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We’ve all seen a bat before, and might have been scared of it. There are many reasons that bats are disliked.

  • Bats are scary.

  • Bats drink blood.

  • Bats make you sick with rabies and other diseases.

  • Bats are a natural enemy of humans.

But none of these are true. Bats actually…

  • Help control the insect population and preserve crops.

  • Spread seeds far and wide so new plants can grow. 

  • Do not suck blood through their teeth like vampires.

  • Do not hunt humans.

Bats are not as cute as other animals, but they are not bad. So have fun making this craft while also learning about bats. 

Remember the bats. They spread love, not disease. 

What You Will Need:

  • The two printable templates:

  • Colored paper

  • Tape

  • Glue (Elmer’s Glue-All sticks well)

  • Pom poms

  • Googly eyes

  • Markers for writing your message

Instructions:

Print out the two templates. Print the heart template twice, making sure one is smaller than the other. I recommend making the larger one 8×10 and the smaller one 5×6. Also, make sure to print the bat in landscape orientation.

Tape the templates onto your colored paper and cut them out. When finished, remove the templates. Don’t worry about the bottom half of the bat. It will be hidden.

Tape the smaller heart onto the larger heart.

Tape the bat to the back of the heart, so only the top of the head and wings can be seen. 

Glue the eyes and a pom pom nose to the bat face.

Glue pom poms to the wings.

Write a note. Bonus points for using a bat pun!

Feel free to experiment with the look of your bat and hearts. Instead of pom poms, add glitter or paint the wings! Use different kinds of paper. Have fun! Show us your creation by tagging CCPL on social media!

Bat Facts:

  • Baby bats are called pups. 

  • Bats are the only mammals that truly fly.

  • Bats feed at night because there are less predators and they need cooler air to not overheat. 

  • Bats are not “blind”. They can see. Sight is just not as important as other senses. Bats are colorblind, though. 

  • Bats that live in tropical areas eat pollen and nectar instead of insects. 

  • Vampires were not named after the Vampire Bat. The Vampire Bat was named after the legend of vampires. And though Vampire Bats do drink blood, they bite cattle, not humans.

  • Only about 1 percent of wild bats carry rabies.

  • Bats live 20 to 30 years – much longer than other mammals.

  • Unfortunately, many species of bats are endangered.

Want to help the bats?

Learn more about bats at CCPL: