The best way to make reading a good book even better is to create your own adorable bookmark to go with it. These totally adorable pet bookmarks for kids are the perfect thing. Featuring cats and dogs, print them onto cardstock and then simply color, cut and use!
Of course, these FREE PRINTABLES for kids are super fun, but they’re more than that. They’re an opportunity to improve pencil (or crayon) grasp, fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, visual motor integration and so much more!
Save these Dog Bookmarks for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…
Whether you use this printable with your kids at home, in the library, at school, or really…anywhere, we know that your child is going to love exploring their creative side with these free activities.
You might also want to pair these printable bookmarks with some other fun cat and dog crafts, like these paper bag cat crafts, this dog with wiggly ears, this paper plate cat, and this painted dog craft with newspaper spots.
How to Make These DIY Bookmarks
SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
- Pet Bookmarks Printables
To keep things simple, we stick to the same master list of basic craft supplies for every single craft that you see on this site. Once your bag’s filled, you’re all set. No extra prep needed, no running to the store at the last minute or not making a craft at all because you didn’t have what you needed on hand.
Step 1: Print
Download and print the pet bookmarks you see here. Printing onto heavy cardstock is best.
Step 2: Color
Use markers or crayons to color your bookmarks. Add any other details you would like, such as words on the bottom of the bookmark, stickers, stamping, glitter or anything that you would like.
Step 3: Cut
Optional: If you really want these bookmarks to be durable, laminate them.
Now, cut out the bookmarks that you’ve colored and decorated.
Step 4: Use
Put your DIY bookmarks to good use and get to reading your favorite books.
Amp Up the Fun with these Ideas for Using This Free Coloring Activity
Coloring with crayons or markers is a fun and simple activity that is portable and good on so many levels. But there’s nothing that says you need to stick with just crayons when playing with these free printable bookmarks.
Start with coloring these animal bookmarks and then add things from your craft bag (we stick to the same 27 items for every craft on this site so that once you fill your bag, you are all set to make anything you find here…yay!
Get the master list to fill your bag so that you can craft along too.) Put pieces of tissue paper on areas that you want to texture. Or add washi tape for some interesting patterns. Maybe you want to add fluff with cotton balls.
Keep reading to the bottom to download these Printable Pet Bookmarks for FREE 🙂
Save these Free DIY Bookmarks for later. Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board…
Enjoy another Cat Craft with this how to tutorial
How to Improve Core Strength with Coloring
This next little tip will not only help improve your child’s core strength, but it will also improve should and wrist stability. It’s super simple. Just tape the color page onto the wall and color on the vertical surface. Another position you can try is to have your child lay on their back under a table with the coloring page taped to the bottom of the table. Then they will just reach up to color the page.
One last position to try is to sit at a table but turn your child’s seat sideways so that their back is not supported. This will force them to engage those core muscles in order to sit up straight.
Tips for Improving Fine Motor Skills
I know that when coloring with little ones, there are all kinds of special crayons out there that you can buy, but don’t bother. Instead, just break your regular crayons in half. Trust me. I know that it’s nice to have beautiful new crayons, but they are better tools for promoting fine motor skills when broken. Take it from an occupational therapist with years of experience. This makes it almost impossible for children to grasp the crayon with a fisted grasp and instead to use fingertips, moving toward a mature grasp for better writing when the time comes.
Gently encourage your child to use fingertips to hold the crayon, but then let them use their own creativity to color the picture, even going outside of the lines if they haven’t yet mastered staying inside the lines.
Grab Your Printable Cat and Dog Bookmarks
More Tips for Using Coloring Activities for Kids
We’re always telling kids that they need to stay inside the lines when coloring, but the truth is that little ones aren’t necessarily developmentally ready for that. Generally speaking, kids should begin coloring inside the lines by about ages 5 to 6. If your child is in that age range and still scribbling like crazy, try this…
Before having your child color on the page, go around some of the main borders of the picture with a bead of Elmer’s glue (let it dry overnight) or hot glue. This way there is a tactile border in addition to the visual border to follow.
For even more ways to maximize the experience of coloring with your kids and using this resource as a developmental tool, check out this article from Ready Hands for Kindergarten.
