“When the owl sings, the night is silent.” – Charles de Leusse
Owls π¦ are nocturnal birds that are known to be wise and are more than 150 species around the world.
These owls are also one of the birds that most kids like and are fascinated with, as my son is.
If you have kids who love owls as much as my son does, then you’re at the right place π―, as I have some fun owl-themed activities to help you.
Interesting Owl Activities for Kids
There are various types of owls – barn owls, snowy owls, barred owls, and so on, which gives kids the opportunity to make different kinds of owls while doing the activities.
In this blog post, I have made a list of owl-related activities for your kids to try at home and have a good time with. π
Owl Coloring Sheets
My son loves coloring ποΈ, and I found that it brings him so much joy!
I recommend you download and print templates of owl-themed outlines as coloring sheets for your kids to bring out their crayons and colored pencils and color the outline designs.
This activity can help your kids improve their fine motor skills and grasp and level of control over their crayons.
Owl Storybooks
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!” – Dr. Seuss
I recommend you have a reading session with your kids and introduce them to stories about owls from children’s story books π and informative books that have lots of illustrations and colorful pictures for them to indulge in and learn from.
Some owl-themed storybook recommendations I would suggest for your kids are –
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson
Little Owl’s Egg by Debi Gliori
Little Owl’s First Day by Debi Gliori
Little Owl’s Bedtime by Debi Gliori
Little Owl’s Bathtime by Debi Gliori
Little Owl’s New Friend by Debi Gliori
That’s Not My Owl… by Fiona Watt
WOW! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood
National Geographic Readers – OWLS by Laura Marsh, to name a few.
Let me know in the comments if you have any more children’s storybook recommendations for kids to read about owls for others to discover.
Owl Word Search Puzzle
Word search puzzles are a hit in my house as my son loves completing them, and they are one of his favorite pastimes.
You can print a word search puzzle 𧩠template with words related to owls hidden in the puzzle for your kids to find. Include words like bird, wise, trees, nocturnal, hoot, and so on.
Word search puzzles are not only fun for kids to do, but completing these puzzles also helps them improve their concentration and learn new words.
Owl and Moon Fishing Game
My son loves this game, which adds a classic twist to the fishing game with the owls π¦ and moons π, and I guarantee your kids will enjoy playing it, too.
Steps to do:
- You can draw and cut small owls and moons from colored paper or print outlines for your kids to color.
- Then, tie one end of a string to the edge of a stick or skewer and the other end to a piece of magnet to make a fishing pole.
- Attach paper clips to all the owl and moon cut-outs, and place them in a large bowl for your kids to fish the owls and moons with the magnet in the fishing pole.
Happy fishing π£ for some wise owls and magical moons!
Owl Lacing Cards
Lacing cards is such a fun activity for your kids to try and is one of my son’s favorites!
I suggest you draw or print outlines of owls on thick sheets of paper. Then, punch holes along the edges of the owl outlines and make your kids lace through the punched holes with yarn π§Ά.
Your kids can improve their hand-eye coordination and pincer grip by doing this activity.
Pro Tip:
I made my son color ποΈ in the owl outlines before lacing the thread through the punched holes as a fun coloring activity for him to enjoy, and you can try that, too.
Owl Corner Bookmarks
If your kids love reading books and love owls, this is the perfect corner bookmark π to make to rest between the pages of the books they’re reading with an adorable owl-themed design.
You can get your kids involved in this fun craft activity and follow a step-by-step tutorial from a craft blog to make an origami π corner bookmark with colored paper or download and print a corner bookmark outline template to cut and fold them.
Then, your kids can cut βοΈ and glue colored paper shapes to decorate their corner bookmarks –
a pair of large circles and a pair of small circles for the eyes,
a triangle for the beak,
and two semi-circles for the wings of the owl.
Owl Christmas Ornaments
My son would tell you that the best thing about Christmas π€Άπ½ is setting up the tree and decorating it with beautiful ornaments.
You can involve your kids in making owl ornaments at home to adorn your Christmas trees π, which are simple to make and also fun for your kids.
Steps to do:
- Draw and cut outlines of owls on thick sheets of paper or cardboard and punch a hole to hang them.
- You can make your kids decorate these owls as they wish with paints, glitter, paper shapes, and so on.
- They can also write season’s greetings and special holiday messages or draw and decorate their initials on the owl outlines.
- After your kids have finished decorating their outline owls, you can thread ribbons through the punched holes to complete your owl ornaments, ready to go on the Christmas trees.
Owl Cake Toppers
I recommend you decorate your homemade cakes π° with some handmade owl cake toppers made by your kids with their creativity.
Steps to do:
- You can get your kids to draw the outlines on thick sheets of paper.
- Then, they cut the outlines and color them with crayons, colored pencils, or paints.
- They can also cut paper shapes and use markers to decorate and detail the wise owls.
- Now, you can glue a toothpick or a skewer to the backs of these owl cut-outs to make the cake toppers.
I would say that the adorable owl π¦ cake toppers that my son made were a great way to showcase his art, and this made the cakes so much more special.
Pro Tip:
I laminated the owls that my son drew and decorated before attaching the skewers to make sure they lasted for a long time to be reused many times for the cakes and cupcakes we baked.
You can place a few of these owl cake toppers together on the cakes or individually on cupcakes and muffins.
Owl Torn Paper Art
My son loved doing this paper art to create owls with torn pieces of paper π, and he had so much fun tearing them up to use for this activity.
Steps to do:
- You can draw a rough oval to form the owl on a sheet of paper.
- Then, get your kids to tear colored papers – two shades of brown into rough pieces of medium sizes.
- Now, get them to cover the outlined oval with the torn bits of brown-colored paper, and use a few more bits for the head and the wings.
- They can also glue other shapes from colored sheets of paper –
two large yellow circles and two small black circles for the eyes,
an orange triangle for the beak,
and a few thin orange strips for the legs.
I would say that this art activity can help your kids develop their fine motor skills as they tear sheets of paper into pieces and also cut various shapes with a pair of scissors βοΈ.
Owl Number Games
I recommend this owl-themed activity that makes math concepts so much fun and easy for your kids, and I found it easier to teach my son about numbers π’.
What you can do –
- You can draw or print templates of owls on paper and cut them to make small owl cards, as many as you want.
- Write down a number from 1-10 or 1-20 on each of the owl cards, jumble, and place them in a bowl.
- These numbered owl cards can be used for number-related activities that your kids can do, like –
- Arrange the numbered owl cards in order
- Count the numbered owl cards up to a certain number with correspondence counting
- Pick the numbered owl cards based on the numbers you specify
- Add or subtract two numbered owl cards
Owl Alphabet Games
Similar to the number activities, you can also use the same activity to teach your kids about the alphabet π€.
What you can do –
- You can draw or print templates of owls on paper and cut them to make small owl cards for the 26 letters.
- Write down the letters from A to Z on each of the owl cards, jumble, and place them in a bowl.
- These alphabet owl cards can be used for alphabet-related activities that your kids can do, like –
- Arrange the alphabet owl cards in order
- Pick the alphabet owl cards based on the letter you specify
- Match the uppercase alphabet owl cards to its lowercase letter shown on your phone or written on paper, and vice-versa.
Pro Tip:
You can draw or print the owl outlines for the numbers and alphabet cards and get your kids to color the cards as an activity to keep them engaged and then label them for math and language games.
Owl Painting
Painting π©πΌβπ¨ can be a fun art activity that your kids will enjoy and allows them to foster their creativity and imagination and express themselves with art.
You can draw a rough outline of an owl on a sheet of thick paper or cardboard and encourage your kids to use their paints π¨ to create their versions of the owls.
Owl and Moon Garlands
My son and I made owl and moon-themed garlands to decorate the wall in his room, and he loved it.
You can print or draw owl π¦ and moon π outlines on a thick sheet of paper or cardboard, cut them, and let your kids color and decorate them.
Then, punch a hole in the decorated outlines, arrange the owls and moons in a pattern of choice, and thread a string through all of the outlines to complete the garland.
Owl Paper Cup Craft
Paper cups can be repurposed into different owls as a craft activity for your kids to try, which is simple and engaging.
Steps to do:
- Make your kids paint the outside of a plain white paper cup brown for a barn owl, or they could leave it with the white for a snowy owl.
- Then, turn the paper cup upside down and attach two feathers to either side, glued to the top edge.
- They can cut shapes from colored paper – two small black circles glued in the middle of two large yellow circles for the eyes and an orange triangle for the beak.
- Kids can add the details of the owl’s body with black markers to finish their owl made from a paper cup.
Owl Paper Plate Masks
If you have a few plain paper plates π½οΈ at home, you can turn them into owl-themed masks π for your kids to wear and display their love for owls.
Steps to do:
- First, cut a medium-sized white plain paper plate in half, and make your kids paint the back portion of the half paper plate.
- Cut two peepholes on the paper plate for your kids to look through, and place a pair of cupcake liners with holes that align with the peepholes and place them over to complete the eyes of the owls.
- Then, they can cut and paste a colored paper triangle for the beak.
To finish the mask and make it functional for kids, you have two options-
- Glue a skewer behind one side of the paper plate for your kids to hold the owl masks to their faces with their hands or
- Punch two holes on either side of the paper plate and thread a ribbon for your kids to wear the owl masks around their heads.
Owl Paper Clip Bookmarks
Trust me when I say these paper clip π bookmarks are so simple to make.
Steps to do:
- You can draw or print owl outlines on thick colored sheets of paper and let your kids decorate them.
- Kids will need two owls for each paper clip.
- Then, cut and glue them to either side of the paper clips to make a few owl-themed paper clip bookmarks to mark their pages.
Pro Tip:
To add a fun element to this simple paper clip book, you can attach one end of a piece of thread 𧡠to the loop of the paper clip. Get your kids to draw and color two small moons and glue the other end of the thread in between the moons.
Owl Handprint Art
Another messy and fun art activity, where your kids can make beautiful owls with their handprint impressions.
You can apply brown paint on your kids’ hands βπΌ and make them transfer their hand prints to a thick sheet of paper.
Now, let your kids decorate their handprint owls with a pair of googly eyes for the eyes of the owls and markers to add more details to their owls to create beautiful art.
Owl Fingerprint Art
Things are going to get messy as your kids do this fun art project that you can hang in your house with owls made with finger impressions.
Steps to do:
- On a sheet of paper, draw an outline of half a tree trunk and a branch sticking out with leaves from the side of the page.
- Kids can color and decorate the trunk and the branches.
- Now, make your kids press their fingers in paints of different colors to create a line of fingerprints on the branch of the tree.
- They can add details to the fingerprints – glue a pair of googly eyes for the eyes and draw the wings with a marker to complete the owls.
- Your kids can also decorate the sky by coloring it blue and gluing blobs of cotton for the cotton candy-like clouds.
The line of fingerprints represents a line of adorable owls perched on the branches of the tree.
Pro Tip:
Your kids can try various designs of one or many owls sitting on trees with the same fingerprint method using their creativity and imagination.
Owl Videos and Documentaries
As owls are nocturnal birds, one can see them mostly in the dark of the night π, which makes it hard for kids to spot them in the daylight βοΈ.
So, I would recommend you choose videos π₯ on YouTube and nature documentaries based on owls π¦ for your kids to watch the birds in their natural habitats to observe their behaviors and movements and learn all about them.
Owl Nursery Rhymes
You can find a few nursery rhymes πΆ based on owls and let your kids sing along to the words of the nursery rhyme to have a good time.
I recommend you encourage your kids to try making actions with their hands and bodies to match the words they are singing for an immersive and interactive experience.
The Wise Old Owl is my son’s favorite nursery rhyme on owls, and he enjoys singing along.
Owl Fun Facts Sticky Notes
Learning about owls can help your kids understand these wise birds better, and you can make the learning process fun for them by breaking them down into fun facts.
You can write down fun facts on sticky notes ποΈ and place them one by one on a whiteboard or any other surface. You can discuss these facts with your kids so they can discover and learn new, interesting things about owls.
To make it into a fun game, you can also test their memory by making your kids repeat the facts that they learned about.
Owl Birthday Buntings
Birthdays π are always a special occasion, and you can add a personalized
touch by making owl-themed birthday buntings to decorate the walls.
You can cut triangles from colored sheets of paper for the buntings and let your kids design the individual shapes with various kinds of owls.
Kids can write the letters of the happy birthday message on the decorated shapes and tie a string through them to make a birthday bunting.
Owl Eyesight Viewer
Here’s a fun fact about owls – they are known for their sharp eyesight π with binocular π vision.
You can let your kids create their version of an owl-themed viewing object that resembles the vision of the owls with a paper plate and toilet rolls.
Steps to do:
- To begin with, take a paper plate cut in half, trace two circles with a toilet paper roll, and cut two holes for your kids to peep through.
- They can paint the back portion of the one half of the paper plate with brown colored paint and let it dry.
- After the paint has dried, you can turn the paper plate to the front portion and glue two empty toilet paper over the already-cut holes.
- Your kids can decorate the front portion of the paper plate that is painted with paper shapes, feathers, etc, to make an owl.
- They can hold the paper plate to their face, peep through the toilet rolls, and look at the world with the owl eyesight viewer.
Owl Parts Labeling Worksheet
Apart from just liking these birds, I also wanted my son to know more about the owls that he loves.
I would say that this activity is perfect for younger kids who are just learning about the different parts ποΈπͺΆ of animals and birds.
Steps to do:
- You can download and print a template or draw an outline of an owl on a sheet of paper.
- Draw arrows next to the body parts of the owl, like feathers, eyes, beak, feet, etc., that point to an empty space for your kids to identify.
- Include a list of the marked body parts on the side of the page for your kids to choose from and fill in the empty spaces that the arrows point to.
Pro Tip:
You can let your kids color the owl outlines with crayons or colored pencils before labeling the parts of the nocturnal bird.
Conclusion
I’m happy to share that my son had a good time π€© trying these activities related to the wise old owls.
These activities include a combination of crafts and learning, which allow your kids to have fun creating art and also learn more about the wise, nocturnal owls.
I hope you enjoyed reading the list of owl activities for your kids and that you managed to discover a few activities for them to try at home.
Please let me know in the comments if you have any more owl activities to share or any questions for me to solve – I would love to hear from you! βΊοΈ
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Β Next startupΒ Cledemy.Com)