Pet Crafts: Dog Food Scoop and T-shirt Toy
Getting kids to help with the family pet early on is always a good idea. It instills a sense of responsibility, teaches them that animals must be cared for every day, and gives them something to do that they can be proud of!
Food and exercise are an important part of your child’s life, and the same goes for your pet. I’ve put together a couple of easy projects that your kids can be involved with and will help them care for their beloved pup.
The family dog needs food on a daily basis, and a good crunchy kibble is great for helping to keep their teeth healthy. Kids can recycle a plastic milk jug into a food scoop and use it to feed Fido every day!
For this food scoop you will need:
- Empty plastic milk jug with lid
- Felt: brown and tan
- White craft glue (or hot glue with adult supervision)
- Scissors
Be sure to wash out the milk jug well. Cut the bottom of the jug off as shown in the photo, starting from about 2-inches below the jug’s handle. Cut up at a curve to create a small well for the scoop.
Parents: You may want to go over the edges again with scissors to make sure there aren’t any sharp pieces. While not really dangerous, those edges could result in a tiny cut in the skin, similar to a paper cut.
Cut brown felt into 2-inch squares. Cut a strip off the top of the square, about 3/4-inch wide.
Cut that small strip into four equal pieces and cut the remaining portion into a triangle by trimming the left and right side.
Use scissors to round the edges of the triangle. Round the edges of each of the small squares as well.
Cut a strip of tan felt, enough to cover the handle of the jug and glue it in place.
Glue the paw prints around the edge of your dog food scoop!
Any pet owner knows that animals have a ton of energy, just like kids do! So it makes total sense that your kids should make a fun toy for them to use to play with their pet. This toy can be adjusted, depending on the size of your pet. Simply use smaller sections of t-shirt for a smaller dog.
For this t-shirt dog toy you will need:
- Recycled t-shirts
- 1 rubber band
Cut t-shirt(s) into 24-inch long rectangles, you will need three all together. Mine was about 12-inches high, you can cut that back if you have a medium or small dog. This measurement is appropriate for large dogs.
Roll each of the three rectangles into 24-inch tubes.
Rubber band all three tubes together.
Braid the three t-shirt tubes tightly together.
Tie the ends into a knot by joining two of the strands together and tying with the third. Tie in a second knot. Remove the rubber band from the other end and tie in two knots.
Throw the toy for your dog and have him fetch it. If your family likes to play tug-of-war, this is also a great toy for that game!
Be sure to give your pooch a bowl of water when you are done playing. Remember, dogs can’t sweat and they pant to cool themselves down. A nice drink of cool water keeps your dog hydrated, healthy and happy! Is it nap time yet?
 Project created by Amanda Formaro for Kix Cereal. Amanda is a well-known craft expert and author of the books “Rubber Band Mania” and “Duct Tape Mania”, the first two in a series of craft books for kids. She has been writing and crafting on the Internet for over fifteen years. Find out more on her blog, Crafts by Amanda, where she shares tutorials with step-by-step photos for adults and kids alike. |