Paper Slotted Animal Toys

November 19, 2012
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19 comments

We’ve been enjoying a lot of indoor paper crafts lately, and a few days ago we made some little slotted animals based on a wooden set that I made awhile back.

Cutting the animal shapes out and putting them together was just the right amount of challenge for the kids. They were quite focussed, and really enjoyed seeing them stand up when they finished. After getting the hang of it, my son started making his own creations, including a Jabba the Hut and Luke Skywalker. Cool! (See photo below)

Making them is easy. Just cut out a body shape and two legs. Then cut slots so you can stand them up. There is a template below, or you can make your own designs. If you use a thicker paper, then you might need to cut your slots slightly wider so the feet stay straight.

After you finish, you can take them apart and put them in a little box or envelope. Then you can take them on the go to restaurants, etc. Nice!

Template: Click on the image below, then print.

Here is a look at the wooden version if you’d like.

19 Responses
  1. Tia MiMi

    I love stuff Made by Joel. So fun, simple, and whimsical. Thank you, good man, for your lovely creativity and your willingness to share!

    1. Joel

      Thanks Pete! Yeah, we moved into a 1960 ranch house over the summer. You’d probably dig it. The wood is from a dead tree in our yard we had chopped down. Made for some good, decorative firewood! Nice!

  9. Aga

    Wow I love your ideas! In a era where everything is made by machine and of plastic It’s wonderful to see people still use their imagination to make beautiful things.

  11. bridget

    these are perfect for little hands to assemble. and can see them working for all our three boys – age 8,6 and 2. thanks.

    1. Joel

      Hi Paulette. The eyes print black, but the lines print lighter gray. They should show up just fine though. Maybe try a different preset setting on your printer – like a higher quality print, instead of a quick print. There are so many different printers and printing software that it’s hard to give much good advice. Good luck!

      If that still doesn’t work, I could actually email you a printout with black lines.