Creating your own weird wildlife with this collaborative ‘Creature consequences’ lesson.

The platypus looks like a fantastical creature, with the bill of a duck, the webbed feet of an otter and fur rather than feathers – he could easily have been made up by a group of children! Why not challenge children to create their own fantastical creatures in art? Nature offers plenty of inspiration and there are lots of unusual creatures that will fire children’s imaginations. Children may have encountered some on visits to wildlife parks – giraffes and tapirs for instance – but if you search for photographs online you will come across some more unusual examples of weird-looking wildlife. As a starting point, try looking for images of the following species: axolotl, star-nosed mole, sea pig, pink fairy armadillo. Or you could limit your search to Australia – the platypus is not the only strange-looking species native to the country.