Climbing Koala

Fuzzy koalas look adorable, so their true characters may surprise you. With your kids, find out more about this appealing and unique animal from Australia.

1. Koalas are so cute, but their cuddly nature is a myth. You may snuggle with a stuffed koala, but in real life these furry gray animals prefer to be left alone. And people might call them koala bears, but they aren't bears either. Koalas only live in the eucalyptus forests on the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. They are arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees. Koalas are also nocturnal--they are active at night.

2. Study photographs to see how koalas look. Notice they have unusual front and back paws to help them climb trees. Also they have sharp teeth and claws. Another characteristic of koalas, which makes them a relative to kangaroos, is that mothers carry their babies in an upside-down pocket on their bellies.

3. To make a print of a Climbing Koala, trim the edges from a recycled foam produce tray with Crayola® Scissors. On the tray, which will be your printing plate, use Crayola Colored Pencils to draw koalas in their natural habitat. The image you print will be the reverse of your drawing. Make sure the lines go deep into the tray.

4. Cover your work area with newspaper. With Crayola Washable Kid's Paint and Paint Brushes, cover the printing plate. Place the wet printing plate face up on newspaper. Press white paper onto your design. Rub gently and evenly. Carefully separate the paper and printing plate. Make several prints. Add more paint as needed and wash the plate each time you change colors. Dry.

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project.

Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.

Recycled Foam Produce Trays—Wash in hot, soapy water. No meat or poultry trays should be used.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

Spider Treat Bag

Big-as-Life Peacock

Spin-a-Web Treat Bags

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Paint Brushes
• Colored Pencils
• Washable Kid's Paint
• Blunt-Tip Scissors
• Construction Paper

household supplies

• recycled newspaper
• paper towels
• recycled foam produce trays
• container(s) of water

"Australia was captivating! Koalas are familiar creatures, but few scouts knew the real story. We sang 'Kookaburra' anyway."
Melvin G., scout leader.

"My kids were absorbed with our search for information and making koala prints. 'They had fun repeating the word marsupial'. "
Lourdes J., mom of 6- and 8-year-olds.

A koala eats an average of 20 lbs (9 kg) of eucalyptus leaves a day. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to most animals, but koalas have a special stomach that processes eucalyptus safely. Koalas get almost all the water they need from eating eucalyptus leaves. Koala means "no drink" in the Aboriginal language.