Learning Facial Features: Craft & Printable

My daughter is extremely interested in learning facial features. She is constantly saying “nose” while breastfeeding and walking around the living room patting her head when we read about monkeys falling off the bed. I think it is important for young kids to learn facial features because that’s where most of our sense of the world around us originates (see, hear, smell, taste).

Furthermore, it’s great for kids to be able to be more descriptive and to give children better directions. I personally love the idea of telling my child to “show my your eyes” rather than telling them “look at me”. Showing someone your eyes is a very clear action while looking at someone is a little more ambiguous. Same goes for asking a child to “turn your ears toward me” instead of “listen to me”. In both cases we are communicating to our kids more concisely and directly. So again, learning facial features is more than just recognition for me, it’s about being able to positively and directly communicate to my child.

Facial Features Craft

I saved two of the cardboard circles that come underneath most pizzas. (And I had plenty because I secretly love Whole Foods’ goat cheese pizza!). Usually it’s white on one side and brown on the other. This made for nice contrast to color and decorate the face!

1. I used the first one to sketch and draw the different features of the face. I included Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, and Hair.
2. After sketching, I colored each feature with colored pencils
3. I then cut each one out. Note: scissors are probably not the best tool for this job.
4. Then a took each piece and traced around the edges on the other piece of circular cardboard.
5. (Optional) Add velcro to each piece and the spot it is supposed to go so that it’s easier to store. Or if you have an actual box, that is also easy storage.

To help teach facial features, I have also put together a small printable pack for you! It includes a song that I wrote based off of L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole and a matching game for the five facial features mentioned above. Please enjoy this free download!

For more great cardboard crafts, please check out Project Recycle and Create.

Each month we will be featuring ways to recycle a specific material and this month was cardboard!  Be sure to stop by these other bloggers to see what they have made:
P is for Preschooler
Powerful Mothering
Afterschool for Smarty Pants
Still Playing School
Lemon Lime Adventures
Creative World of Varya
Mama Miss
There’s Just One Mommy
Little Bins for Little Hands
Peakle Pie
Sugar Aunts
Teach Me Mommy
Danya Banya

What have you made with your leftover cardboard? For more on Upcycling Click Here.

Bloggers, link to your cardboard crafts below

Kara Carrero

Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 6 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!