Turn a sweet little handprint into an Australian animals art project by creating a cuddly koala out of it. Also, look at this Hands-On Geography: Australia Awesome and Deadly Animal Art.
Are you learning about Australia as a country? Just Australian animals? Marsupials specifically?
This easy craft project is perfect for all the above, or even just because you want a cute handprint craft.
Kids love to get involved fully hands-on and moms love to see their little ones’ handprints in art projects.
This is a very sweet option to create a keepsake while they learn.
It’s a simple and fun way to talk about Australian animals, their habitats, eating habits, characteristics, and where they live in the world.
3 Koala Questions and Answers
- Where are koalas from? Australia, in the open forest and woodland areas.
- What do they eat? Mostly eucalyptus (Gum Tree) but will sometimes snack on other trees.
- What is a marsupial? They are a group of mammals that are known for carrying their young in a pouch.
Also, look at more hands-on activities to learn about animals in Australia.
9 Australian Animals Art Ideas
Make it a full lesson on the creatures from the outback.
My goal for this lesson was not creativity ( process art is much more appropriate for that) or even specifically learning about koalas.
Wombats are cute, pudgy marsupials that are found in Australia.
My son began his research at the library, checking out various books on Australia in general, and a few on the animals themselves. For further investigation, we also watched a YouTube video and looked at various pictures of aboriginal art online.
Turn plain boring cups into the laughing Kookaburra Craft.
I’m excited to show you how to make this fun Kangaroo Ears Headband that’s great for a kangaroo lesson or just for your little one to hop around with!
Make an adorable paper plate possum using our latest printable template. This easy craft for kids is based on the Ringtail possum which is common all over Eastern Australia.
I made Perry the Platypus from the TV show Phineas and Ferb, complete with his own little hat.
Easy How to Draw a Kangaroo Tutorial and Kangaroo Coloring Page
You’ll find an easy step-by-step tutorial for how to draw a Kangaroo and a Kangaroo Coloring Pages
Conservationists want people to take selfies with quokkas? Quokka’s are considered a vulnerable species and the internet fame quokkas have acquired in recent years have put their names on the map!
And you’ll love adding these resources.
Australian Animals Art Ideas and Resources
To expand upon this simple koala handprint activity, you can:
- Help your child find Australia on a map. I really like the scrunch maps because they can be taken anywhere and are easy to pull out onto the floor for investigating.
- Watch Wild Kratts Koalas on YouTube together to learn more about these sweet creatures.
- Grab some eucalyptus even if it’s dried or artificial for your child to examine the main food of the koala.
- Add some of these adorable Australian animals to a sensory bin or just strew them around with books and other props to build interest.
- Play a fun and silly game like Koala Capers.
- Include an interesting book like Explore My World Koalas with lots of photos and information to help them learn more.
Finally, look at how to make this adorable koala handprint keepsake.
How to Make a Koala Handprint Craft
You will need:
- Cardstock
- Grey craft paint
- Brown craft paint
- Green craft paint
- White craft paint
- Paintbrushes
- Black markers
Have your child paint a tree trunk that is wide enough for their entire handprint on the center of the paper as well as some branches sticking out here and there.
Allow it to dry completely.
Once the tree trunk is completely dried, paint your child’s entire hand gray; you’ll want the thumb pointing upwards on the tree.
Press it down firmly to make a good solid print.
Use a paintbrush to draw a round head over the top of the thumb and a half circle on either side for ears.
While this part of the painting is drawing, put a small amount of green paint in a dish and have your child dip one finger into it.
They can then stamp little leaves all over the branches with little fingerprints.
Once everything is dry go back and add details like a little claw on the end of the paws.
Draw on an oval-shaped koala nose and mouth, as well as eyes and any details you like to the ears.
Let this final part dry completely and it’s ready to go up on display.
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