Materials
Old white shag rug or white fake fur Brown and black construction paper
Brown lunch bags Pink, white and black crayons
Scissors White glue
Medium-point black marker 15 mm wiggle eyes
Pink marker
Instructions
1. Discuss facts about the koala. Compare the koala's hands and feet with human hands and feet.
2. Cut white fur for ears and under chin area ahead of time.
3. Make patterns for the head (with ears), arm, body and leg. Trace two arms and two legs.
4. Make body pattern slightly larger than the front of a lunch bag.
5. Cut the body parts out of brown construction paper. Glue them onto the front of the upsidedown bag.
6. Cut the nose out of black construction paper.
7. Use black marker to color claws on arms and legs.
8. Draw a mouth on the head with black crayon, then white crayon.
9. Use pink to color the tongue and white on the sides for cheeks.
10.Glue on wiggle eyes. Draw around wiggle eyes with black crayon, or the children can draw eyes first, then glue wiggle eye to each center.
11.Dab pink on fur tips of ears with pink marker.
12.Glue the nose to the head, and a fur piece onto each ear. Then glue the head to the top of the upturned bag and a fur piece under the "chin."13. Glue arms between bag folded areas, sloped upward.
14. Glue legs with toes pointing in toward the other leg.
15. Put a blacker marker line to show where the two toes are grown together as one, but with two claws.More to doDramatic play: Dramatize being a baby koala, growing and climbing, sleeping and eating.More science: Find Australia on a map or globe. Let the children fly a small airplane from where they live to Australia. Show pictures of other unusual animals that live in Australia. * Name other animals that have pouches. * Discuss the reason koalas are not found in most zoos (only in the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos outside of Australia because eucalyptus trees will grow there).
