A Climbing Paper Tree Frog Craft for Kids

To make your own paper tree frog, you’ll need:

How to Make a Paper Tree Frog – DIY Instructions:

Download and print our frog templates.

You can draw your own frog outlines or make it super easy by downloading and printing our paper tree frog template set (with 2 different frog design options). I printed these on brightly colored heavy cardstock, but you can print on plain white (watercolor paper works well too).

To print at full-size, choose borderless printing in your print settings.

Paint, color, or decorate.

Paint, color with crayons or markers in your favorite tree frog colors, and decorate any way you prefer (I have lots of ideas listed below!). Let dry completely before cutting out.

Note: We weren’t applying very thick layers of paint, so we could still see our templates’ lines. If you plan on using a supply that will cover up the frog outline, flip the paper and for some free-painting on the blank side.

Cut out your paper tree frogs.

So I’ll just go ahead and say it – the cutting of these is fairly fussy. The shape details make these tree frogs look amazing, but if your kids find it frustrating or you don’t want to do the (literal) leg work, skip cutting out between each toe and just give them webbed feet instead!

Younger kids will likely need assistance with this step, but let me tell you…it is SO worth it! You can also use the other frog template that comes in this set and has less detailed edges to cut around.

Punch holes in the feet and add the suction cups.

And here’s where we REALLY bring these tree frogs to life. Use a standard hole punch to make a hole in the center of their feet and pop in a suction cup. You can add suction cups to all the feet or just one – these aren’t heavy, so one can easily hold a frog on a surface.

Our suction cups have a little lip at the top that catches and holds the paper, so no glue is necessary to keep it in place. If yours seem to be falling out of the feet, add a small dot of craft glue or use a glue gun.

Add eyes (optional).

You can add a pair of round, bulging eyes to your tree frog as one last little optional touch. We rolled small squares of tissue paper into little balls, used a glue stick to glue them on, and colored in frog-like pupils with a black marker.

What other supplies can you find to recycle and use that look like tree frog eyes?

Six Ways to Make and Decorate Your Paper Tree Frogs

Delightful and engaging, paper tree frog crafts can provide hours of creative fun for preschoolers and kids with a wide variety of interests and abilities. Here are a few ideas for turning these charming paper amphibians into other kinds of age or interest-appropriate projects using simple materials and techniques.

1. Use stamps and other paper printing tools. Stamps, a sponge, bubble wrap, a flyswatter, old foam peanuts, and the edge of thick cardboard are ALL excellent stamping and printing tools to experiment with.
2. Make paint-speckled frogs. Dip a toothbrush or nail brush in paint, then point it toward your paper and drag your finger across the bristles to flick paint onto the surface. This creates a cool, colorful dappled effect on your frog’s skin.
3. Try scrape-painting your tree frogs. These frogs offer the perfect opportunity if you haven’t tried scrape-painting! You can find all the details you’ll need to give it a go in the tutorial for our scrape-painted surfboards.
4. Make marbled paper tree frogs. Initially, I had planned to start this project with some handmade marbled paper-making, but time was running short with the holiday weekend on the way. It’s still on the list to try again later because it would create the coolest frog-like effect! The Artful Parent has a fabulous guide to paper marbling that offers six different techniques to try it with kids (and you probably already have all the supplies you’ll need).
5. Try using watercolors, chalk, or pastels. For an even wider variety of textures, experiment with watercolors, or add details with a layer of oil pastel marks. Create well-camouflaged tree frogs by doing rubbings on tree bark with charcoal or chalk pastels.
6. Color and add details with crayons or markers. Looking for a simpler process? Use good old crayons and markers instead of paints or other art supplies that require drying time.

Five Types of Tree frogs to Use for Art Inspiration

Tree frogs are a diverse group of frogs that are adapted to arboreal life. They are found worldwide, with different species inhabiting various regions. Here are five different tree frog types (including one found in my home state, Minnesota!)…

1. Gray Treefrog – Found in the United States (and my own backyard), this tree frog can change its color depending on the environment, ranging from gray to green. It is native to the eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada.
2. Red-eyed Tree Frog – Native to Central America, the red-eyed tree frog is known for its striking appearance, featuring bright red eyes, a green body, and blue and yellow stripes on its limbs.
3. Blue Poison Dart Frog – Native to Suriname and Brazil, this tree frog has a brilliant blue color with black spots. Though small, it is one of the most toxic animals in the world, with its skin containing potent toxins.
4. Amazon Milk Frog – Found in the Amazon Rainforest of South America, the Amazon milk frog is known for its striking black and white or cream patterns on its body.
5. Golden Tree Frog – This rare and beautiful tree frog is native to Trinidad and Tobago. It has a bright golden-yellow body with black markings and a green or turquoise iris. The frog’s vibrant coloration helps it camouflage among the bromeliad plants where it lives.

More Kids’ Frog Craft Ideas

Inspire days of frog play and craft-making with these related projects you can use to keep the fun going!

Make a rainforest tree frog habitat.

A paper tree frog can serve as the perfect inspiration for creating a kid-made rainforest tree frog habitat. Children can recreate elements of a tropical environment using readily available materials like cardboard tubes, construction paper, and natural elements such as twigs and leaves to create rainforest dioramas or small world play setups.

Make a tree frog terrarium/tree frog tank.

Use your life-sized paper amphibian friend for some tree frog pet play by making it its own tree frog tank or terrarium from a recycled cardboard box.

Use your tree frog for pretend pet rescue play.

Rather than sticking to one wild animal, set up a whole pet adoption dramatic play center.

Make your paper frogs hop!

Use the tutorial for our hopping spring peeper poppers to make your tree frogs “hop” on their own (oh, the excitement!).

Create watercolor or ink tree frog drawings.

Now that you’ve learned some tree frog basics, dig a little deeper and spend some time observing their unique characteristics. Use black (or whatever color you prefer) watercolors, pens, or ink to create spontaneous sketches or line drawings of favorite features or tree frogs in movement. You can use pictures for reference, or take a trip to the local zoo for a live frog drawing session.