interest in wildlife, or simply looking for a way to pass the time during the long school holidays or a rainy day, these kits will provide a varied and enjoyable few hours of activity.

There’s adorable sewing kits which then provide additional fun for puppet shows, building a bird nestbox for the garden and helping your local birds at the same time, and a make-your-own chocolate animal lollipops kit – how long before those lollipops get munched?

If you’re feeling crafty and after a kit for yourself, check out our reviews on the best wildlife-themed embroidery kits and the best wildlife-themed cross-stitch kits.

Best wildlife craft kits for children that will bring out their wild side

Woodland Animal Hand Puppet Sewing Kits

Whether you want to stitch a fox, an owl, a badger or a hedgehog, there’s something for everyone in this felt kit. The pieces are all pre-cut, so there’s no need to dig out the child-safe scissors.

Each kit includes the four designs, pre-cut felt puppet, self-adhesive felt pieces, plastic needle and wool: everything you need to gather the little ones together on a rainy afternoon, entertain large groups of kids at Sunday School or throw in a party bag when you’re in a rush. It’s a great way to introduce the kids to different woodland animals.

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Build Your Own Birdhouse

Every garden needs a birdhouse! It’s the perfect way to get your children interested in wildlife, putting out birdseed and seeing what visits. What better way to involve the kids right from the start than by building the birdhouse yourself?

This brilliant little kit comes with the wooden panel, screws, pots of paint and a brush, so you can assemble it yourself and decorate it as you choose. An elegant leaf design has been etched onto the front panel, which you can paint however you like! A great afternoon’s entertainment.

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Junior Paint By Numbers: Koalas

Painting by Numbers is a great way to get children into art. They can take initiative, follow instructions and ultimately create something professional looking that they can be proud of!

This kit is designed for children over the age of eight and includes a picture board (roughly A4 size), with instructions, paintbrush and a set of acrylic paints. The design features two snuggly little koalas – so you can teach them all about the Australian animals with our handy koala guide while they’re painting away!

Choc On Choc Melt And Make Your Own Chocolate Animal Lollipops

This kit does exactly what it says on the box. It couldn’t be simpler: melt the chocolate, pour it into the plastic moulds, pop lolly sticks in and put it into the fridge to set. There are five animal characters across two plastic moulds – two monkeys, a pig, a cow and an elephant. Be sure to keep the moulds and reuse them – we found they work just as well to make frozen yoghurt lollies too!

Reviewed by Paul McGuinness, BBC Wildlife editor

Butterflies & Bees Suncatcher Kit

Another wildlife win from Apple to Pears’ ‘Gift in a tin’ range, this butterflies and bees suncatcher kit makes an ideal present for the little naturalist in your life, both male and female. Simply colour in your butterflies and bumblebees – a handy spotting guide is included – and then assemble into the pre-cut templates.

They even come with suckers to be pressed instantly onto the window. There are eight British butterfly species to make, including red admiral, peacock and brimstone, as well as three bumblebees.

Reviewed by Tanya Jackson, BBC Wildlife and BBC Countryfile group digital editor

Read our review of the Apple to Pears ‘Build a Bee Hotel’ in our Best bee hotels article, and ‘Build Your Own Bird Feeder’ in our Best window bird feeders article.

Seagull Wooden Puppet Kit

Buy now from Baker Ross (£5.95 for a pack of 3).

Imagine how much your kids will love a mobile for their room. Imagine how much more they’ll love a mobile they built themselves! This kit includes a wooden seagull template, beautifully crafted wooden wings, string and stick.

When assembled correctly, these will move like a real seagull! Simply move the stick to flap the wings. If you have any acrylic paints or pens lying around, you can then decorate the seagulls in whatever colour scheme you fancy. Hours of fun.