Australian Craft Activities for Kids
Kids can learn about Australian customs or celebrate Australia Day with craft activities related to the "land down under." Focus on the traditions of the indigenous people or highlight Australia's diverse animal life. Combine craft activities with specially prepared foods, recorded music or displays of Aboriginal art to more fully experience the Australian culture.
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Boomerang
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Dip sticks into paint to mimic the painting techniques of Aboriginal artists.
paint pots image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
Boomerangs, popular for their ability to return to the thrower, commonly symbolize Australia. Trace a boomerang shape onto brown cardboard and cut it out. Alternatively, make a boomerang shape using paper mâché or self-hardening clay. Activity Village suggests painting the boomerang using sticks instead of a paintbrush, similar to the methods used by the indigenous peoples of Australia. Display the boomerang as decorative art on a shelf or hang it on a wall.
Didgeridoo
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Decorate a didgeridoo with colored electrical tape.
adhésif image by Unclesam from Fotolia.com
A didgeridoo is an instrument played by blowing through a long, hollow tube. Kids Craft Weekly recommends making your own version of a didgeridoo using a paper towel roll. Wrap strips of colored electrical tape around the paper towel roll in rows or diagonally. Add sticker dots in various sizes. Vary the craft by using a wrapping paper roll for a longer didgeridoo. Decorate it with paint, markers or crayons. Hold one end of the didgeridoo to your mouth and blow into it with your lips loosely closed.
Crocodile
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Turn a wooden spoon into a crocodile with paint and green craft foam.
wooden spoon image by jovica antoski from Fotolia.com
Crocodiles lurk in both freshwater and saltwater in Australia. Activity Village suggests creating your own crocodile by painting a wooden spoon green. Trace the scooping end of the spoon onto pieces of green and pink craft foam. Cut out the shapes and glue the pink foam on top of the green foam to make the bottom of the crocodile's mouth. Turn the spoon over so that the scooping end faces down. Glue the foam mouth to the spoon where the scooping end meets the handle, leaving the other side of the mouth open. Cut out teeth and eyes from craft foam, leaving a little tab on each. Apply glue to the tab and press it onto the spoon, folding the craft foam eyes and teeth into a standing position. Cut a rectangle shape from green craft foam and coat it with glue. Place the rectangle under the spoon's handle and fold up the sides to meet in the middle. After the glue has dried, cut triangles out of the rectangle shape to make the spikes in the crocodile's tail.
Marsupial
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Use fake fur to make a kangaroo or koala.
Artificial grey fur image by amlet from Fotolia.com
Marsupials, such as kangaroos and koalas, carry their young in special pouches. Hands On Crafts for Kids offers directions for making your own marsupial. Cut similarly sized rectangles from brown craft foam and artificial fur. Cut four paws from black foam and glue to each corner of the brown rectangle, ensuring that the top paws point upward. Cut a small strip of fur from the narrow end of the rectangle and glue it to the top of the brown craft foam. Apply glue to the bottom and sides of the brown craft foam and lay the fur on top, with the fur facing out. This will make the marsupial's pouch. Glue a large pom-pom to the top of the fur strip for the animal's head. Add medium pom-poms for ears and a nose. Glue on circles of black craft foam for eyes. Make a baby using a medium pom-pom for the head and small pom-poms for the ears and nose. Glue black craft foam feet to another medium pom-pom to make the baby's body, then glue the body and head together. Tuck the baby inside the pouch.
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- Photo Credit australia image by persefone from Fotolia.com paint pots image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com adhésif image by Unclesam from Fotolia.com wooden spoon image by jovica antoski from Fotolia.com Artificial grey fur image by amlet from Fotolia.com
