Looking for a simple snake craft that kids will love? This 3D Snake Craft is a fantastic project with a printable template that makes creating your own paper snakes easy and fun.
This paper snake is a super fun interactive craft. It has a springy head that bounces as kids play! It’s the perfect way to add excitement to your craft sessions!
Whether you’re at home or in the classroom, this easy snake craft idea is perfect for kids of all ages and just right for Chinese New Year of the Snake 2025!
Why the 3D Snake Craft is So Fun
Kids will love making their own snake and how this 3D Snake Craft really brings the snake’s body to life!
The coils, snake head, and tip of the tail pop off the page for an amazing 3D effect, just like a real snake!
What’s more, the snake’s head is attached to a simple paper spring, making it a super fun interactive craft. Kids will love making the head pop up and down as they play with their creations!
The printable template includes black-and-white versions for kids to colour and decorate, as well as four pre-coloured options for a quick and easy snake craft project.
Each template has a chose of three heads. Snake eyes, round eyes or draw your own.
Boost Fine Motor Skills With the Snake Craft
Colouring and cutting the snake craft template helps develop hand-eye coordination and is a great way for kids to improve their skills while having fun.
The printable snake templates have been specially designed with simple shapes, perfect for little hands to cut out independently.
Creative Learning Opportunities with a Paper Snake
This snake craft connects with multiple themes:
- Celebrate Chinese New Year with a Year of the Snake craft in 2025. It goes brilliantly with our Chinese Lucky Cat Craft.
- Use it as an alphabet craft during the letter of the week for “S.”
- Incorporate it into a bible creation story or a lesson about Chinese zodiac animals.
- As part of your reptile lesson plans use the paper craft to help you explore snake-related themes and facts like species of snakes, how they eat their prey whole and how they have no external ears.
From the snake’s head to the tip of the tail, this craft offers endless opportunities for creativity and learning.
How to Make a 3D Paper Snake
Whether it’s for the Year of the Snake, a classroom letter of the week, or just a rainy day activity, the 3D Snake is such a fun craft and a surefire way to spark imagination and fun.
Follow the easy steps below to make your own snake and watch it come to life!
Craft Supplies:
- Printable Snake Template (Also available from our TPT store)
- White Card Stock
- Scissors
- Glue
- Optional: Colouring Materials
3D Snake Craft Step-by-Step Instructions
If you are using the black and white template colour it in before proceeding with the tutorial below.
Step 1 – Cut out the snake template pieces.
Step 2 – Glue the snake’s head to the top of the neck. (There are three heads to choose from: round eyes, snake eyes, or draw your own.) (Do not glue the forked tongue.)
Step 3 – Concertina zig-zag fold the paper spring.
Step 4 – Glue one end of the spring to the back of the snake’s head.
Step 5 – Attach the other end of the spring to the top of a piece of cardstock. Then glue the thick end of the snake’s neck to the bottom of the cardstock. (Only glue the very end of the Snake’s neck!)
Step 6 – Glue the bottom half of the snake’s tail next to the neck and bend the top off the page.
Step 7 – Fold the tabs of the inner coil under and glue then either side of the snake’s neck to make an arch.
Step 8 – Repeat that with the outer coil.
Now your snake is ready for fun! Push its head down and watch it spring right back up!
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