Crafty Owls

We’re big owl fans so when I saw the cardboard toilet tube owls over at Frugal Family Fun Blog, I knew I wanted to make them with my little ones!

We made some (very minor) modifications to the process and, of course, you will find some educational suggestions at the end of the post!

Materials:

• cardboard tube (cut to different heights if making a family)
• paint
• fun, patterned paper
• googly eyes
• glue (we like Elmer’s Glue-All)

Directions:

1. Fold in the top of the tube to form the owl’s “ears”.

2. Paint! My daughter chose fuchsia.  My son wanted blue and green.  I wanted to limit the color choice so we didn’t just end up with “toddler brown” but I think the blue/green mixture turned out quite cute.

3. Trace and cut-out a circle for the face and two wings. Also cut out a small triangle in a contrasting color for the beak.

4. Glue the googly eyes and beak on the face.

5. Glue the face and wings onto the owls.

Enjoy playing with your owls!

Educational Connections

• Ecology: Can you hoot like an owl? Look up different owl calls and try and imitate them. Some people think owls sound eerie.  What other animals make spooky noises?
• Ecology: Owls are nocturnal, which is perhaps another reason they are associated with Halloween.  What other nocturnal animals do you know? Are any of them also associated with Halloween?
• Science: Most species of owls have round facial disks, while others have heart-shaped disks. Why is the owl’s facial disk important? The feather tufts on an owl are not actually his ears! Where are an owl’s ears and why are they positioned in that way?
• Ecology: Find out which species of owls are endangered and why. Which owl species live near you? See if you can go on an owl walk with a naturalist at a nearby nature or Audubon center.
• History/Culture: What associations do people have with owls? What famous characters in literature or mythology had owl companions? (Athena, Harry Potter, etc.) What well-known sayings involve owls? (Night owl, wise as an owl, etc.)