Patrol Masks

Patrol Masks is a mask-making activity where you design and decorate an animal mask for your Patrol (the team you join when you arrive). Whether you're a Badger, Squirrel, Fox or Hawk, you cut, colour and build a mask of your Patrol's animal, ready to wear to the evening's woodland parties and show everyone which team you're on.

It's a lovely way to feel part of your Patrol, and every mask ends up a little bit different.

An eye mask covers just the eyes and the top of the nose. It's light, comfy and easy for little faces to wear. A half mask covers the top half of the face, leaving the mouth clear for talking, eating and laughing. A full-face mask covers everything, which is great for dramatic animal faces.

Masks can be held on with elastic or tied with ribbon. Some are fixed to a stick and held up to the face, like the masks at a masquerade ball. For materials, card makes a sturdy base, and felt, paper, feathers and leaves add fur, feathers and texture.

Start with a template or draw your own shape, then carefully cut it out and snip out the eye holes. Next comes the fun bit: building your animal. Add pointy ears for a fox, stripes for a badger, a bushy look for a squirrel or sharp feathers for a hawk.

Colour it in, stick on extra layers and add details like whiskers, a nose or eye markings. Finally, attach elastic or ribbon so it fits snugly. Your Activity Leader is on hand to help with tricky bits and to share ideas for making it really stand out.

Yes, it's a wonderful craft for children of all ages. Younger ones love the colouring and sticking, and older kids and teens enjoy adding clever details and making their animal look as fierce or as funny as they like. Grown-ups often get stuck in too. Wearing a mask you made yourself can give shy children a bit of extra confidence, and it's a brilliant way to bond with your Patrol.

People have worn masks at festivals and celebrations all over the world for a very long time, from carnival parades to masquerade balls. A mask lets you step into a character for a while, play a part and join in with everyone else. An animal mask is a fun way to do exactly that as a family.

You might also like Patrol Paper Lanterns, Flower Headdresses and Pennant Flag Making.

See all Camp Kindling activities