Small children are naturally drawn to the excitement of football by adult fan influences. Foster that interest by outfitting them with make believe gear. Starting from the top, make play football helmets for kids out of construction paper.
Measure the child’s head. Place the end of a fabric measuring tape between your child’s eyebrows and roll it over the head down to the nape of the neck and add one inch to the measurement. Spread the tape straight across the back of your child’s head and get a sight measurement of the head’s width from the tops of the ears. These two measurements make up the length and width of the helmet top.
Cut out the helmet top. Find a piece of construction paper to fit the measurements in Step 1. Use the color you want for the base color of the helmet.
Draw one of the sides. Curve the helmet top into shape and hold it perpendicular against a folded piece of construction paper. Have your child assist you by holding the paper in place while you draw the top arc of the helmet side. Fill in the bottom of the helmet side with a freehand sketch.
Cut out the sides. Cut out both helmet sides out at the same time with the paper folded.
Decorate the headgear. Use different colors of construction paper to mimic your favorite college or pro design, or invent your own team logo. Cut out the designs and glue them on the helmet sides. Add striping to the top in the same fashion if desired.
Assemble the shell. Lay one side of the helmet on a table with the logo down. Curl the helmet top over it and tape it in place. Press all of the sticky sides of the tape firmly against paper to keep hair from getting stuck. Tape the other side on with the logo out.
Add a facemask. Cut two strips of desired color construction paper 1/4 inch wide and 14 inches long. Cut another 1/4 inch strip about 8 inches long. Tape the ends of a long strip to both sides of the lower front of the helmet, so it bulges out in front of the face. Tape the ends of the other long strip in the same spot, but make the arc of the bulge stand two inches higher than the first strip. Cut strips from the remaining piece 2 1/4 long. Tape them in place connecting across the two arcs.
