Character Masks

Have lots of fun with our free printable animal character masks. Each mask features a different character from the Five Flamingo books The Carnivorous Crocodile and The Mud Monster.

Once you’ve made the masks the kids can act out the Five Flamingo stories whilst you read the books to them. Or let the kids go wild pretending to stomp around like a big elephant, preen like a fabulous flamingo or leap about like a cheeky monkey. Or…be a scary carnivorous crocodile! Snap!!

What you’ll need

Scissors – Elastic – A4 card – Printer

Instructions

1. Download and print your chosen masks onto the card.
2. Cut out the mask following the cut line.
3. Push a hole through the mask, as shown on the printout. You can use a sharp pencil or the point of your scissors to do this.
4. Thread the elastic through these holes. You may want to make sure the elastic is the right length to fit round the head of the wearer so that the mask is secure and will stay on.

Ideas for play

Act out the story. Choose either the Carnivorous Crocodile or the Mud Monster. Give each child a character to play and as you read the story get them to act out their part.

Learn about the animals. Give all the children the same mask and tell them how that animal moves, where they live and let them pretend to be each creature.

For example monkey’s swing in trees, like to be social and eat leaves and nuts. Crocodiles spent their time floating in the water but can also walk on land. They need to keep warm in the sun and they might even try and snap at a monkey should it venture close by!

Let the children make up their own stories. Give them ideas to make up their own stories such as they are all monkey’s on an adventure or flamingo’s who have to cross the river where crocodiles lurk!