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Pinecone Owl Family
Here's one to try together!
Turn a handful of pinecones into a hooting owl family, each with big eyes, a tiny beak and a name all its own!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- glue may irritate skin or eyes or be swallowed by young children
- pinecone scales can be prickly or sharp
- outdoor-collected pinecones may carry sap, dirt or insects
- small felt or paper pieces could be a choking risk for the youngest children
What you need
- Paper, a few sheets, or felt scraps
- Glue stick, 1, or any craft glue
- Kid scissors, 1 pair, for the grown-up (optional)
- Crayons or markers, a handful, for coloring eyes and feathers (optional)
- Plate or tray, 1, to catch glue drips (optional)
- Pinecones, 1 per owl
- Newspaper, a few sheets
- Towel, 1 damp towel
- Tray, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Check the pinecones for dirt, sap or little critters. Shake them out over a bin, brush off any dirt and let them dry fully. Cut felt or paper into chunky circles for eyes, small triangles for beaks and leaf-shaped wings. Keep the pieces big enough for little hands, and set them out on a tray with the glue. For kids under 4, stay close by: watch that glue and small pieces stay out of mouths, and collect any scraps when you're done.
- Cut out big eye circles, small beak triangles and wing shapes from paper. Ask for help if you need it
- Line up the pinecones on the tray and pick the grown-up owl and the babies. Ask: Which pinecone looks like the biggest, bravest owl?
- Draw dark pupils in the middle of each eye circle with a crayon.
- Glue two eyes near the top of each pinecone. Hold for a few seconds.
- Glue a little beak just under the eyes. Ask: What sound will this owl make when it wakes up?
- Tuck a wing onto each side and press gently. Watch for prickly scale tips!
- Give every owl a name and make up one fact about it.
- Let the glue dry, then wash hands and tidy up the scraps.
- Now put on an owl hoot show, or make more owls for the family! Ask: What will your owls say when they meet someone new?
Play it again
- Owl twins: make two owls that match, then find one tiny difference to hide.
- Silly owls: give an owl square eyes, three wings or a rainbow beak.
- Owl parade: make a new owl each day and line them up on a windowsill.
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