This paper plate echidna is a nice easy todler craft idea that proves you don't need fancy supplies to make a fun, educational activity for your toddler.
Using simple household items, this fine motor toddler activity allows for the refinement of loads of foundational skills that can be transferred to many important life tasks.
Paper Plate Echidna
Celebrating an iconic Aussie animal, this paper plate echidna is a fun way to increaseawareness of this critically endangered species.
While dropping some echidna fast factsyour toddler will be practising important life skills such as their fine motor skills, hand eyecoordination and bilateral coordination.
If you want to match your activity with a toddler book then I recommend E is for Echidna. You can get it HERE on Amazon.
Fast fact: Echidnas are an egg laying mammal.
What you need for a Paper Plate Echidna:
Fast fact: Echidnas have no teeth.
How to make a paper plate echidna:
To make your paper plate echidna, the first step is to cut the paper plate in half.
We are justusing one half today. Better yet, you could always make two echidnas!
Cutout the longnose and head from one side of the paper plate.
Using the marker, draw a little mouth on the end of the echidna's snout and a little eye onthe head.
Then with the marker, outline the inner circle of the paper plate. This is going to act as aguide line for your toddler to practise stopping when snipping with scissors.
With elbow in, thumbs up and watching out for their helping hand, encourage your child togive their echidna its prickly spikes by cutting along the pattern of the plate until they hit themarker guideline.
Fast fact: Echidnas love to eat ants, worms, termites and insect larvae.
The rigid cardboard of the paper plate is perfect for scissors snipping with children withdeveloping skills.
Less time needs be spent of holding the tension of the paper and moretime can be spent mastering their coordination skills.
These skills can be transferred intoother tasks such as writing, buttoning a shirt, catching a ball and using cutlery.
Fast fact: A baby echidna is called a puggle and stays in its mother’s pouch for 7 weeks.
This paper plate echidna is a fun paper craft that can helpstrengthen skills vital forcompleting so many life tasks and school readiness.
Use your paper plate echidna in yournext Australian themed small world or as a fun puppet to act out your favourite Aussieanimal book!
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SOME MORE FUN TODDLER ACTIVITY IDEAS YOU MIGHT ENJOY ARE:
Paper Plate Crafts for Toddlers
Paper Plate Hair Cuts - Toddler Activity for Scissor Skills
About the Author
Dani is a busy stay-at-home Mum of 3 and an early childhood teacher in training who is passionate about play-based learning throughout early childhood. For educational play ideas that you can do at home and parenting tips, visit Play Inspired Mum. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook