DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Desert Animal Crafts and Activities for Kids
Deserts are areas with extreme temperatures and very little precipitation (rain or snow). We tend to think of deserts as hot places (most of them are during they day)... but they get extremely cold at night.
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert stretches across much of the Middle East, with vast sand dunes, rocky plateaus, and occasional oases. Camels, ibex, and vipers are some of the creatures that call this harsh, arid land home, perfectly adapted to survive with very little water.
Camel Crafts
Make paper camels inspired by the Arabian Desert, perfect for learning about desert life.
Ibex (Wild Goat) Toilet Paper Roll Craft
Make a desert ibex using simple toilet paper rolls and craft supplies.
Viper (Snakes)
Create a fun paper snake while learning about desert vipers.
Australian Desert
KangaroosAustralia is home to several deserts, including the Great Victoria and Simpson Deserts. Red sands, spinifex grasses, and hardy animals like kangaroos and reptiles define this unique ecosystem, where survival often depends on clever adaptations to heat and drought.
Sahara Desert
The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert, stretching across North Africa. Endless sand dunes, rocky mountains, and sparse vegetation make it a challenging place to live. Yet, desert hedgehogs, mice, vipers, and ravens have all found ways to survive in this extreme environment.
Hedgehog Paper Plate Craft
The Desert Hedgehog lives in the Sahara; make a cute paper plate version.
Mice
Desert mice survive in harsh environments; kids can enjoy simple mouse crafts.
Raven Handprint Craft
The Fan-Tailed Raven is found in the Sahara Desert; make a handprint craft or a paper bag puppet version.
Snakes
The Horned Viper lives in the Sahara; create a paper snake while learning about it.
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert spans southwestern North America, featuring cactus forests, rocky hills, and sandy plains. It is home to fascinating wildlife like bats, owls, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, vultures, and wolves, all of which have adapted to the scorching daytime heat and cooler nights.
Bats
The Big Free-tailed Bat is found in the Sonoran Desert; kids can make bat-themed crafts.
Owls
Barn, Elf, and Pygmy Owls live in the Sonoran Desert; learn and create an owl craft.
Rats
The Kangaroo Rat and Pack Rat are found in the Sonoran Desert; make a simple rat craft.
Snakes
The Rattlesnake and Sidewinder live in the Sonoran Desert; try a paper snake c
raft.
Spiders
Black Widow Spiders and Tarantulas live in the Sonoran Desert; make a spooky handprint craft.
Vulture Paper or Handprint Craft
The Turkey Vulture is found in the Sonoran Desert; create a paper or handprint craft.
Wolf Crafts for Kids
The Mexican Gray Wolf lives in the Sonoran Desert; make a wolf-themed craft.
Some deserts, like the Sonoran Desert in North America, are famous for their towering cactuses and other succulent plants. These unique plants have adapted to store water in their stems, survive scorching heat, and provide shelter and food for many desert animals. Not all deserts have cactuses. Cold deserts like Antarctica or sandy deserts like the Sahara are too harsh or dry for these spiny plants to thrive.
Antarctica Desert (cold desert)
PenguinsAntarctica is the largest cold desert in the world. Though it’s covered in ice and snow, it gets very little precipitation, even less than some of the hottest deserts!
Despite the extreme cold, animals like penguins and seals have adapted to thrive in this icy wilderness.