At a Glance
This Build a Blue Jay craft has preschool, kindergarten and other young learners cutting out the pieces and sticking them together to create their own blue backyard bird. The hands-on activity strengthens scissor skills, fine motor control and concentration, while opening up some conversations about blue jays and the woodlands and gardens they call home. Color and black-and-white templates are both included.
Looking for a craft that’s as bright and bold as your little learners? This Build a Blue Jay Craft is a fun, hands-on way for children to create their very own version of one of North America’s most eye-catching birds! With their vibrant feathers, loud calls, and clever personalities, blue jays are known for being both beautiful and brilliantly brainy.
Here’s a fun fact for you: blue jays can mimic the calls of hawks – they do it to trick other birds and keep them away from food sources! Pretty sneaky, right?
So whether you’re studying birds, woodland animals, or just want a fun cut-and-paste craft craft to brighten up your day, this blue jay printable is sure to bring some colour to your classroom or home.
This simple activity is great for developing your child’s cutting and sticking skills, and an awesome chance to practice some pencil control and fine motor skills as well!
And this lovely cut and paste craft is brilliant for young children to use because it’s so simple for them to put together!
There’s a color and a plain template – so your little ones can choose the colors and decorate their jolly jay as they wish.
If you’re a teacher, this simple craft could also make an brilliant bird themed activity for the classroom!
Other cut and paste crafts you may want to check out:
Or you can browse all the other printable cut and paste crafts here.
What Skills Can Your Children Learn And Practice?
When making this cute little jay bird, your children will have the chance to practice and develop some skills such as:
- Cutting Skills – if you feel they’re ready, you can let them have a go at cutting out the pieces all by themselves – they’ll need to be careful and have good scissor control if they want to cut out the pieces neatly
- Fine Motor Skills – when they’re sticking and picking up and moving the parts and placing them where they need to go
- Pencil Control – if you print off the black and white version they can practice their pencil control and develop hand strength through coloring.
This simple craft will also give them a chance to practice their concentration and perseverance skills as they may find it tricky to place the pieces exactly where they want them to go.
How To Prepare This Simple Blue Jay Craft
First you’re going to want to download the blue jay templates by clicking on the download button at the bottom of the page – I’ve made a color and a black and white version.
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Other materials you’ll need:
- Safety scissors
- Card stock or Craft paper
- Some good glue
- Some coloring pencils or pens or other artsy materials
Once you’ve downloaded the templates, you’ll need to print them off onto paper or card.
Then, you can cut them out. Or if you’d like your children to get some cutting practice, you can let them have a go.
Then you can stick all the pieces together to make the jay.
It can be really nice to let your kids have a bit of free rein here and see if they can work it out – kind of like a puzzle.
If they’re struggling, the order I’d do it in is:
- Stick on the crest
- Stick the face to the head
- Stick the belly feathers on
- Stick the wings to the body
- Stick the legs on to the back of the body
(I expect you could have worked that out but I do like to be thorough…)
The finished one should look something like this:
If you want to, you could always laminate the pieces before putting them together and use them as a puzzle. That way, the different parts would be kept nice and they can use them again and again.
After that you’re all done!
Let your kids practice their cutting and sticking skills in a simple and fun way!
But Wait… There’s Also A Black And White Blue Jay Craft Template!
I’ve also made a black and white version which would be an awesome way for your little ones to practice their coloring skills and personalize their jay in their own way!
So why not crack out the pens, crayons, paints or collage (or all of them if you’re feeling adventurous) and let your kids get creative!
Some Other Ways You Could Use This Blue Jay Craft
Bird Study Extension
Compare the blue jay to other North American birds, like the cardinal or robin. Discuss what makes each one unique.
Storytelling or Drama Time
Ask children to create short stories featuring their jays – maybe they’re collecting acorns, meeting new friends, or learning to fly!
Seasonal Display
Use this craft for a fall bulletin boards. Blue jays’ bright feathers stand out beautifully against leafy backgrounds.
Writing Prompt
Ask your learners to write a short story titled “The Blue Jay’s Fall Adventure.” It’s a lovely way to connect literacy with creativity.
Bird Watching
Why not grab some binoculars and lookout for a Blue Jay in the wild. This will allow your little ones to get a great idea of the colors to use for their blue jay craft.
Colour Mixing Fun:
If you’re using the black-and-white version, print off some pictures of jays and encourage children to blend different blues to get that realistic look. Great for a bit of color identification and theory.
I hope your little learners have a wonderful time building their own blue jays.
I’d love to hear about what they create!
And you can check out more awesome animal activities here!
Enjoy!
