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Stay indoors (and warm your heart) with these adorable Arctic animal crafts and activities. Perfect on those cold winter days!
I love the beauty of the snow in winter here in Iowa, but I don’t care so much for the bitterly cold days. It’s like living in the Arctic!
I have so much cuteness to share, we can hardly believe it.
But first…
What are five animals in the Arctic?
Below you’ll find all kinds of Arctic animal crafts to make with your kids, including these five arctic animals:
- Arctic fox
- polar bear
- reindeer
- walrus
- narwhal
- … and so much more Arctic (and Antarctic fun!)
Grab your glue stick, paper plates, cardstock, wooden craft sticks, permanent markers and googly wiggle eyes and get ready for some serious cuteness coming at you.
Arctic Fox Animal Crafts
How can I share a bunch of arctic animal crafts without the arctic fox? You’ll love these adorable animal crafts.
Have you ever seen an Arctic fox dive head first into the snow? If not, make sure to watch this video found on YouTube (beginning at 1:00) before diving into the following Arctic fox crafts.
How do you make an Arctic fox?
We got you covered with these adorable crafts!
- Create this 3D Arctic fox found on The Craft Train using a template and a few basic supplies. I think it would make a very cute cover for a card to gift to someone.
- Download, print, cut, and glue. That’s all you need to do for this simple printable Arctic fox found on Simple Mom Project. But you don’t need to stop there. You could tape a craft stick to the back of the fox to create a puppet and put on a puppet show. Or you could decorate a background for the fox on a piece of paper, and glue the fox in place.
- Write a special message to a friend after creating this felt handprint Arctic fox card as seen on The Best Ideas for Kids. You may also be interested in the owl and penguin handprint cards.
- I love the big, bright eyes on this popsicle stick template Arctic fox found on Simple Everyday Mom. (Note: An email address is required to download the template for this Arctic fox.)
- Here is another popsicle stick Arctic fox found on One Little Project. No download required. Simply gather the following supplies and begin creating: popsicle sticks, felt, googly eyes, paper, hot glue gun and hot glue (although glue dots are great for little fingers), and white paint.
- What has a triangle head, triangle ears, and a handprint body? This adorable handprint arctic fox found on Our Kid Things!
- Create some texture on this paper plate arctic fox as seen on I Heart Crafty Things. The step-by-step directions are easy to follow.
- I always think of Arctic foxes as being white, but did you know Arctic foxes change colors with the seasons? Try this seasons of the Arctic fox craft shown on Creative Family Fun to show how they change colors to match their surroundings. This is a great activity to teach about camouflage!
- This paper plate craft found on Crafty Morning is very simple. How would it look colored brown (like an Arctic fox in the summer) or left white (like an Arctic fox in the winter) instead of colored orange?
- Try using white tissue paper on this tissue paper fox shown on Glued to My Crafts for a wintry Arctic fox. The original craft was inspired by a Dr. Seuss book.
Polar Bear Animal Crafts
“Paws” from the cold outdoors with these crafts all about polar bears!
Polar bears are a must to include in our list of Arctic animal crafts, don’t you think?
- I love the look of the watercolors on this polar bear on ice craft found on Crafty Morning. So beautiful!
- Grab some paper plates and a few other basic supplies to make this polar bear twirler as seen on Kids Craft Room. The kids will love twirling around the room with this craft!
- While you still have the paper plates out, create this easy paper plate polar bear shown on A Dab of Glue Will Do.
- Don’t put those paper plates away just yet! Try making this paper plate polar bear found on Hands On As We Grow. I like the look of the egg carton nose.
- This shaving cream polar bear found on Parenting with Chaos would be a fun project to do along with this shaving cream snowman found on Hands On As We Grow.
- Gather the cotton balls for this paper cotton ball polar bear seen on Little Family Fun. So soft!
- Another option is this paper plate cotton ball polar bear seen on Artsy Momma. Googly eyes, a pom pom nose, and a pipe cleaner mouth complete this project. Be prepared for little ones to get sticky!
- More cotton balls? Yes, please! Here is a printable cotton ball polar bear found on Fireflies and Mudpies. No email required. Simply click the link, print, and start gluing on some cotton balls and a googly eye.
- Try this Styrofoam cup polar bear seen on Love to Sew. Then, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. In a different cup, of course!
- This paper cup polar bear found on Kids Craft Room would make such a sweet centerpiece. It reminds me of this wrapped yarn vase craft.
- Bust out the pom poms to create this pom pom painted polar bear seen on Crafts on Sea. Even toddlers can do this one!
- Paint this fork painted polar bear like the one seen on Glued to My Crafts. You could also create the brown bear or panda bear shown on the page, too.
- This handprint polar bear found on Learn Create Love looks very simple. You’ll need colored foam (or construction paper), white paint, a paintbrush, a black marker, and a hand.
Reindeer Crafts
Onto our next Arctic animal for our winter crafting… the reindeer.
Did you know reindeer and caribou are different names for the same animal?
You may notice the majority of these reindeer crafts include a red nose because they were inspired by Rudolph the red-nosed caribou.
That doesn’t sound as good as reindeer, does it?
Anyways, the red noses can be replaced with black noses to depict natural reindeer (or to let some of the other famous reindeer be acknowledged) if desired.
I bet you could turn some of these into a moose craft too! Just switch up the antlers a bit? What do you think?
- Create this paper plate handprint reindeer as seen on Crafty Morning. These look like they would be fun to play with once done.
- Here is another paper plate reindeer shown on Easy Peasy and Fun. This one focuses only on the reindeer’s face instead of the whole body.
- Try this tissue paper reindeer found on Glued to My Crafts. As you can see, paper plates are so adaptable for different projects!
- Use part of an egg carton (or use a foam cup) for this egg carton reindeer as seen on Crafty Morning. Make sure to save the rest of the egg carton for other egg carton activities.
- This yarn reindeer ornament shown on Buggy and Buddy would make a lovely decoration. Hang them from the ceiling, on a door, or on a Christmas tree!
- Put on a puppet show with this reindeer puppet as seen on I Heart Crafty Things. Wouldn’t these be fun to do along with these snowmen puppets?
- Use this DIY reindeer origami corner bookmark found on Easy Peasy and Fun to bookmark a page in your favorite reindeer book. The book A Day in the Life: Polar Animals: Reindeer by Katie Marsico includes a lot of facts about reindeer for kids.
- This paper bag reindeer shown on Lil Country Librarian is very simple. A writing prompt is also available to go along with the craft.
- This paper bag reindeer found on Simple Everyday Mom is a little more complex than the previous one but still relatively simple. (Note: An email address is required to download the template for this craft if you choose to use the template, which is found all the way at the bottom of the post under the heading titled “Free Reindeer Template”. To find it quickly, press “Ctrl” + “F” and type “Free Reindeer Template” in the search bar.)
- Create a herd of toilet paper roll reindeer like the ones found on Kitchen Counter Chronicle. They remind me of bowling pins!
- Complete this sponge painted reindeer as shown on I Heart Crafty Things. Pointing out the triangle-shaped head and rectangle-shaped legs and body is great shape practice. It reminds me of this Christmas tree shape craft.
- Display a photo in this DIY reindeer picture frame found on The Educators Spin On It. A great keepsake!
- This footprint reindeer shown on Emma Owl makes a really cute card to give to family. Don’t you think?
Walrus Arctic Animal Crafts
Dive into these next Arctic animal crafts featuring walruses.
You’ll have to tell me which walrus craft is your favorite!
- Paint a paper plate walrus like the one on Crafts on Sea. White paper is used for the tusks.
- Use popsicle sticks for the tusks of this paper plate walrus craft seen on My Mommy Style. And glue the whiskers on vertically.
- Create this laced paper plate walrus craft from Kids Craft Room. This is a great way to practice fine motor skills!
- You could try making this handprint walrus on Simple Everyday Mom without a template, but one is available to make the craft easier. (Note: An email address is required to download the template for this craft if you choose to use the template, which is found all the way at the bottom of the post under the heading titled “Free Walrus Template”. To find it quickly, press “Ctrl” + “F” and type “Free Walrus Template” in the search bar.)
- Try this handprint walrus found on Crafty Morning. It is super easy! No template required.
- This pom pom walrus seen on She Knows looks so soft. Directions for making a polar bear craft and whale craft are also available on the same page as the walrus.
- Enjoy creating this cupcake liner walrus found on I Heart Crafty Things. Warning: If you give a kid a cupcake liner . . . (s)he may want a cupcake. Simply looking at the picture of this craft makes me want a cupcake! Grab a toothpick!
- Practice shapes with this shape walrus found on Preschool Crafts for Kids. Circles for the head and body, triangle for the nose, and semicircles for the flippers.
- This simple printable walrus goes along with the printable Arctic fox (listed above) found on Simple Mom Project. It would would make a fun puppet. Just add a popsicle stick to the back!
- Gather some popsicle sticks for this popsicle stick walrus found on Messy Little Monster. Directions for making a reindeer, penguin, and polar bear out of popsicle sticks are also available.
- Be creative with this cardboard tube walrus seen on Maro’s Kindergarten. (Note: This website is written in a different language, but the pictures show the steps of the craft quite well. And you should be able to translate the page using the “Translate” tab on the top right.)
Narwhal Animal Crafts
Calling a narwhal “the unicorn of the ocean” is so much nicer than the real meaning of the word narwhal.
That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Take the mystery out of what narwhal craft you will do next by checking out these arctic animal crafts focusing in on the mysterious narwhal.
- Paint a toilet paper roll narwhal like the one found on Red Ted Art. Do you know how many teeth narwhals have? Or what they eat? Scroll to the bottom of the page with this craft to find out!
- Use construction paper to wrap this toilet paper roll narwhal as seen on A Joyful Riot.
- Do you still have some egg carton pieces left over from a previous craft? Grab them for this egg carton narwhal shown on Steamsational.
- Sculpt a clay narwhal like the one shown on Buggy and Buddy. Homemade playdough may be a good alternative if you don’t have clay. Be creative and have fun. There are so many activities to do with playdough!
- This paper narwhal found on Simple Everyday Mom is really easy to complete with the available template. (Note: An email address is required to download the template for this craft, which is found all the way at the bottom of the post under the heading titled “Free Narwhal Template”. To find it quickly, press “Ctrl” + “F” and type “Free Narwhal Template” in the search bar.)
- This paper plate narwhal shown on Crafts on Sea only requires a few basic supplies. A couple of narwhal books are suggested along with this craft.
- Practice lacing with this laced paper plate narwhal seen on Homeschool Preschool. Another Arctic animal craft for fine motor skills practice! A few brief facts are listed before the directions for this craft.
- Use blue and white paint for this painted handprint narwhal found on Red Ted Art. N is for Need to try!
- Prepare for a mess! This painted narwhal seen on Projects with Kids looks gorgeous. Although this project could be done without a template, one is available if desired. An email address is required.
- For a simpler (and less messy) craft, try this paper plate narwhal found on The Madhouse Mummy. A googly eye could be used in place of the eye with three circles.
More Arctic and Antarctic Fun
If you are looking for even more Artic (and Antarctic) animal crafts and fun, keep reading.
- These 21 snowy owl crafts and snacks are a hoot. And they are super cute. Whooo is able to look at this list without saying, “Awww”? Not me!
- Scavenger hunts are so versatile! And this animals in the winter scavenger hunt from Hands On As We Grow is a great way to stay moving indoors.
- Show how Arctic animals stay warm with this icy experiment found on I Can Teach My Child. To complete this activity, you will need the following supplies: ice water, vegetable shortening, latex or vinyl gloves, and plastic wrap. (As a note: Make sure to put on the gloves before the shortening. I know from experience that it involves A LOT more work the other way around!)
- Speaking of Antarctic animals, make sure to check out these fun penguin crafts & activities found on Hands On As We Grow. Waddle you waiting for? Choose a craft now before you get cold feet!
I told you I had a lot of Arctic fun activities and crafts to share with you! Now… can you go back and tell me how many of those were handprint crafts?
Go ahead, have your child scroll and count! Let me know in the comments, as well as…
