The Materials:

• Styrofoam Plate
• Acrylic Paints or Homemade Paints
• Paint Brushes
• Glue
• Plastic  Animals

The Process:

Begin by painting the background. Pour the paint directly onto the plate and then paint it over the entire plate. Let the child choose the animals that she would like. Have her apply a large amount of glue to secure them to the plate. Next, she can place the animals on the plate as she would like.

Extensions:

This activity is a wonderful addition to lessons about animals or an extension to a non-fiction book. The example project is a sea life project; however, this painting project can easily be adapted to many different lessons by simply varying the colors of the paint and the types of materials to be glued onto the plate.

It would also be an effect lesson if the children were provided with a variety of types of animals (or other materials) and then allowed to choose whether to make a land or water scene and the specific animals or plant life that would belong in that habitat. In addition, it could be used to represent  animals who live in different climates such as a snowy background for polar bear or a desert effect with sand sprinkled on top for desert animals.