# Recycled Fruit Tray Snake Craft
> Flip over a cardboard apple tray from the grocery store to find ready-made snake outlines. Cut them apart, paint them with patterns inspired by real snakes, then add googly eyes and a forked paper tongue.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/recycled-crafts-kids-snake-craft/
- Ages: 3–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 20 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 4 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, patterns, animal-science, art, recycling
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Cardboard fruit tray (the kind grocery stores stack apples on) (household)
- Acrylic paint, assorted colors
- 1 piece Thick stubby paint brushes
- 1 piece Paper plates for paint (household)
- 2 piece Googly eyes
- 1 sheet Red construction paper
- Fine glitter (optional)
- Craft glue (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)
- Sequins and acrylic jewels (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of paint brushes: Thick toddler paint brushes (The author says these work well too.)
- Instead of googly eyes: Self-adhesive (sticky) googly eyes (More convenient, with no glue needed for the eyes.)

## Safety
- An adult cuts the cardboard fruit trays apart.
- Googly eyes, sequins and acrylic jewels are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely with young children.
- Acrylic paint is not taste-safe and stains clothes. Use smocks, cover the table and wash hands after.
- Keep glitter away from eyes and mouths.

## Before you start
- Ask your grocery store for a few cardboard fruit trays (the ones apples are stacked on).
- Flip the trays over and cut across each one to make 4 snake outlines.
- Cut small forked tongues from red construction paper, or let older kids cut their own.

## Steps
1. Flip the fruit tray over and find the snake shapes.
2. Adult: cut across the tray to make 4 snake outlines.
3. Look at pictures of real snakes together and spot the bands and skin patterns.
4. Choose a pattern and paint your snake with acrylic paint and a thick brush.
5. Add fine glitter if you like.
6. Let the snake dry completely.
7. Stick or glue on two googly eyes.
8. Attach a forked red paper tongue at the head.
9. Line up all the snakes and talk about them: why is a snake's tongue forked? Are there pink snakes?

## Tips
- Stores usually throw away or recycle the fruit trays, and ours were more than happy to part with a few.
- Every other section of the tray looks like a perfect snake with a pointed head; the others have a rounded head. Honestly it doesn't matter. The kids enjoy painting all the 'snakes' alike.
- We only used thick stubby brushes, since no part needed a fine paint brush.
- Let little ones go with the flow. My 3-year-old mixed a few blues and greens and created a beautiful, sleek-looking snake.
- A simple craft kicks off learning and research time. Adding the tongue started a whole set of questions.
- Don't count on sequins. My 5-year-old informed me, 'Mom, snakes don't have sequins and jewels on their bodies.' Just glitter, right?

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

How about cute snake crafts for kids? Have you seen those fruit trays/liners at grocery stores? The ones that house apples, pears etc? When you flip these over, you can see a perfect snake outline! Great for fun snake crafts for kids. How cool! Well at least that's what I thought when I saw a bunch of the fruit trays lying in a corner at the grocery store. Since my children are big wildlife enthusiasts all **animal activities** and animal crafts go over VERY well. So do [**recycled crafts.**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/upcyclerecycle/) **Materials**

- Cardboard fruit trays
- **[Acrylic Paint](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJSD8I/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Googly Eyes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F8V66O/?tag=blmemo-20)** (The sticky ones are even more convenient)
- **[Red Construction Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MJ8JSFE/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Fine Glitter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRT8V9Q/?tag=blmemo-20)**(optional....who am I kidding? Never optional here)
- **[Acrylic Paint Brush Set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DJ68JNF/?tag=blmemo-20)**

The fruit trays we used are the ones grocery stores use to stack their apples. The stores usually throw them or recycle them away and it was easy to ask them for a few trays. They were more than happy to part with them. All we did was flip them over and you can easily see the snake pattern right away ha!



I cut across the fruit tray to create 4 outlines for the snakes. They don't look like snakes yet.. But wait.



With the cutouts and acrylic paint set out, the kids were in painting heaven! { All our [**art activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/art-projects/) can be accessed here} Along with my 5 year we looked at a few picture of some gorgeous looking ( really!) snakes. She gathered that some snakes have bands and many of then have a skin pattern. She chose a pattern for herself and started painting. { Have you seen our [**patterns in nature**](https://www.funlittles.com/preschooler-pattern-activity/) post?}

For this art activity we only used thick stubby brushes like these since there weren't any part that needed a fine paint brush. Thick toddler brushes like these work well too.



My 3 year old just goes with the flow! She mixed a few blues and greens and created this beautiful, sleek looking snake. Isn't this a fun snake craft for kids? Once the snakes were dry ( haha) we added googly eyes and a forked tongue. *{ Which started a set of questions - why is a snake's tongue cut? Are there any pink snakes? etc- see how a simple craft kicks off learning and researching time}*



Mommy and 5 year old's effort.



Can't get enough of these wacky snakes!



Every other section of the fruit tray looks like a perfect snake outline including the head. The others (like pictured below) have a rounded head though. Honestly it doesn't matter. The kids will enjoy painting all the "snakes" alike. We added the glitter and I even set out sequins and other acrylic jewelry in the hopes that my kids will enjoy "glaming up" their snakes.



However all I got was a sassy response from the 5 year old " Mom, snakes don't have sequins and jewels on their bodies" Sure kid, just glitter, right?



[**More crafts using recycled materials here**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/upcyclerecycle/)

[](https://www.funlittles.com/recycled-crafts-art-studio-in-a-box/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/back-to-school-art-for-kids-mixed-media-family-portraits/)