Perched Parrot Decorative Chair

Explore the rainforest! Wildlife knowledge takes center stage when students construct this animal- and plant-decorated chair.

• 1.

  Study the world's rainforests. What animals and plants live there? What is their habitat like? Why are rainforests important for the Earth's ecology? Choose one animal to study in detail, such as a bird, reptile, or insect. Here's how to make a decorative chair that shows what you have learned about the rainforest.

• 2.

  To make the seat, cut cardboard into a large square with Crayola® Scissors. If you are using wrapping-paper rolls, cut them in half or thirds for chair legs. Stand four cardboard tubes (all the same length) on the corners of the cardboard. Attach them with Crayola School Glue. Dry.

• 3.

  Turn the chair over so it stands on its legs. Glue two more cardboard tubes near corners of the seat to form the chair back. Dry.

• 4.

  Cut smaller pieces of cardboard for slats on the back of the chair. Glue these cross pieces from one tube to the other. Dry.

• 5.

  Wrap masking tape around the bottoms of the chair legs to add stability. For a parrot, for example, these could be the claws!

• 6.

  Cut out other cardboard parts for your chair, such as a head, ears, a tail, or webbed feet, depending on your animal. Glue them on. Dry.

• 7.

  Cover your art area with newspaper. Use Crayola Tempera and Paint Brushes to paint your chair. Dry.

• 8.

  Add finishing touches to your chair such as spots or whiskers, vines or flowers, with a second coat of paint. Dry.

• 9.

  Glue on craft feathers or other decorations if you wish. Dry.

• 10.

  Display your doll chair with stuffed animals, paper mache creatures, or puppets---anything that is light weight.

Benefits

• Children learn about rainforests and why they are important to the Earth's environment.
• Children study the habitats and characteristics of various animals that live in rainforests.
• Students build a decorative chair using a rainforest theme.

Adaptations

• Research how the loss of trees, insects, flora, and fauna of rainforests is affecting the entire global community.
• Create chairs that show wildlife from other habitats such as the ocean, desert, or farm animals.
• Design decorative chairs as book reports or create them to address other curriculum themes. Imagine the possibilities!