How to Make Zebra Stripes by Cutting Paper
Animals, and especially exotic animals, are a great theme for kids' crafts. Animal-themed elements such as paw prints, cutout silhouettes, stripes and spots can be used as birthday party decor, educational aids and even interactive games. Instantly recognizable traits are the best, ranging from cats' ears to the stripes of tigers and zebras. If you have a group of kids to entertain, have them cut zebra stripes from black construction paper or crepe paper. They can be used in many crafts or activities and are easy to make.
Things You'll Need
- Tape (optional)
- Zebra poster (optional)
- Pencils (optional)
- Cardboard template (optional)
- Black construction paper or crepe paper
- Safety scissors
Instructions
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1
Tape up a zebra poster for the kids to refer to. Call their attention to the shape of the stripes and the varying width of each stripe.
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Offer pencils to any children who wish to draw their stripes before cutting them. You can also offer templates cut from heavy cardstock, so the kids can trace around the template before cutting.
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3
Hand out the black paper and safety scissors to the kids. Have them cut as many stripes as they can from their piece of paper.
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4
Collect the scissors and leftover scraps of paper. Have the kids gather up their bundles of stripes and move on to whichever craft or game you've selected.
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Tips & Warnings
There are a number of possible games and crafts using zebra stripes. "Pin the stripes on the zebra" can be a group variation of "Pin the tail on the donkey," with three to five giggling kids simultaneously attaching stripes.
Another alternative is to draw the outlines of several other animals on similar-sized sheets of paper and have the kids experiment to see how cows, elephants, walruses or dogs might look with stripes.
The paper stripes also can be used as room decorations on a white or pastel surfaces, or could be pinned to the kids' clothes.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
