Create A Creature
There are millions of animal species in the world and scientists are still discovering new ones. The characteristics of an animal reflect the habitat they live in. In this activity, you will create a new species of animal, describing its habitat, and the characteristic that make it unique.
What would you name this creature?
Activity Type
Hands on learning
Age
5 to 10 years old
What You Need
Create a Creature worksheet (download here)
Tools: scissors, markers, glue, tape
Craft supplies; pipe cleaners, straws, paper, googly eyes, pom pom balls, string, buttons, string, fabric and recycled cups, containers, and cardboard.
What You Do
1 - Think about an animal that you know. All animals have unique traits and characteristics that allow them to survive in their habitat.
What are the important features of its habitat? All living things need certain things to survive; food, air, water, and shelter.
When something changes in an animal’s habitat that an animal and they are not able to get the things they need to survive, they will need to make changes. Over time, some animals develop adaptations or changes that will help it to survive. This new helpful trait is passed on to the next generation.
2 - Using the Create a Creature worksheet, create a new, still undiscovered animal!
What is your creature’s name?
What kind of animal is it? Invertebrate, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, or mammal?
Where does your creature live? Does it live in water? On land? What makes this habitat a challenging place to survive in?
What kind of animal might try to eat your creature?
Who are its predators?
What does your creature eat? What is its prey? Does it eat plants only? Does it eat both meat and plants?
Does your creature have any special skills or abilities (adaptations) that help it survive in this habitat?
3 - Build your creature.
Using the craft supplies, make your creature into a 3D model. Using recycled materials is a great way to make the body.
4 - Describe it to someone else. Make sure to tell them about all the things that make it a new species and why it has the adaptations it does to survive.
Taking It Further
What adaptations would be needed for your creature if its food source ran out? Or if the habitat changed?
Think of your favorite animal. What makes it unique? What habitat does it thrive in and what habitat would it not survive well in?
Turn this activity into a game. Create cards that would describe an animal's habitat, special features, and characteristics. Build an animal by selecting a card from each category. What would an animal look like that has wings, lives in water, and eats plants look like?