The Big Cheese Craft for Kids (Easy Read-Aloud Activity + Reading Response and Writing Prompt)
The Food Group books by Jory John are wonderful reads. Kids will love learning about an important life lesson. The main character always wants to win, but learns that there is more to life than winning. This is a great character education book for children. I love books that teach children important lessons. This craft lesson will make a great companion activity after reading the book aloud.
This activity is inspired by The Big Cheese and is great for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students. It combines creativity with learning—making it perfect for classrooms, homeschool, or a fun afternoon activity.
Why You’ll Love This Big Cheese Craft
- 🐝 Fun to create character faces and poses of choice
- ✂️ Easy and inexpensive to make
- 👧👦 Great for preschool and early elementary kids
- 🎨 Encourages creativity and fine motor skills
- 🖼️ Makes a cute display or keepsake
- Great for social-emotional learning (SEL)
- Hands-on crafts paired with reading help children better understand story themes and build comprehension skills.
Supplies You’ll Need
- Big Cheese template
- Yellow paper or yellow cardstock
- Black construction paper or cardstock
- White paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Glue
- Scissors
Step 1: Print out Big Cheese Template
To begin print out the Big Cheese template on color paper indicated on template. The template is available for purchase at my TPT store
✨ Big Cheese Template
To make this craft even easier, grab the printable in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.
Step 2: Cut out and Pieces of The Big Cheese
Have your child decide which version of The Big Cheese they would like to make. Then, cut out the pieces of The Big Cheese.
Step 3: Add and Create the Eyes
Glue the white circles onto the yellow cheese shape. Using a black marker add pupils. Next, using the black marker add eyebrows. Use illustrations in the book to inspire choices for the eyes and eyebrows.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Step 3: Add Mouth and Facial Details
Use a black marker to add a mouth to The Big Cheese. Add facial details including dots on the face and pink cheeks.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Step 4: Add Arms to The Big Cheese
Add the arms to the big cheese. Glue them on and fold to create the pose you would like.
Example 1:
You can also cut and glue the arms into the position you would like.
Example 2:
Step 5: Add Legs to The Big Cheese
Add the legs to the big cheese. Glue them on and fold or cut to create the pose you would like.
Tips & Variations
- Pre-cut for younger kids
- Use a template for consistency
- Encourage creativity
- Keep supplies simple
- Turn it into a lesson
- Add names to finished crafts
🎨 Fun Variations to Try
- Turn into a puppet
- Use textured material(felt, foam, tissue paper)
- Paint instead of using paper
Looking for other crafts to go along with Jory John books? Try some other crafts on my page!
Kim
Learning Extensions
This activity is perfect for:
- Social Emotional Learning discussion
- Fine Motor Skills
For older kids, challenge them to:
- Read aloud companion activity
- Writing Activity
🎯 Perfect For
- Preschool and Kindergarten Classrooms
- Read-Aloud Activities
- Homeschool Lessons
- Bulletin Board Displays
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Rainy Day or At-Home Crafts
🧀 Final Thoughts
This The Big Cheese craft for kids is a fun and meaningful way to bring stories to life through creativity. With simple materials and easy steps, it’s an activity that works beautifully in the classroom, at home, or during a read-aloud lesson.
More than just a craft, this project gives kids the chance to explore important themes like confidence, kindness, and what it truly means to be a leader. Pairing hands-on activities with reading helps children better understand and remember what they learn.
Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or homeschooler, this cheese craft for kids is an easy and engaging way to combine art, literacy, and social-emotional learning in one activity.
Have you tried this Big Cheese craft with your kids or students? I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Share your creations or ideas in the comments — and don’t forget to save this post for later so you can come back to it anytime.
- “Leave a comment with your favorite Jory John Book”
- “Tag #craftymamabirdnc on Instagram so I can see your Big Cheese characters.
Make this craft easier by purchasing the craft activity on my TPT store.
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