River otters like Agate and Ore at Great Lakes Aquarium are naturally very playful creatures! If you were an otter, what would you explore today? In this activity, you’ll make an otter puppet that you can take on adventures or make up stories with. Use your imagination!
Age Level: 3 to 10
Supervision Requirements: Assistance with printer, scissors and glue as necessary
Materials & Setup
- Printer (print Otter Puppet Parts)
- Paper bag (lunch bag size is best; grocery bags can also work!)
- Coloring materials (crayons, markers, pencils, etc)
- Scissors
- Glue (glue stick is best).
Instructions
1. Print the Otter Puppet Parts. Color them however you like, then cut out the body parts.
2. Glue the otter head to the ‘bottom’ of the bag so that the crease of the bag is just under the otter’s chin. Glue the otter’s back feet (with the black footpad shapes) towards the opening of the bag. Glue the front feet in between the back feet and the head, and glue the tail to the reverse side of the bag. Decorate the rest of the bag however you choose — get creative!
3. Once the glue dries, manipulate the puppet by putting your arm through the bag and moving the otter’s head flap with your hand. Have fun on your adventures!
