FAMILY ACTIVITY: Paper Roll Ox Craft

by Gia Hernandez

In Chinese culture, oxen are valuable, and those born in the Year of the Ox are considered hard workers who are reliable, honest, and smart—but remain humble. In honor of the Year of the Ox, we’re going to learn how to make an one of our own. Our ox can help us get excited for the holiday—while also being a toy or decorative item!

MATERIALS

Toilet Paper Roll

Black paint

Black Marker

Colored Paper

Colored Wool

Paint brush

Glue

Scissors

CRAFT DIRECTIONS

1. Gather your scissors and toilet paper roll, cut off ¼ of the roll, and give the remaining roll a tiny squeeze—this is so our ox looks wide and strong, but also isn't too flat.

2. Paint your ox black so his colorful features will stand out.

3. While waiting for your paint to dry, grab your colored paper. Decide which feature you want in each color, and use your marker to draw the horns and eyes on your sheet. Cut out horns and eyes for your ox. For the mouth, draw a small smiley face on another sheet of paper to represent your ox’s nose and mouth, and cut an oval around the smiley face.

Tip: When cutting your horns, try to aim for cutting the shape of a mustache!

4. When your paint is dry, glue your paper features to your ox.

5. Cut your wool into several strips, each a bit shorter than an inch. Glue these strips over your paper horns and rearrange if necessary, so we can see your ox’s eyes.

6. Admire the ox you’ve made!