Rocking Bat

Add a colorful little bat to your Halloween craft time!

This printable craft turns a simple paper bat into a little rocking character that can wobble back and forth. Kids can color the bat however they like, from classic black to bright colors and fun patterns, then put the pieces together and give it a little push to watch it rock.

Get the template here

Are you afraid of bat? Those tiny sharp fangs can look pretty scary, especially when you think about how bats come out after dark and often spend their days hiding in dark caves. Add in the fact that they fly around at night and are rarely seen up close, and it’s easy to imagine them as something a little creepy.

But the truth is quite different. Most bats are not interested in attacking people or drinking blood at all. Depending on the species, they mainly eat insects, fruit, nectar, or other small foods, and they usually prefer to stay away from humans.

So even though their appearance and nighttime habits might make them seem frightening, bats are actually pretty harmless creatures. Their spooky image mostly comes from the stories and characters they are often seen with.

Put a bat next to a vampire, a witch, or a haunted castle, and suddenly it feels like something scary is about to happen. That’s probably why bats have become such a familiar sight every Halloween.

So for this craft, I thought it would be fun to make a little bat that has all the Halloween vibes without being scary at all.

More Than Just a Paper Craft

Once the Rocking Bat is put together, it doesn’t have to stop being a craft project. Kids can keep it on a desk or shelf, add it to a collection of paper animals, or use it when they are making up their own little stories and games.

The gentle rocking movement also gives the finished piece a little something extra. Instead of making a paper bat that simply sits in one place, kids have something they can interact with after they are done making it.

It could also be fun to make more than one and give each bat a different look. With different colors, patterns, and expressions, a small group of them can feel like their own little collection.

Learning Through Crafting This Rocking Bat

Making the Rocking Bat involves several different kinds of hands-on work. Kids can think about color combinations and patterns while decorating the different parts, giving them a chance to make creative choices rather than simply following a set color scheme.

Cutting along the outlines and working with the paper pieces also helps children practice fine motor skills and hand control. As they move through the different steps, they need to pay attention to the instructions and take their time with each part of the project.

For classroom or homeschool activities, the Rocking Bat could fit into an art lesson, a Halloween-themed activity, or a project about bats. After making the craft, kids could also write a few sentences about their bat, draw a nighttime setting for it, or create a short story around their finished paper character.

Rocking Bat Step By Step Guide

Supplies Needed

Cardstock
Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
Scissors
Glue
The Rocking Bat Template

Rocking Bat Instructions

Step 1: Print out the Rocking Bat Template on cardstock.

Step 2: Color the bat, wings, and other pieces using colored pencils, crayons, or markers.

You can simply use one color for each section, or get creative and combine different patterns like I did. Mix and match the colors and patterns however you like to make your bat completely unique.