Vacation Creations: Hedgehogs!
Have you ever seen a hedgehog? Their unusual name comes from the way they hunt for their food, poking their noses and mouths beneath hedges for insects, mice, frogs, and even snakes! They make a grunting noise that sounds like a pig while they root – and that is why they are “hedge” “hogs.”
What is unique about hedgehogs is their spiny coat. If a hedgehog is afraid of becoming breakfast for a larger animal, it curls up so that it looks like a spiky ball. The other animals won’t touch it!
Make a hedgehog with a spiny coat using a paper plate or circle!
What you need:
• 9-inch paper plate, plain (not too stiff)
• Can or cup to trace, about 3 inches in diameter
• Crayons or markers
• Scissors
• Glue stick
What you do:
• Fold the paper plate in half. Tip: If you don’t have a paper plate, draw or trace a 9-inch circle, cut it out, and use that.
• Place the cup or can on the curved side of the folded paper plate, about ½-inch from the fold, so that half of it is on the paper plate and half of it is off. Trace the part that is on the plate.
• Cut along the traced line – what’s left on the plate becomes the hedgehog’s face.
• Color the body with crayons or markers. You can color both sides.
• Use the scissors to cut a fringe along the curved side.
• Apply glue to the inside of the paper plate – but not the fringe! – and press together to stick.
Tip: Turn your markers into watercolor paints by scribbling pools of color on a smooth plastic surface, then dip a wet paintbrush into the color and apply it to your hedgehog.
Tip: Make your hedgehog realistic by using the colors in photos. Make it fanciful by using wild colors like fluorescent orange or watermelon green!
