Independence is so crucial to kindergartners, and I have loved watching Travis’s confidence grow since school began only a month ago. Now, he wants to do all the little steps himself each day, from buttoning shirts to buckling his backpack. Being able to serve themselves drinks and snacks is also key for kids’ independence at this age, so we created this adorable snack animal to keep easy snacks at hand!

To start, remove the lid from an empty oatmeal canister, and trace twice on cardboard. Note: I found an old cereal box easier than stiffer cardboard packaging for tracing and cutting out. That said, it means your final animal won’t be quite as sturdy and might sit on your counter instead of standing!

Draw legs below each circle and cut out; these will be the front and back of your animal.

Travis decided we should turn ours into a cow, but really any animal will work! Highlights magazine also suggested a pig or a deer.

For the cow, we painted the legs white with black spots.

I cut an additional shape to be the cow’s head, which we glued to one of the circles.

Don’t forget to paint the canister, too, which received its own coat of white paint and black dots.

Once the paint dries, glue the head piece to the lid of the canister. Glue the back legs to the back of the canister.

Let the glue dry, then stuff with treats! You can also add yarn for a tail, depending which animal you choose. Pink would have been cute on the pig version!

As noted, our cow kneels down a bit, but Travis loves that he can help himself to an afternoon treat.