Do you love animal bookmarks? As someone who was once a special education teacher, nothing brought me more joy than helping children to read. Small children are incredibly joyful when it comes to learning to read, loving that they have a variety of worlds in front of them. One of the biggest motivators for children, I found, was having fun rewards they could earn for doing a great job reading. This can be trying to sound out words or as simple as being patient as parents read a new book.
While children love bookmarks, it doesn’t mean they are cheap. While they have always felt like luxury items, it has become even more cost-prohibitive lately. This is one of the reasons I love the internet and being able to find online printables. There are so many fantastic printables online for teachers and parents alike. You can find just about anything, allowing you to find the perfect bookmarks to inspire your child to enjoy reading. For most of my younger students, I preferred working with animal bookmarks since almost everyone loved animals, especially animals they could find at the zoo.
This is one of the reasons I was so excited when one of my friends allowed me to share the animal bookmarks she made for her children. These adorable, colorful bookmarks are not just 100% free but easy to make at home. All you really need is a pair of scissors, a colored printer with paper, and glue. I also prefer using cardstock paper since it makes the animal bookmarks last longer. These easy-to-make bookmarks are also hard to lose since they fold over the edge of the page, looking similar to the dog tagging methods in books (don’t worry, no books will be damaged). Children can also choose between three adorable animals – a tiger, a panda, or a brown bear!
Even though these animal bookmarks are easy to make, they take some practice getting the folds just right. While little ones can do it themselves, they probably will need the help of an adult. I have always made the bookmarks beforehand; however, I must ensure they are ready to be the perfect reading reward when needed. Nothing is better than seeing the surprise in children’s eyes whenever they receive one of these adorable animal bookmarks after a challenging reading session.
Are you ready to try making these adorable children’s bookmarks for a child in your own life? You can find everything you need to make these animal bookmarks here on our site. Just download the images below and follow the directions. Again, these animal bookmarks are 100% free printable, and you are welcome to use them with your children however often you like. Teachers, you can use these and share them as much as you like with other teachers. I know how hard it is to find the perfect supplies for your classrooms, especially reading motivators, so please enjoy!
Free Printable Animal Bookmarks
Materials You’ll Need:
- Printable animal bookmark template
- Scissors
- Glue or any adhesive
- Paper (regular or cardstock)
Animal Bookmarks Instructions
- Print the template for the animal bookmarks by clicking here or by clicking the temple image below.
- Choose the animal you want to make and cut along the outer lines.
- Next, cut the diagonal dashed lines on the head of the animal bookmarks you choose to make.
- Now, thoroughly fold the head of the animal along the diagonal dashed lines. Then, fold along another full diagonal line on the other side, forming an X fold (or dividing four triangles).
- For the next step, fold the diagonal on the right side of its head (which separates the mouth and the part that says ‘glue here.’
- Then, fold the part with the “glue here” back and the other part, bringing the eyes and nose part to the top of the mouth. This will form the entire face of your chosen animal.
- For the last part, fold the last triangle to the back and apply glue (or your chosen adhesive) at the “glue here” area. Press the last triangle to set the glue. You are now done!
Did you enjoy these adorable animal bookmarks? Make sure to check our other adorable printables here!
About Susan Bewley
Susan Bewley is a professional writer who has been writing content online & in print format for over 10 years. As well, she is an alumni of the University of Louisville with a Masters Degree in Special Education. When not working as an online business consultant or ghost writing, she can be found writing on Budget Earth, on her own novel, or working with various entities in the pet industry.