Create a Clothespin Jungle!

Do something fun with your clothespins by turning them into jungle animals! These nifty little critters can be used for decoration or to hold bagged pantry staples closed and keep them fresh. Our animals have a jungle theme, but your child can use cut-out paper and different decorations to make any favorite creatures.

What You Need:

• Clothespins
• Markers, crayons, or colored pens
• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Tape

What You Do:

1. Give your child the markers, crayons, or colored pens, and have her fill in a background color for each animal she wants to make.
2. Prompt your child to use a pen or fine-tipped marker to add detailing to the animals, such as eyes, noses, mouths, ears, and other shape outlines.
3. To create a lion’s mane, have your child color a large brown circle on a small patch of cardstock. She can use scissors to cut the circle into a jagged mane shape, then carefully prick the scissors through the center of the mane and cut a small circle for the lion’s face. Instruct your child to place the mane on the lion clothespin and tape it in place behind the mane.
4. For an elephant’s trunk and ears, have your child fill in patches of cardstock with gray marker or crayon. Help her cut the patches into the shapes of two elephant ears and a curved, winding elephant trunk. She can use tape to apply the ears to the elephant and stick one corner of the trunk into the metal grommet on the clothespin to hold it in place.
5. When designing new clothespin animals and helping to perfect your creations for those shown here, it can be helpful to use pictures and drawings as guides. Let your kids put their own styles and spin on the animals they make to help them express their creativity.