This easy craft is perfect for younger Girl Scouts (or younger siblings) and is a great follow-up to “Grumpy Monkey” by Suzanne Lang.

Materials needed:

• Scissors
• Glue
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Green, brown and white construction paper

Cut a strip of brown paper to measure about five-inches wide by 11 inches long. This will be the body of your monkey. At each end, measure and cut a three-inch line from the top and bottom of the body. On one side, fold cut towards outside edge in a triangle shape. This will be the monkey’s feet.

To make the branch, cut an 11 inches long by two-inches wide piece of paper. Roll the paper tightly to form an 11 inch long tube. Alternate options are a pencil or straw.

To form the arms, roll the split piece around the tube you created or around a pencil or straw. You will need to put glue on the brown paper when you have it wrapped securely. Be careful not to glue the brown paper to the tube, you want to make sure the brown will swing around the tube.

Assemble and glue the monkey’s features. First, glue large white oval in center of the body, this is his belly. Glue the monkey’s face (head, mouth, and ears) and glue at top of belly.

The last step is to glue on the monkey’s tail. If you would like to add a leaf to the end of the branch you can color one or cut one from the green paper. Be sure to add a smile or frown on his mouth and add two small dots at the top of the face for nostrils. Now your Monkey is ready to swing.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.