Growing up with the stories of Richard Scary, I’ve always had a place in my heart for animals dressed like people. And I’m not talking about costumes for pets. No, I love animals who have their own little town and who go to work and perhaps enjoy reading books. I also like being a little silly, and I’ll bet your kids like that, too. So I’ve put those two things together.

These Mix ‘Em Up Animals can change their clothes with the twist of a spool, and they just might end up part deer, part squirrel, and part bear!

What You Need

• Printable Mix ‘Em Up Animal Spool Templates (download here)
• Card Stock or Paper
• 2 1/2-inch Tall Wooden Spools
• Scissors
• Tape

Instructions

Step 1
Print the template out and cut the strips apart.

Step 2
Tape the left edge of a paper strip to one of the spools (the left side is a little wider so there’s room for overlap).

Step 3
Wrap the strip around the spool, then secure the overlap with another piece of tape. Repeat for all of the strips and spools.

Step 4
Start stacking the spools and mixing up your own little town full of animal friends.

You might find that kids will want more than just a few stacks of spools to play with so they can create more combinations. And if the spools are sliding a bit too much, just slide an unsharpened pencil down through the centers to hold them together more.

Spools come in lots of different sizes, and smaller animals would be fun too. Just shrink the template to fit!

Happy crafting!