At a Glance
These printable blue jay masks let preschool, kindergarten and other young learners color, cut and wear their very own bright backyard bird disguise. The hands-on craft builds scissor skills, fine motor control and pencil grip, then opens up a world of dramatic play, storytelling and imaginative adventures. Color and black-and-white templates are both included. A perfect fit for bird, backyard nature or wildlife themes.
Who’s ready to squawk, swoop, and soar? This Printable Blue Jay Mask Craft is the perfect way for your little learners to get creative, moving, and learn about one of North America’s cleverest birds!
Blue jays are known for their bright blue feathers, bold personalities, and, believe it or not, their amazing ability to mimic other birds, even hawks!
These noisy, intelligent jays are often seen flitting through forests or backyards, collecting acorns and spreading them around – which actually helps grow new oak trees. So yes, blue jays are beautiful and brilliant!
Whether you’re doing a bird unit, fall craft, or a forest animal theme, this mask craft is a fun, low-prep way to bring learning to life.
With both colour and black and white versions in the pack, your children can cut, decorate, and wear their very own jay mask. This would be great for for storytime, classroom plays, or a quiet afternoon of crafty fun.
This simple bird craft is great for developing your child’s cutting skills, and an awesome chance to practice some pencil control and creativity if you opt with the plain templates.
And a super thing about these types of crafts is not only are they great fun to make and your children can practice lots of skills when doing so, but then they have a toy they can play with at the end – and play is just such a great way for children to learn!
Win win!
So grab some crayons, scissors, and string, it’s time to spread those wings and get creative!
What Skills Can Your Children Learn And Practice?
When making these brilliant blue jay masks, 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
- Pencil Control – if you print off the black and white templates they can practice their pencil control and develop hand strength through decorating.
And when they’re done, they’ll also be able to use their imagination, storytelling and social / communication skills when going on adventures with friends and family!
How To Prepare These Printable Blue Jay Masks
First you’re going to want to download the mask templates by clicking on the download button at the bottom of the page – I’ve made a color and a black and white version for each mask.
Ready to nurture those neurons? Join 2600+ members now and unlock INSTANT ACCESS to our entire library of awesome activities plus all the activity makers! So don’t miss out – become a member today and start exploring!
Other Materials You’ll Need:
- Safety scissors
- Card stock or craft paper
- Some coloring pencils or pens / other artsy materials for decorating
- Some elastic or string to keep them on your little one’s head
- Or you could add a popsicle stick if you’d like the masks to have a more ‘masked ball’ feel
These masks are fairly simple to make but your little ones will probably need a bit of help with attaching the elastic if you go down that route (*always be careful with little ones and string – keep an eye on them to ensure they’re safe while playing*).
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. If you’re going with the plain templates it’ll probably be a good idea to decorate them first.
The next two steps will probably require some grown-up support:
The first is to carefully cut out the eyes holes.
Then, if you want to add elastic, simply make a couple holes near the edge (either with scissors or a hole punch). It’s a good idea to add a little clear tape on the area you’re making the holes for some added support.
Thread the elastic through the hole and tie a knot on the face side to stop it slipping back through.
Then loop around with enough elastic so it’s not too loose or tight, do the same on the other side and you’re good to go!
Some Other Ways You Could Use This Mask Craft
Blue Jay Role-Play
Let your children act out “A Day in the Life of a Blue Jay” – searching for acorns, chatting loudly, or building nests.
Outdoor Learning
After making the masks, head outside and listen for birds. Can your learners spot or hear any jays nearby?
Art Display
Hang the finished masks on a bulletin board titled “Our Brilliant Blue Jays” — it’ll make a beautiful splash of colour in your classroom.
Partner Activity
Have one child wear their mask and act out some birdy behavior, while another narrates what they’re doing with some fun blue jay facts or stories.
Family Photo Booth
Set up a quick photo booth in class or home. The kids will love striking a pose in their jay masks!
Design Your Own Wings Extension
Give each child large paper or card sheets to design and attach matching wings then fly around the room flapping proudly!
However you use them, I hope they enjoy becoming little jays!
And if your little ones just love these colorful birds, they may also want to check out this cute puzzle and this build a blue jay craft!
Enjoy!
