Rainy Day Projects

Folded Newspaper Pirate Hat

This age group can follow a sequence of folds with a little guidance, and the payoff — something they can actually put on their head — is immediate and satisfying. The folding itself is a classic method that produces a hat sized for a child from a single broadsheet or two taped tabloid pages. A cut-and-glued paper badge turns it unmistakably into a pirate hat rather than a generic newspaper fold.

Ages
5–8
Time
20 min
Adult help
Light adult help
Mess
Low mess

Before you start

Before you call your child over, check that you have at least one full broadsheet-size newspaper sheet (two tabloid pages taped together along one edge work fine). Lay it flat on a large table and have scissors, a glue stick, a pencil, and washable markers nearby. Also pre-cut a rough rectangle of white paper, about 4 by 3 inches — this becomes the skull-and-crossbones badge. The folding sequence tends to stall at the step where you open the bottom triangle up — do that step together slowly. Children in this age band often want to rush the decorating; the hat is sturdier if all folds are creased firmly first. Once it fits on their head and the badge is on, the activity winds down naturally as they start wearing it around.

You will need

  • NewspaperOne full broadsheet sheet, or two tabloid pages
  • Clear tapeFor joining two tabloid pages if needed
  • White paperOne small piece for the skull-and-crossbones badge
  • Washable markersBlack and any other colors for decorating
  • Glue stickFor attaching the badge to the hat
  • ScissorsFor cutting the badge shape; adult guides for ages 5–6

    Use blunt-tipped scissors for children under 7, and guide their hand for the first cut.

  • PencilFor sketching the skull on the badge before inking

Steps

  1. 1

    Fold the paper in half

    Lay the newspaper flat with the long edge toward your child. Fold the top edge down to meet the bottom edge, making a wide horizontal rectangle. Run your fingernail along the fold to make a sharp crease. Tell your child this is the brim of the captain's hat.

    Tip: The fold goes at the top — the open edges face down throughout the build.

  2. 2

    Fold corners to center

    With the folded edge at the top, fold the top-left corner down diagonally so its point meets the center of the bottom edge. Repeat on the right side. You now have a triangle shape with a rectangular flap below. Crease both folds firmly.

    Tip: Have your child hold the center point steady while you fold — it gives them a real job and keeps the paper from shifting.

  3. 3

    Fold bottom flaps up

    Fold the bottom rectangular strip up on the front side so it covers the base of the two triangles. Flip the whole hat over and fold the other strip up on the back side. These become the brim of the hat. Crease both firmly.

    Tip: Tuck the corners of the strips in neatly — it keeps the brim from flopping open.

  4. 4

    Open the hat

    Gently slide your thumbs into the opening at the bottom of the triangle and push outward slowly until the hat opens into a three-dimensional shape. This is the stall point — go slowly and ease the paper apart rather than pulling. Fit it on your child's head and press the sides to shape it.

    Tip: If the hat is too tight, make a second one with the newspaper turned the other way — it yields a slightly wider hat.

  5. 5

    Make the skull-and-crossbones badge

    Give your child the pre-cut white rectangle and ask them to draw a skull — a circle head, two triangle eyes, a row of squares for teeth. Below it, two crossed lines with small bars at each end become the crossbones. Pencil first, then trace in black washable marker.

    Tip: If the skull drawing feels daunting, a simple face with an X on one eye reads as pirate just as well.

  6. 6

    Attach the badge and decorate

    Help your child cut around the badge leaving a small border, then glue it to the front center of the hat. Let them add stripes, waves, or dots along the brim with washable markers. Ask what the hat's name is — pirate captains often name their hats.

    Tip: Markers bleed slightly on newspaper; one pass is enough — pressing hard tears the paper.

Try it another way

  • For a child closer to 8, add a second layer of folds to make a stiffer tricorn shape by folding the two front corners of the finished hat back and securing them with tape.
  • Use plain brown paper bags opened flat instead of newspaper for a sturdier hat that can be painted with watercolor once dry.
  • Two children can race to fold their hats and then decorate each other's badge — the finished hats give them a prop for imaginative play immediately.

Keep in mind

  • Newspaper ink can transfer to hands; have a damp cloth nearby for wiping before touching eyes or food.

What they get out of it

Children practice following a sequence of steps in order and discover that careful folding — not glue or tape — is what holds the whole shape together.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.

One page, black and white, built in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

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