Merry Animal Masks

Form Model Magic® into decorative animal masks. Create a cast of merry characters based on any story, science unit, or social studies topic!

• 1.

  Read a story or find information about animals and their habitats in the world. Sketch your favorite creature’s face with Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils. Make it authentic or fanciful! Include details to include on your animal mask. Just erase if you change your mind.

• 2.

  Crumple newspaper into the basic shape of your mask to use as an armature. Cover it with masking tape to hold the shape in place. Place plastic wrap over this armature so that the Model Magic® will not stick to the paper.

• 3.

  Cover the armature with white Model Magic. Create openings for eyes, nose, and mouth. Add raised areas such as eyebrows or lips. Model Magic fresh from the pack sticks to itself. Poke holes on the sides or top of the mask so you can hang it when you are finished. Gently remove the armature. Air-dry the mask for at least 24 hours.

• 4.

  Cover your art area with newspaper. Paint the mask with Crayola Washable Tempera. Use either realistic or imaginary colors. Air-dry the paint.

• 5.

  To create interesting surface effects, cover the mask with one or more Crayola Tempera Mixing Mediums: Texture It!, Pearl It!, and/or Glitter It! Air-dry the mixing medium.

• 6.

  Thread yarn through the hanging holes for display.

Benefits

• Children study animals in literature, science, or social studies.
• Children design an animal mask based on the information they collect.
• Children create a 3-D animal mask and embellish it with details.

Adaptations

• Read or write an animal story or poem. Create masks to depict the major characters.
• Make a caricature of a famous historic or contemporary person. Exaggerate the features. Arrange the masks in a timeline of birth dates. Ask other students to identify the people represented.
• Use these techniques to create authentic masks based on cultures, time periods, or holiday celebrations.