Interactive Snail Craft for Kids: Kids will adore playing peek-a-boo with this adorable paper snail craft. Children can move the snail as if it’s slithering in and out of its bobbly shell.
Here at Arty Crafty Kids, we’re always inspired by all the little wonders that spring brings along with it, and today we’re bringing you a celebration of the snail! This easy bug craft for kids is a lovely way to encourage learning on the topic of mini-beasts, and snails are particularly intriguing – their eyes are on stalks, they leave slime behind, and they carry their own houses!
So we’ve added an extra interactive element to this craft, so that kids can move their snail along. Incorporating movement into the crafting process helps to make it extra fun and engaging, so this snail craft for kids will really capture little ones imaginations.
How to Make the Interactive Snail Craft:
What you Need:
White and Blue Cardstock
Green Paper (2 Shades)
Watercolor Paint or Crayons/Pencils
Wooden Stick (Popsicle Stick)
Sticky Tape
Glue Stick
Scissors
How to Download the Interactive Snail Template:
The Snail Template is available to members of the Arty Crafty Kids club. The template can be accessed via the link below: https://www.artycraftykids.com/product/peek-a-boo-snail-craft/
Not A Member?
Watch the Peek-a-Boo Snail Video:
Let’s Make a Peek-a-Boo Snail!
Color in the Template
Use your favourite medium, whether it’s paints, pencils or crayons, to color in the snail. Whichever medium you choose, the most important thing is that he’s bright and cheerful!
Cut out the Snail
Carefully cut out the snail elements from the template.
Secure the Popsicle Stick and Eyes
Turn your snail over, stick on the eyes to the top of the head and then glue the popsicle stick onto the middle of the body. This will make a little handle to help your snail move along his grassy patch!
Create Grassy Elements
Now we need to make the grass for your snail to explore. Take a sheet of green paper and cut long, thin triangular pieces so you can create some tall, fine grass. Your blades of grass don’t all need to be the same – in fact it looks better if you cut them randomly, all with slightly different heights, directions and widths.
Then take your second sheet of green paper – a different shade this time – and create the short grass, by cutting zig-zags across the width of the A4 sheet. Instead of having individual blades, this time you’ll have one solid piece of grass.
And before it blows away in the wind, get sticking! Start by gluing the long grass onto the blue cardstock.
Then stick the single piece of short, stubby grass over the top.
Cut a Slit into the Grass
To help your snail get moving, cut a slit into the grass. The slit needs to be about 4-5 inches long, and not too close to the bottom, so it doesn’t tear.
Add the Shell-less Snail
Thread the snail through the slit you just made and give it a test run! Holding your popsicle stick, move the snail back and forth to make sure he can move freely without catching on the grassy paper.
Creating Depth with a Bobble
Using scissors or a paper cutter, cut out two even strips of colored paper. Strips of card do give a better bounce but are a bit trickier for kids to fold, so if you give card a go, a bit of adult help might be needed!
To create the right sized strip, we recommend cutting the paper from the shortest side of an A4 piece of paper – or the longest side of a piece of card – and making the strips at least an inch or so wide.
Take the two strips and position them in a 90° angle, like the corner of a picture frame (as shown above), and glue the connecting papers together.
Fold the bottom strip over the top and crease the fold along the edge. This will make the accordion fold nice and tight!
Continue this process, folding the bottom over the top and creasing, until all the paper has been folded up.
Then seal the ends with glue so your accordion fold doesn’t come undone.
Stick one end of the bobble onto the grass-covered card, just above the body of the snail.
Secure the Shell
And let’s not forget about the most important part of the snail – his house! So stick his shell onto the top of your bouncy bobble.
Now it’s Playtime!
Have fun helping your snail explore, and enjoy his shell happily bouncing away, as he crawls around his garden!
More Interactive Bug Crafts for Kids:
While you’re here, check out these popular buggy crafts and extend the snail craft by adding a few friends!
Bobble Butterfly Craft for Kids:
This Bobble Butterfly craft is so adorable and easy to make with the kids! With the added bounce from the bobble, the butterflies will flutter above the gorgeous spring flowers.
https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/bobble-butterfly-craft/
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft for Kids:
Bring the book to life with this fun and interactive The Very Hungry Caterpillar Printable Craft!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those books we’ve revisited time and time again with each of my three children; covering bug topics, colours and the butterfly life cycle.
https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-printable-craft/
Bobble Bee Craft for Kids:
Kickstart the Spring term with this adorable Bobble Bee Paper Craft. With the added bouncy movement, bees literally pop from the page as if they’re buzzing around a beehive; making this a super fun and engaging Spring craft for kids to enjoy.
https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/bobble-bee-paper-craft/
Happy Crafting!
