These paper tacos are a fun way to encourage lots of imaginative playtime fun! When I first set up this simple invitation to play, I completely underestimated how much fun my kids would have crafting up tacos. By the time they were done with this, they had made 23 paper tacos!! I left the table set up the following day, and Clara made several more that morning too. The best part was that after they were done making pretend tacos, they came up with some great creative play ideas. Later, they put together the materials as a kit to give to a few friends!
To make paper tacos of your own, you will need:
- construction paper — off white (taco shells), green (lettuce), yellow (cheese), black (olives) and brown (meat)
- red paint (hot sauce) — we used these handy condiment bottles.
- school glue (sour cream)
- safety scissors
- paper plates (optional)
- mini pie tins (optional)
To make the taco shells, use a pencil to trace a round object onto a sheet of off-white construction paper. Cut out the circle. If desired, add small dots with a brown crayon.
For the lettuce, cheese, and meat, cut small pieces of green, yellow, and brown construction paper. You could also use paper gift basket filler in those colors, if you have them on-hand.
Place the sorted ingredients in mini pie tins to create a make-your-own-paper-taco bar. Invite the kids to craft up their own paper tacos!
Play Ideas
- After crafting up 2-3 paper tacos, glue them to a paper plate for a fun pretend food prop to go along with a play kitchen set.
- Hide the finished paper tacos in various places around your home for a taco-themed scavenger hunt!
- Add price tags to the toppings and practice counting money in a pretend taco shop.
- Place “ingredients” in separate bags for a Craft a Taco Kit to give to a friend!
More Taco Fun to Explore:
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