How To Throw The Most Amazing Daniel Tiger Party Ever

Ding, ding.

Is that Trolley? Possibly. Or maybe it's the idea that went off in my head when making this Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood-inspired craft.

I wanted to make some cute-as-can-be and kid-friendly "photobooth" props that kids can wear and pose with. 

Perfect for birthday parties, parties for no reason or a day of make-believe when it's sopping wet outside and blustery as all heck. Really, once you make these, kids will find any excuse to play with them. 

And that's a Daniel Tiger grrrraurantee. (That's guarantee, but in tiger.)

Ready to make some props? Let's go! 

What You'll Need

• colourful paper
• markers
• straws or craft dowels
• headbands
• scissors
• glue
• string

How It's Made

Here’s how we made headgear for O the Owl, Katerina and Daniel Tiger:

To make Daniel, cut two circles from light brown paper and two smaller circles from dark brown paper. Make four triangular pieces from dark brown for his stripes and round off their pointy ends.

Glue the dark brown inner ears to the light brown outer ears and add the stripes. Trim off any excess or overhanging stripes. Decide where you want your ears on the headband and glue them in place. Trim away the excess paper at the bottom of the ears. (Check out the final version above to see my placement, if you need a guide!)

To make O the Owl, use blue paper to create two tufts or “horns” and some feathers to fill out the sides of the headgear. TIP: Folding paper in half and cutting two copies makes it easier to get a symmetrical set of pieces. Glue your horns to the top of your headband and the feathers to the sides. (Again, refer to the finished products above to see how I placed mine if you need some help.)

To make Katerina’s ears, cut two triangles from grey paper and two triangles from pink. To make her bow, create a bone shape from green paper and cut a short strip to wrap around the middle of the bow. Add a bit of glue on the back side to keep the bow secure and glue the pink inner ears to the grey outer ears. Glue the ears to the headband, cut away the excess paper at the bottom of the ears and add your bow. (One more time, check out the final versions above to see how I placed the ears if you're having trouble with symmetry!)

Next, here’s how we made Trolley, Tigey and cardigan photo-props-on-a-stick:

Cut a cardigan shape from red paper. Cut as many extra details as you like such as a collar, cuffs, pockets and a hem. Cut a short length of string and knot it at both ends to create a mini-drawstring.

Use a bit of folded paper sandwiched in between the cardigan and the extra details to create a bit of depth. Glue your drawstring and details in place.

To create Tigey, cut a small body from blue paper with arms, legs and a tail. Cut a head with two rounded ears and attach with some extra folded paper sandwiched in between to create depth. Cut a nose, eyes, stripes and inner ears, or draw them in with markers. Add whiskers, a mouth and little claws.

To create the trolley, cut a rectangular shape from red paper and cut a few windows from its centre. If you like, sketch in a few extra details before you cut — a stepped roof or a running board at the bottom of the car. Cut wheels from black and grey paper and use yellow paper to decorate.

Attach your props to your straws or dowels. I added glue and a little bit of tape on the back side to keep everything extra-secure.