Give Fox a story
Take turns being Fox and the storyteller.
“I heard a rustle behind the tree. Who could it be?”
Talking Fox
Paper Puppet
Fold a fox puppet, then make up a story together.
2 sheets to makePrinter paper, scissors and glue
Download print packA4 and US Letter PDFs included
See the assembly stepsBefore you start
Print pages 1 and 2. Use single-sided printing at 100% / Actual size. The two instruction pages can stay on screen.
Help where needed. Cut around the ear tips carefully. Try the finger pockets before gluing the face.
Inside the print pack
One folding base, two face pieces and an illustrated guide.
US Letter pages shown. A4 uses the same piece sizes.
Make your fox
Keep the mouth folds and the two hand openings free of glue.
1. Cut and crease
Cut out the base rectangle. Crease the two long dashed lines and three short dotted lines. Unfold the paper.
Cut the solid outside border only. All five inside lines are folds.
2. Make a flat tube
With the marked side facing up, fold the left flap in first. Add glue to the marked strip on the right flap, then fold it over the left flap.
Press the long overlap together. Leave both short ends open.
3. Fold the tube in half
Fold at the middle crease and bring the two open ends together. Seen from the side, the tube forms a V.
The middle crease will be the hinge at the back of the mouth.
4. Fold both ends back
Fold each open end back at its quarter crease, away from the other end. The four sections make an M when seen from the side.
The two outer sections form the hand pockets. Do not glue these shut.
5. Try the finger pockets
Enter from the back: fingers into the upper end pocket, thumb into the lower end pocket. Check the fold opens and closes before adding the face.
The hand drawing shows the entry points. Do not put fingers between the mouth panels.
6. Attach the upper face
Cut out A and turn it over. Close the mouth. Apply glue only where the back of A meets the outside top pocket. Centre the nose edge at its front fold.
Right-hand diagram: the face lying on the top pocket. Keep glue away from the fold and open end.
7. Align the lower jaw
Cut out B. With the mouth still closed, centre its straight top edge against the nose edge of A. Glue its back to the outside bottom pocket.
Only the pocket-contact area needs glue. A and B must stay separate.
8. Let dry, then tell a story
Let the glue dry. Put your hand back in the end pockets and open and close gently. Give Fox a name and try a conversation.
If a face piece catches, stop and adjust its position. Do not force the fold.
Three story games for your talking fox puppet
This talking fox paper puppet uses separate upper and lower face pieces on a folded hand pocket. Try gentle mouth movements after the glue dries, then give Fox a voice and a reason to speak.
Introduce Fox to a new friend
Give Fox a name and one favourite thing. One person speaks as Fox while the other asks two questions. Open the mouth gently as Fox speaks and close it to listen. Swap roles after the introduction.
Solve the woodland mystery
Start with ‘I heard a rustle behind the tree.’ Let Fox ask what it could be. The storyteller gives one clue, and Fox makes a guess. Add a second clue before deciding together who or what is hiding there.
Retell a familiar scene
Choose a scene from a story you already know and describe where Fox has arrived. Have Fox ask a character for help, then invent a new ending. Keep the scene short enough that everyone gets a speaking turn.
Questions before you make it
Is this a paper bag puppet?
No. This template includes a flat paper base that folds into a tube and then an M-shaped hand pocket. The upper fox face and lower jaw attach separately. No paper bag is needed.
Which pages do I print for the fox puppet?
Print pages 1 and 2 at 100% / Actual size on one side of the paper. They contain the folding base and face pieces. Pages 3 and 4 are illustrated instructions and can remain on screen.
Where do my fingers go in the talking puppet?
Enter from the back, with fingers in the upper end pocket and your thumb in the lower end pocket. Do not put your fingers between the mouth panels. Try the base before attaching the face; physical hand fit still needs testing.
Why will the fox puppet's mouth not open?
Check that both hand openings and all mouth folds are free of glue, and that the upper face and lower jaw remain separate. If the face pieces catch, stop and adjust their placement. Do not force a stuck fold.
Can I use the fox puppet with the ocean stick puppets?
Yes. Let Fox meet Whale and Clownfish in an invented story, or have Fox ask them questions. Each puppet keeps its own handle or hand pocket; the templates do not attach to one another.
Digital assembly illustrations. Physical assembly and use have not yet been tested.