Printable Paper Puppets for Kids, Preschool Friendship Craft

PRINT • CUT • PLAY

Meet Mouth, Eye and Nose, three little storybook friends ready for big adventures.

Turn ordinary paper into playful friendship puppets with this printable cut-and-play craft kit for children ages 3 to 6. Children cut out their favorite characters with a grown-up's help, explore two illustrated story settings and act out simple friendship moments.

Along the way, there are chances to practice taking turns, noticing others and asking kind questions, all through imaginative play. A lovely screen-free activity for home, preschool, kindergarten or homeschool time.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ONLY. NO PHYSICAL PRODUCT WILL BE SHIPPED.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
A complete 10-page printable craft kit in four printing formats.

3 paper puppet characters
• Mouth: learning to make room for a friend's turn
• Eye: learning to notice and pay attention
• Nose: sharing what they made and choosing whether to accept help

2 illustrated play settings
• A peaceful green meadow
• A sunny beach with rolling waves

5 cut-out story props
• Colorful ball
• Sandcastle
• Washed-away sandcastle
• Ocean wave
• Tree

3 friendship play cards
• Let's Take Turns!
• Look What I Made!
• Would You Like Help?

4 little learning-step cards
• STOP
• LISTEN
• FREEZE
• FOCUS

Plus
• Printable paper handles
• Optional paper stand templates
• Illustrated cutting and assembly instructions
• A short grown-up play guide
• Full-color and ink-saving printing options

The four PDF editions contain the same 10-page craft, adapted for different paper sizes and printing preferences, not 40 different activity pages.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PUPPETS
1. PRINT: choose the full-color or ink-saving edition and print at actual size.
2. CUT: with adult help, cut around the smooth outlines of Mouth, Eye and Nose. The cutting shapes protect their thin arms and legs.
3. ASSEMBLE: attach the included paper handles with glue or tape, or use your own wooden craft sticks. Optional paper stand templates are also provided.
4. PLAY: choose the meadow or beach scene, add your paper props and bring the characters to life. Use the three friendship cards for easy grown-up-guided play, or invent your own gentle adventures.

LITTLE FRIENDS, BIG LESSONS
This craft is inspired by The Mouth Who Learned to Listen and The Eye Who Learned to Notice from The Manners Crew picture book series. Through simple puppet play, grown-ups can explore questions such as:
• How can we make room for another person's turn?
• What could we say when a friend wants to show us something?
• How might we ask whether someone wants help?
• What if a friend would rather have some space?

There is no need for children to know all the answers. The aim is to explore ideas, practice different responses and enjoy playing together.

The storybooks are not required or included. All activities can be used on their own.

PERFECT FOR
• Preschool and kindergarten craft time
• Homeschool activities
• Parent-child playtime
• Storytelling and pretend play
• Friendship-themed activities
• Social-emotional learning (SEL) discussions
• Creative, screen-free play

Recommended ages: 3 to 6 years, with adult support. Grown-ups should supervise cutting and assembly. Younger children may enjoy playing with puppets that have already been prepared for them.

YOUR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
You will receive two ZIP files containing four printable PDF editions:

A4 paper (210 × 297 mm)
• Full-color PDF, 10 pages
• Ink-saving PDF, 10 pages

US Letter (8.5 × 11 in)
• Full-color PDF, 10 pages
• Ink-saving PDF, 10 pages

Each download also includes a README with printing and assembly guidance. The ink-saving edition uses clean black-and-white line art that children can color. You can print just the pages you need.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• Home printer
• A4 or US Letter paper
• Scissors and adult supervision
• Glue stick or clear tape
Optional: card stock, wooden craft sticks, crayons, colored pencils or a laminator. No electronic cutting machine or specialist craft equipment is required.

PRINTING AND DOWNLOADING
After purchase, go to Etsy.com > You > Purchases > Download Files. Please use a web browser on your phone or computer, because digital files can't be downloaded in the Etsy app. Unzip the file for your paper size and open the PDF. Select 100% / Actual Size when printing, not "Fit to Page". A 5 cm bar is included so you can check the scale. Printed colors may vary with your printer, ink and paper.

PERSONAL AND CLASSROOM USE
One purchase covers one family's personal use, or one teacher's use with their own class. You may print extra copies for that use. Please do not resell, share, upload or commercially reproduce the files or artwork. For use across several classrooms, each teacher needs their own copy.

© 2026 The Manners Crew. All rights reserved.

QUESTIONS?
If you need help with your download or printing, contact us through Etsy Messages.

Little Parts, Big Lessons.

The illustrations were created with the help of AI tools.