St. Alphonsus ECS

Animal Paper Mache Activity

Once we began learning about animals at the zoo, the students all seemed to want to have one of their own. We decided to create our own "zoo-pets" using paper mache.

The students first had to decide which animal they wanted to create. We then brainstormed what characteristics that animal needed- 4 legs, tail, ears, facial features etc... and used this information to create the basic form. Each student created their own form using such materials as plastic bags, paper towel tubes, railroad board, paper cups, etc... Our next step involved two layers of newsprint paper mached to the form. After these had dried, we added a third layer of plain paper to cover the newsprint. Finally, the students were able to paint and add the finishing touches to their creations.

What was amazing was how individualized the animals looked, even when students used forms that were very similar.