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Indoor activity

Paper Bag Monster

Stuff a paper bag, twist the top into horns, paint a wild face with big teeth, add googly eyes and tissue paper hair — a lovable monster friend!

Ages 3-10 0-1 hours Education 5/10

Materials

  • Flat Paintbrush
  • Googly Eyes
  • Markers
  • Newspaper
  • Paper Bags
  • Poster Paint
  • Tape
  • Tissue Paper

Illustrated Steps

1

Stuff the Bag

Scrunch up newspaper and stuff it inside a paper bag until it's plump and round.

2

Create the Horns

Twist the top corners of the bag into pointy horns and secure with tape.

3

Paint the Monster

Paint the whole bag a monster colour, then add a big mouth with silly teeth!

4

Add Eyes and Hair

Stick on big googly eyes, draw face details, and add wild tissue paper hair!

What You’ll Create

RAAWR! 👹 Your little monster-makers will transform a humble paper bag into a wild, lovable monster! Stuff it with scrunched newspaper or paper for a chunky 3D body, twist the top corners into pointy horns, paint a fearsome (but friendly) face with big teeth, add wobbly googly eyes and wild tissue paper hair. Every monster is unique — wonky, wonderful, and full of personality!

Have fun!

  • 👹 Make a whole monster family — big ones, tiny ones, and baby monsters!
  • 📝 Give your monster a name, age, and backstory — what does it eat? Where does it live?
  • 🎭 Put on a monster puppet show — use the monsters as characters in a play!
  • 📖 Write a story about your monster’s adventure — illustrate it too!

Why It’s Amazing

  • 3D Sculpture: Stuffing, shaping, and twisting transforms a flat bag into a 3D character — introducing basic sculpture and form-making. 🏗️

  • Creative Expression: With no “right” way to make a monster, every child’s creation is uniquely theirs — building confidence in creative decision-making. 🎨

  • Storytelling & Literacy: Naming the monster and inventing its personality sparks narrative thinking — a key literacy skill disguised as play. 📖

  • Emotional Processing: Creating friendly monsters helps children process fears and understand that scary things can be silly and lovable. 💚

Pro Tips

For ages 3–5: Pre-stuff the bag and twist the horns. Let them paint the body and stick on eyes. The googly eyes moment always gets a giggle! Keep the face simple — two eyes and a big smile.

For ages 5–8: Let them stuff and shape their own monster. Show them how to paint teeth (white triangles in a coloured mouth). Encourage them to invent a monster name and personality.

For ages 8–12: Challenge them to create a specific type of monster with detailed features. Add accessories — a cape from tissue paper, a crown from pipe cleaners, or arms from cardboard tubes. Write a full character profile.

Secret Pro Move: Before painting, lightly mist the bag with water from a spray bottle — the paint adheres much better to slightly damp paper and the colours look richer! 🎯