Paper Pterodactyl Puppet

paper pterodactyl puppet craft for kids

Here is a fun and easy paper pterodactyl puppet craft for kids.

I love puppet crafts because they provide kids with a fun activity along with a DIY toy to play with (keeping them occupied for a little bit longer, haha). 

This is perfect for dinosaur lovers, and is great when you need a low-mess, low-prep activity to keep your kiddos busy.

This printable craft was first published in 2015 and has been updated and reshared for today’s audience

Get the template here

paper pterodactyl puppet - make paper puppet that flies on a string in the shape of a flying pterodactyl

Not long ago I made some toilet roll dinosaurs. There was a Triceratops and Diplodocus and I had planned to add to the collection with a Pterodactyl. Turns out it worked better and was easier to make from paper, which is not quite as trendy as crafting with paper rolls right now but just as much fun don’t you think?

My girls were very taken with these puppets, they named them Snowflake, Pineapple and Hearts (the green one is Hearts). Here is a quick tutorial on how you can make one at home, it won’t take long.

How to make a Paper Pterodactyl Puppet

You will need

  • String
  • A long craft stick or dowel rod (or any stick really)
  • A hole punch and scissors
  • Tape
  • The printable template, printed to a sheet of coloured light cardstock

paper template to make the flying pterodactyl puppet

How to

To begin with score the fold line with a blunt knife (like a butter knife) and ruler. This might sound a bit weird and unnecessary but it gives you a really perfect, clean fold. You will find it’s really easy to fold after scoring the line and it helps for this project because the Pterodactyl balances on a single string so any unevenness might cause it to tilt off balance and not work properly.

score the fold line first

fold and cut the template

Once it’s folded cut along the black line with a pair of scissors, including the slit on the head and the extra mouth piece on the bottom of the page.

fold the wings back

Fold the wings down evenly. The mouth piece goes through the slit with half of it sticking out the top for the spike on the back of the Pterodactyl’s skull.

add the mouth

Use a hole punch to carefully make two holes over the dots marked, trying to keep them right on the fold line to keep your puppet balanced.

thread the string

Then tie the string through the two holes and onto the stick and you have your puppet!

If you find that your puppet won’t balance properly you might need to add a small piece of tape underneath on it’s belly to keep the string in place. I made about six of these and only one actually needed the tape.

paper pterodactyl puppets - make paper puppet that flies on a string in the shape of a flying pterodactyl

paper dinosaur craft idea

They were a hit at our place!

More ideas for dinosaur fans

paper dinosaur craft idea for kids – make a flying pterodactyl puppet on a string

Check out more of our Animal Printables

Similar Posts

  • Rainbow Rolling Pin Art

    Get arty with this colourful rainbow rolling pin art idea! This is a fun process art activity for kids that gives you gorgeous rainbow prints. It would also make a fun collaborative project because it helps to have a second person to hold the paper. You might also like our Solar System Art  Process art…

  • Paper Roll Frogs

    This is an easy paper roll frog craft made using our favourite “squash and cut” technique. Printable shape template included. This cute paper roll frog craft is a cinch to make using our printable template.  It’s great for Spring or Summer themed crafting or for kids learning about life cycles. Or maybe just because you…

  • Straw swing set

    Today we’re sharing how to make an easy straw swing set for imaginative play. The toy bunnies are loving this one! One of my daughters adores the collectable Sylvanian Family toys. They are not cheap, but she has gradually collected a few of the play sets over the past two years as birthday and Christmas…

  • Easter basket craft ideas

    Who doesn’t love making baskets at Easter? Especially when you can fill them with chocolate eggs. Here are over 20 Easter basket crafts kids can make ranging from printable paper baskets through to up-cycling ideas. You might also like 20 fun and free Easter Printables Easter baskets are such fun to make! The best thing…

  • DIY mod podge recipe

    Make your own DIY mod podge in about two minutes using two ingredients you most likely already have at home. We use this recipe all the time for our paper crafts and activities, scroll down for a list of fun mod podge kids crafts too. You might also like making Salt Dough ornaments Mod podge…

  • Egg carton flowers

    Create a colourful bunch of egg carton flowers. This is a fun way to upcycle your old egg cartons and is a great way to teach kids about sustainable crafting. It’s a lovely idea for Spring or Easter crafting, making a cute decoration for your home. A posy of egg carton flowers would also be…

48 Comments

    1. It’s not that big. I don’t have the finished printable on hand to measure it right now but the length from the tip of it’s nose to the end of it’s body is (approx) just under 5 inches

      Reply

  6. I cant get the template to download it wont even open up.. I’d really love to print this for my son’s upcoming birthday ..can it be emailed to me please?

    Reply

    1. Hi Destany, you need to enter your details into the space provided and the template will be sent to you

      Reply

  15. Hello, I was wondering if you had an SVG or other Cricut approved file for this pterodactyl template! thank you!

    Reply

  16. I requested the free pterodactyl puppet template and have not received it. I got the dinosaur jokes yesterday and confirmed my email address. Can you help?

    Reply

  17. Hi there, can I have a copy of the free pterodactyl puppet template, please. Would love to use it children’s art and craft.

    Many thanks.

    Reply

  19. muchas gracias por compartir esta lindas plantillas, la verdad me encantan los dinosaurios, bendiciones que la creatividad siga fluyendo en usted, mil gracias!!!

    Reply

    1. A form should appear with a space to enter your email address to get the download emailed to you. I Just double-checked and tested the form, it’s working for me.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *