Today, I have a lovely Sensory Owl Art Project from my Little Woodland Artists resource to share with you, perfect for children ages 4 to 8!

This art project walks children through how to draw an owl step-by-step, helping them build fine motor skills and practice following directions. Once the drawing is complete, the project continues with a creative extension where children can add sensory elements like feathers, cotton balls, and natural materials to bring their artwork to life. This multi-step approach not only keeps kids engaged but also helps them develop important skills along the way!

If you’re looking for an owl craft for your toddler, I have one of those too! Check out the Sensory Owl Paper Plate Craft for Toddlers.

How to Draw an Owl: Sensory Owl Art Project

Before we get into the art project, be sure to grab the how-to-draw tutorial below:

Materials

• Paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Black construction paper
• Coloring supplies of your choice (markers, crayons, paint and paintbrush, etc.)
• Sensory craft supplies (feathers, sticks, cotton balls, felt, etc.)

Directions

Draw your owl on a piece of paper using the step-by-step ‘How to Draw an Owl’ instructions found in the sample of Little Woodland Artists (if you don’t have it yet, scroll up a bit to grab it!). I recommend drawing your owl lightly with a pencil first, then tracing over your finished design with a black marker or sharpie. This is a wonderful opportunity for little ones to practice following directions and working nice and slowly.

Now it’s time to add some color to your owl! You can color in your owl however you would like. We used watercolor for ours, but you could use markers, crayons, or whatever else suits your fancy.

This would also be a wonderful time to research some different types of owls and learn a bit about these beautiful creatures.

Did you know that owls are nocturnal? That means they are awake at night and sleep during the day. They have incredible eyes that help them see when it’s super dark. They also have special feathers that help them move and fly throughout the night without making a sound!

The Everything Kindergarten Bundle includes three owl posters—an owl life cycle poster, anatomy of a great horned owl, and types of owls. These are perfect to have out and reference as you create your owl art!

After you’re done coloring your owl, cut it out and glue it onto a piece of black construction paper.

Next, we’re going to add some sensory elements to your picture!

You can use any materials that you have on hand—found nature items like leaves, sticks, and small rocks, or craft supplies like felt, cotton balls, or feathers. The goal is simply to provide a variety of materials with different sensory experiences for your little one to use.

We started by gluing some sticks along the bottom of the page for our owl to stand on.

Next, we cut a moon from some yellow felt. If you don’t have any felt on hand, you could use construction paper, a scrap of fabric, or even shape a pipecleaner into a moon and glue it on! You might also choose to cut out a little yellow felt beak for your owl.

We then stretched some cotton balls (wonderful fine motor practice!) and glued them across the top to look like wispy clouds in the night sky.

Last but not least, we glued feathers to our owl’s wing.

And there you have it! Your Sensory Owl Art Project is complete. I hope you and your little ones enjoyed creating your feathery friend!

For more step-by-step drawings and art projects, be sure to check out Little Woodland Artists. Little Woodland Artists teaches children how to draw 10 simple woodland-themed animals, plants, and other items. Everything is step-by-step, with art extensions and beautiful photos to help you along as well.

You can grab Little Woodland Artists on its own right here or as part of The Everything Kindergarten Bundle:

A beautiful, educational, and playful year of kindergarten!

Learn more about The Everything Kindergarten Bundle:
shop.howweelearn.com/collections/everything-kindergarten

Take care, my friend,

xo Sarah