Activity:
Make a Prickly Porcupine!
This prickly porcupine project is more than just crafty fun! It will actually teach your child about the ingenious defense mechanism found in the common porcupine. Although it is a small rodent, the porcupine's prick is mighty powerful! It will make a lasting impression on your family pet's tender nose if given the chance! Make sure your child knows that the porcupine is not just a mean-spirited creature. He is actually doing his best to protect himself and his family!
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What You Need:
- Several leafy branches
- Box of round toothpicks
- 2 buttons for eyes
- Modeling clay
What You Do:
- Help your child shape the clay into a ball.
- Show your child how to make the snout portion by bringing one end of the ball to a rounded point.
- Have your child push the button eyes into place on either side of the snout.
- Using one of the toothpicks, have her make some markings to represent fur on the snout end of the ball.
- Now for the fun part! Have your child insert the toothpicks all over the porcupine’s back, until it looks like a spiny ball.
- With your child, brainstorm a good spot for her prickly porcupine! Here's an idea: Place the porcupine into a houseplant, or have him peek out from behind some fake foliage where your child can easily see him.
If you live in a rural or suburban area, this may be a good opportunity to teach your child about porcupine safety! She should never try to grab or frighten these animals. Their natural defense mechanism can be extremely painful!
