Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Duckling Christmas Ornaments

We are huge fans of the Pigeon books from Mo Willems, so I had to make a set of Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Duckling Christmas Ornaments to go along with them. These are kid-made ornaments my son made when he was in first grade. He is very proud of them.

Are you looking for more holiday activities? Try these Christmas Activities for Kids!

I had to hold back my impulse to trim and smooth the edges, but he did an excellent job. He did everything from start to finish, which is pretty cool if you ask him. They are his own, and they are up on the Christmas tree.

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Kid-Friendly Ornament Ideas

You don’t need fancy supplies to make great homemade ornaments with kids. Most of the time, a few simple craft items go a long way.

• Felt ornaments: Soft and easy to cut, felt is perfect for younger kids. It also holds its shape and doesn’t fray, which makes it ideal for layered designs.
• Paper ornaments: Great for quick crafts and easy to personalize with crayons or markers. These are perfect for a no-mess activity.
• Salt dough ornaments: These are hands-on and fun to shape, like playdough. After baking, kids can paint and decorate them.
• Popsicle stick ornaments: These are easy to assemble and glue. They work well for making geometric shapes or frames.

Check out my list of fun and easy DIY Ornaments for Kids for ideas and easy-to-follow instructions.

Recommended Mo Willems’ Pigeon Books

If you haven’t read any of the Pigeon books, then you’ve been missing out.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Finish This Activity Book! (Pigeon series) (Pigeon, 8)The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!The Pigeon Needs a Bath! (Pigeon, 9)The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!

 

Why are Mo Willems’ books so good?

Mo Willems’ books are favorites in many homes and classrooms for a reason. They connect with kids and grownups alike.

• They use humor really well: Kids laugh out loud while reading, which keeps them engaged. The silly moments also help them remember the stories.
• They feature simple but expressive illustrations: The characters’ emotions are easy to see and understand. This helps early readers follow the story without needing every word read to them.
• They encourage interaction: Many of the books ask questions or leave space for kids to respond. This turns reading into more of a conversation.

Recommended Christmas Printable Packs

If you need something low-prep for your preschool or early elementary kids, these printable packs are a lifesaver. We’ve used them to fill quiet time or during transition parts of our day.

Supplies list for Pigeon and Duckling Ornaments

• yellow, orange, white, black, light blue felt
• Christmas tree ornament hooks
• craft glue or hot glue gun
• paper
• marker
• scissors

What skills can kids learn from this DIY Christmas activity?

While this project looks like just a craft, it offers plenty of educational benefits.

• Fine motor control: Cutting, tracing, and gluing all build control in the hands and fingers. These actions are especially helpful for pre-writing skills.
• Visual matching: Lining up felt pieces and cutting along templates helps kids learn to recognize shapes and patterns. It also helps with attention to detail.
• Following directions: Step-by-step projects teach patience and focus. Kids learn that order matters when working through a task.

Recommended Mo Willems Gift Ideas

Toys that feature characters from favorite books can make playtime more meaningful. They also help kids retell stories and build pretend play around the books they know.

Little Ducking Stuffed Animal Gets Cookie for Mo Willems Pigeon Books Series Duck Plush, Yellow Cute Duck Pillow Toy Book Characters Plush for Classroom, 9.25inYOTTOY Mo Willems Collection | The Pigeon & Duckling Set of 2 Finger Puppets in PackageYOTTOY Mo Willems Collection | Pigeon Soft Stuffed Animal Plush Toy (w/ Mo Willems’s Voice) - 11.5”Tonies Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Audio Toy FigurineWalker Books Ltd Five Minutes’ Peace Board Book and Toy Gift SetTonies Mo Willems’ The Pigeon Series Audio Toy Figurine

 

Easy Mo Willems Christmas Ornament Activity Instructions

My son used a drinking cup to trace circles onto a piece of paper for the head and whites of the eyes. There were 4 different sizes because the Duckling’s head is smaller. For the colored parts of the eyes, he just eyeballed them and cut them straight out of the felt, and I cleaned it up a bit.

He cut out the circles from the paper and then placed them onto the felt. I pinned them down and he used a black marker to trace around it.

He then cut out the circles from the felt. We did the same for all the other pieces, like the beak, as well.

We used craft glue to glue all the pieces together, then I poked holes through them with our ornament hooks, and ta-da! There you have it, super easy for your child to put together.

You can also see the felt storyboard I made for my daughter.

Pardon the mess in the background; that’s what my house looks like during school. My daughter is just beside him, playing with our dinosaur felt activity.

Visit Mama Miss to follow along on the 10 days of kid-made Christmas Ornaments. Each day, 6 to 9 bloggers link up with their kid-made ornaments. How awesome is that?

How to extend the activity

You can take this felt ornament project a little further by tying it into other hands-on crafts or printable resources. These keep the theme going and give your child more chances to explore Mo Willems’ world.

• Paper Plate Piggie Craft: This is an easy way to add another character from the series. My daughter did this one years ago and still remembers it.
• DIY Ornaments for Kids: If your kids liked making these felt ones, this list has even more ideas to try. Great for a family craft day.
• Draw your own Pigeon scene: Grab some crayons and paper, and have your child draw their favorite scene from one of the Pigeon books. It’s a relaxing activity that adds more creative storytelling to their day.
• Read-aloud and retell: After reading a Mo Willems book, have your child retell the story using their new ornaments as props. This builds memory and helps them practice sequencing.

More Christmas Activities

Try some of these hands-on ideas with your kids to keep the Christmas fun going:

• Christmas Activities for Kindergarten
• Reindeer Arts and Crafts
• Felt Christmas Crafts for Kids
• Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Ornament for Kids
• Easy DIY Ornaments for kids
• DIY Lego Wreath Ornament
• DIY Christmas Ornaments for Kids ~ Snowflake Edition by The Natural Homeschool
• Christmas Ornaments for the Jesse Tree by The Natural Homeschool

Don’t forget to visit these lovely ladies:

• Happiness is Homemade
• Inspired by Familia
• FSPDT

You can also see our other felt activities as well; it’s the only crafty thing I can create with.

Felt Pigeon and Duckling Christmas Craft is a quick and fun way to bring books into your holiday crafts. Whether you make one or a whole flock, they add a special touch to your Christmas tree and help your child build important early skills.