In coastal California, crafting cut-out cardboard critters is a cool, creative way to connect with our courageous crawling companions close-up! Come catch these crazy creatures!
Click on the links below to view and print out a critter template! Iif you don’t have a printer, you can use the template to draw your own similar shapes.
[vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”11064″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MuleDeer.jpg” title=”Mule Deer”][vc_single_image image=”11058″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CAQuail.jpg” title=”California Quail”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”11062″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GreatBlueHeron.jpg” title=”Great Blue Heron”][vc_single_image image=”11056″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CANewt.jpg” title=”California Newt”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”11060″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GrayFox.jpg” title=”Gray Fox”][vc_single_image image=”11054″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://wyp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BrushRabbit.jpg” title=”Brush Rabbit”]
You’ll Need:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paint, Markers, or Crayons (optional)
Steps:
- Cut out animal parts from the templates.
- Trace onto cardboard and cut out.
- Cut the slots no wider than the thickness of the cardboard otherwise the animals will wobble.
- Paint or color the animals parts however you’d like or you can leave them as cardboard.
- Assemble the parts by matching the letters and sliding the slots together.
- Release your creatures into the wilds of your home!
You can use the templates provided or make up your own cardboard cut-out critters!
Tips when making your own:
- Try to think about the critter in a 3-dimensional way.
- Look at pictures or observe in person how the animal looks from the side, front, and back
- Think about the proportions of legs to the body and ears to the head
- If it’s not a 4-legged animal, be creative with how you make it stand
Bigger Project:
Make the same critters but much larger and cut them out of wood. Then you can climb all over them!
This project was inspired by The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Sayre Wiseman
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