Back to School with Chester the Raccoon Puppet Craft

Like many parents, you may be looking for tips  for getting the kids ready for heading back to school. What if you could find everything from lunch ideas, help with anxiety to 1st day of school books and all other topics to get you prepared for the upcoming school year all in one spot?

I would love to welcome you to the Annual Back to School with Kid Blogger Network Link Party featuring activities, crafts, tips, books, and MORE to get your family ready for the upcoming school year.

But 1st, I would like to share our Chester the Raccoon Paper Bag Puppet we made to go along with the popular children’s book, The Kissing Hand.  Plus, stop by our other blog to get our free 1st day of school handprint printables!

Chester the Raccoon Craft and The Kissing Hand Book

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My kids love Chester the Raccoon from the book titled The Kissing Hand by author Audrey Penn. It’s the perfect book for sending kids off to school for their 1st day – especially preschoolers and kindergartners who may not have attended school before.

Mommy raccoon helps reassure Chester that he will like school and makes it seem less scary by telling him the secret of  ‘the kissing hand’ – a secret that’s been in the family for a long time. She kisses Chester’s hand and tells him to press it to his cheek when he is feeling scared. It such a sweet story and a definite MUST READ for kids ages 3-8.

We enjoy reading the entire Chester the Raccoon Series by Audrey Penn. Most of  the books touch on a childhood topic kids may have anxiety over such as being brave and saying goodbye.

To go along with the book, we made a paper bag puppet craft.

Supplies Needed:

Paper lunch bag
Black and white construction paper
Gray paint and paintbrush
Scissors
Elmer’s Early Learners glue pen 
Black marker
Googly eyes
Black pom pom

How to make the Chester the Raccoon Paper Bag Puppet Craft

1. Paint the paper bag using the gray paint. We let one side dry and then did the other.
2. Cut a tail shape from the white construction paper and paint that gray too.
3. Cut a raccoon eye mask from the black paper. Trace around it on the white paper making the top part slightly bigger.
4. Cut 4 triangles for the black part of the ears. Trace around them to make the white part of the ears.
5. Make an oval-shaped mouth/nose area using the white paper.
6. Place the tail on a black sheet of construction paper and trace it. Cut stripes from that.
7. Glue all the pieces on to the bag. The face pieces should be glued to the bottom part of the bag that is folded over. We used our Elmer’s Early Learners glue pen which is made specifically for little hands. The triangle shape encourages proper writing grip (and no rolling away!). It’s easy for my 3 year old to squeeze the glue out and the cap fits on the top – no more lost cap. The glue also goes on purple and dries clear so my daughter can see where she already has the glue – she loves that it’s purple!
8. Add the eyes, nose, and draw a mouth.

Back to School with Kid Blogger Network Linky Party 

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Amanda

Artsy Momma

Amanda is an ‘artsy momma’ to 2 kids who love making crafts just as much as she does. Follow their creative journey over on the blog titled Artsy Momma. Besides crafts, they share fun food ideas, hands-on learning activities, mommy DIY, + lots more! If you love handprint art, head over to their Fun Handprint Art blog where you will find hundreds of their projects all made with little hands and feet.