The Mom I Want to Be

I plan to use this activity as I first introduce my scouts to the idea of keeping nature journals and being observers of the world.  This is fun activity, but also has them observing details in the drawings to make conclusions.

Index Cards in a multiple of 3 (21 works well)
Pencil
Sheet of White Paper
Coloring Tools of some kind – markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc

Working on the blank side of the cards, lightly make a small mark halfway along the long side of each card with a pencil. This will help you keep your animals centered as you create your creatures.

Draw different animal heads on 1/3 of your cards; make sure that the middle of each neck is aligned with the center marking you made earlier. Include all different features – sharp pointy teeth; flat teeth, big ears; big eyes; huge noise; pointy beak; interesting antennae; long tongue and so on.

Draw different animal bodies on another 1/3 of the cards. Remember to use your earlier markings to keep your animal centered. Give some wings. Give others arms. Give others claws. Make some thin and some fat. Draw on fur, feather, or scales.

Draw different animal ends on the last third of the cards. Long legs; short legs; snake tails; insect bums. Add hooves, claws, paws, fins and toes.

Mix and match one head, to one abdomen, to one bottom and see what funny imaginary animals you have created.

Choose your favorite and think about if this creature were real. Where might it live? Would you find it in a tree? In a rain forest or temperate forest? In the water? A pond? A stream? The Ocean? What types of food would it eat? Use the clues in the animal. Different animals have different adaptations (a feature that helps a species survive in its environment). If it has large eyes, perhaps it is nocturnal and needs the large eyes to let as much light in as possible. Or maybe it is a cave dweller. If it has sharp teeth, it probably eats meat. How would it hunt? What would be its preferred meal?

Re-sketch your animal on the sheet of paper, and draw a scene around it that shows the answer to some or all of those questions.