Latest news, food, business, travel, sport, Tips and Tricks...

Toothy Alligator Craft

Toothy Alligator

Total Time Needed: 1 Hour

Play along with this cool alligator shadow puppet. You can also make a lanky giraffe and squawking parrot action shadow puppet.

Materials

  • Card stock in assorted colors
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Glue
  • Paper fasteners
  • Green glitter glue for alligator scales
  • Flexible straws
  • Pinking shears, for the alligator

Instructions

Toothy Alligator step 1

1. Cut out the shapes as shown from card stock, using pinking shears to achieve a serrated look along the top of the back, tail, and teeth, as well as the bottom of the legs.

2. Glue the small eye circle atop the larger one. Then punch 1 hole in the eye circle and 1 each in the upper jaw and body where the 2 will join together.

3. Glue together all the pieces except for the upper jaw, which can be attached with a paper fastener as soon as the glue dries. Coat the alligator's body with glitter glue (for scales).

4. Glue a straw to the back of the body for holding the alligator and another to the back of the upper jaw for opening and closing his mouth.

Toothy Alligator step 5

5. To cast shadows with your action puppets, simply hold the critters up in front of a desk lamp or flashlight pointed toward a wall. Then have someone turn off any other lights and let the show begin.

Tips:

The measurements we used are:

Mouth & Teeth: 6 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches

Big eye circle: 1 3/4 inches

Small eye circle: 3/4 inches

Body & Tail: 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches

Legs: 2 3/4 x 1 3/4 inches

//