Ready for some monkey business? Print and cut this adorable primate playset, and then make a jungle diorama with some paper towel tube trees! With a few basic supplies, you’ll have your own troop of monkeys hanging from the trees and taking care of their babies.

Whether they choose to play with them and act out stories or simply set up a display, kids will go bananas for these cute monkeys. They’re also a great springboard for learning!

The monkeys are the fifth in our animal habitat playset series. You can find the hedgehog set here and more printable dioramas are still to come!

Let’s not monkey around…it’s time to start crafting!

• Printable monkey download
• Cardstock
• Coloring Supplies (optional)
• 2 Paper Towel Tubes
• Drinking Straw
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Glue Stick (optional)

Step 1
Print the monkey PDF on cardstock. If you want to customize your playset by coloring it, you can do that now. Otherwise, print the full-color version and carry on to step 2.

Step 2
Cut out all the pieces, leaving the white tabs attached to the bases or tops.

Step 3
Use the blade of the scissors to score the tabs where they meet up with the monkeys. On the swinging monkeys, score the lines on the tabs as well. This helps them fold easier.

Fold the tabs back. The sitting and standing monkeys will stand up on their own and the swinging monkeys can hold on to the tree.

Step 4
At one end of each paper towel tube, cut four 1-1/2″ slits. Fold the tabs out so they form the base of the tree trunks.

Step 5
Use a hole punch to make several holes at the top of the tree trunks.

Insert the ends of the straw into two of the holes in the tree trunks. Depending on the size of the straw, you may need to make the holes a little larger with the hole punch.

Step 6
Tie yarn vines through the remaining holes in the trees.

Now you can start to decorate your trees! Add leaves at the base of the trees for some tropical ground cover for your monkeys to play in. At the tops, you can snip more slits to slide leaves in place. Or glue the leaves, along with the bananas.

Next, loop the hanging vines around and let the monkeys climb in the trees. Rearrange the pieces to create different layouts! Add more trees and cut out extra leaves! Make this playset your own.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to learn about monkeys and their habitats and eating habits!

Happy crafting!