Hat Crafts and Learning
Activities for Kids

Hat Theme Crafts and Activities

Hats aren't just for looks. Your children will learn from the following crafts and activities the
history and importance of different kinds of hats.

Paper Engineer's Hat Craft for Kids

Have you ever wondered why people in different professions wear different types of hats? In the story "Stormy's Hat, Just Right for a Railroad Man" by Eric A. Kimmel you will learn why an engineer's hat looks the way it does, and the history of how it came to be. After reading this story have your children make their own engineer hats from paper. What you will need: Card stock (Heavy paper), scissors, glue, and/or stapler. What to do: 1. Print out the Top of Hat Pattern, and Bill Pattern and cut them out, have your children color them.

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If you would like patterns on which your children can draw their own stripes use these: Top of Hat and Bill Pattern. (Problems Printing?) 2. Cut slits along the top of the bill on the dark lines. Staple or glue the bill and the top of the hat together at the middle matching up the two tiny dark black lines. Then glue or staple the rest together working out from the middle. 3. To finish, staple the band to the back of the hat to fit your child's head. 4. You can print the hat patterns smaller to make matching hats for stuffed animals and dolls. © 2012, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information How to Print or Copy these instructions. For direction on how to make this train out of boxes and an oatmeal box, go to the Planes, Trains, and Automobile Crafts and Learning Activities Page.

 

"Boss of the Plains" Stetson Hat

Hat pattern with Title and Hat Pattern with No Words (Printing Problems?)

© 2012, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

How to Print or Copy these Instructions

 

"Do You Have a Hat?" Learning Activity

Lots of famous people wore distinctive hats. Francisco de Goya wore a hat with candles on the brim, Stravinsky wore an old green beret, Carmen Miranda wore a hat topped with fruit, and everyone knows what Abe Lincoln's hat looked like. This is a great book to encourage children to think about how hats can fit a person's personality and even become something that helps identify him or her. Activities: Hat Day - Read "Do You Have a Hat?" by Eileen Spinelli and then have your children bring in their favorite hats and share with the class why their hats are special to them. Writing and Drawing Activity - Ask your students, "If you could have any hat in the world, what would it look like? What would you use it for? Have them write about their hat or draw a picture of what it would look like and label it, and then have them share their ideas with the class. My Hat Activity - Make paper hats from newspaper or newsprint paper and have your children decorate theirs hats to fit their personalitieis. See directions below.

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How to Make a Newspaper Hat

1. Fold a full sheet of newspaper longways.

2. Then fold the newspaper down lengthwise.

3. Place the folded newspaper on a table so that the edge you just folded is at the top.

4. Fold the two top corners down so that they meet at the center.

5. Fold the bottom edge up so that it meets the bottom of the folded corners.

6. Fold the bottom up again at the bottom of the folded corners.

 

"The Printer" and How to Make a Newspaper Printer's Hat

Read "The Printer" by Myron Uhlberg a touching story about a deaf man who worked at as a printer for a newspaper. He would bring home the paper every day, read it, and then make his son a paper hat by folding up a page of the newspaper. His son wouldn't take it off until it was time to go to bed. One day the deaf man noticed a fire in the shop and alerted everyone of the danger using sign language. He made sure everyone got out okay and was the last one to leave the building. When the shop was rebuilt and the first newspapers run, the men at the shop who hadn't acknowledged him before all said, "Thank you," in sign language and presented him with a newspaper hat made from the freshly printed newspaper. Make a Printer's Newspaper Hat like the one in the story Printers wore four-cornered hats made from newspapers to protect their hair from the fine particules of ink that the high-speed presses sprayed into the air. There is a diagram at the end of the book that shows how to make a printer's hat from a sheet of newspaper. You can also find directions on YouTube.

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How to Make a Printer's Hat Out of Newspaper

	1. Unfold a large sheet of newspaper and flaten it out.
	2. Fold the paper in half and then turn it so that the fold is at the top.
	3. Fold the top two corners down so that they meet in the middle of the paper to make two triangles. You will need at least three inches at the bottom of the paper that is not covered by the folded corners. If you do not, you will have to make the paper shorter at the ends. Unfold the paper and cut inches off the top or bottom of the paper and fold it again.
	4. Fold up the bottom edge of top paper so that it meets the bottom edge of the triangles.
	5. Fold up the bottom again at the bottom of the triangles to make the hat band.
	6. Turn the hat over.
	7. Fold the bottom two corners in so that they meet in the middle.
	8. Fold the bottom two corners up so that they meet at the folded paper above.
	9. Fold up the bottom flap and tuck it in the band.
	10. Fold down the top corner and tuck it into the band.
	11. Open up the hat and fold it into a diamond shape.
	12. Fold down the top corner and tuck it in the band. 13. Fold up the bottom corner and fold it in the brim and then open the hat creasing the corners.

 

Songs About Hats

1. "My Hat, It Has Three Corners"- Sing the song once with all the words and each time after that leave out another word.

"My hat, it has tree corners,
Three coners has my hat
And had it not three corners,
It would not be my hat.

2. Yankee Doodle Dandy - Go to Kiddles for the lyrics and music.

 

Hat Theme on Other Web Sites

SurLaLune Storytime - SurLaLune has lots of book suggestions about hats for children, and several songs.

 

How to Make Paper Hats Links

1. How to make a paper sombrero on YouTube

2. Paper Hat School Workshop and Parade.

3. How to make a paper hat from newspaper and masking tape.

4. Pancake Hat by Sarah Pirtle

Hat Crafts

Nurse's Cap	Grocery Bag Hat	Pilgrim's Hat Craft
Stovepipe Hat and Abe Lincoln Crafts	"Snowman Needs a Hat" Printable Book	Groundhog Hat Craft
New Year Party Hats	Paper Pilgrim Hat Craft	Roman Soldier Helmet
Cat in the Hat	Tricorn Hat	Snowman Cup Hat

Good Books About Hats

The Magic Hat	Rembrandt's Hat	The Scarecrow's Hat
A magic hat turns people into giant playful animals.	Bear loses his hat and is persuaded to find a new one. Bear listens to his friends advice and buys a hat he doesn't really like. In the end he learns that he should have listened to his heart, gives away his new hat, and buys one he likes.	A chicken admires the scarecrow's hat who would gladly trade it for a walking stick. Chicken doesn't have a walking stick, but knows someone who does. She works out many trades with other animals until she is able to gets what she wants.
The Old Blue Hat	One Winter's Day	The Hat
A young boy doesn't have anyone to play with or anything to do until he finds an old blue hat. The hat inspires his imagination and leads him to meet animals and ultimately a new friend.	Even though hedgehog just lost his home he stops to help the other animals who are suffering in the storm. He is rewarded for his kindness when they get together and build him a new home.	A hedgehog gets a stocking stuck on his head and all the farm animals laugh at him.
Old Hat New Hat	Miss Fannie's Hat (Picture Puffins)
Bear thinks he needs a new hat. He tries on many hats but none of them will do. At the end he decides his old hat is just right.	Miss Fannie has lots of hats and they are all her favorites. Each one brings back memories. When she is asked to donate one for a chruch auction she has a hard time deciding which one to give up. In the end she is happy with her decision because she knows she is doing the right thing.