An idea from Auntie Gill gill@gillmcgregor.com

Auntie Gill Says

“Let’s look at………….Parrots”

Parrots are found in numerous warm climates

around the world. Many can be found in

Australasia, Central America, and South America.

Over 350 birds including Macaws, Amazons, lorikeets, lovebirds, cockatoos are

all considered parrots or psittacines, relating to, or resembling a parrot.

Many parrots are brightly coloured, all have curved beaks and all Parrots

are zygodactyls, meaning they have four toes on each foot, two pointing

forward and two projecting backward.

The Parrots’ life span in the wild is up to 80 years. They vary in size from 9cms

to 100cms and can weigh as little as 2.25 ounces or weigh up to 3.5 pounds.

Why don’t you see if you can find some pictures of psittacines and

draw and label them?

Let’s make a scene of a parrot sitting on a palm tree.

For each parrot, fold a piece of A4 paper in half lengthwise and draw

around the template. A grown up may have to cut out the shape for

you. Once cut you can see it looks like a parrot with a blunt beak.

Cut out 2 beak shapes.

Hold the cut shape with the head at the top and manipulate the head

to move downwards. Continue to push the head downwards and you

will see the top of the head will form a triangular shape. Look to see

how the parrot shape forms, do not secure into position at this

stage. Now flatten the shape. Draw the eyes and colour or paint to

represent a parrot. Colour the 2 beak shapes black on both sides.

Once coloured manipulate the head to form the triangle at the top

and glue the head to the body either side. Glue the beaks to the head

either side and then glue the beaks together.

Stick the tummy flaps together to make a 3d parrot shape.

An idea from Auntie Gill gill@gillmcgregor.com

Palm tree scene.

The base of the scene is a piece of stiff cardboard cut into an “island” shape. An empty

kitchen roll was cut upwards equidistant apart from the bottom 6 times to a depth of

2cms to create flaps leading away from the roll to allow the “trunk” of the tree to be

securely taped to the island base.

2 Empty toilet rolls were used to give the tree more height. In turn each roll was cut into

the base, at opposite sides for 2cms, and slotted into the roll underneath.

The base and the trunk were then painted brown.

One piece of green A4 soft cardboard was folded into 4 and the shape of a palm frond

drawn and cut out to make palm fronds. Each palm frond had a small cut made into the

side of the frond near the base so it could be slotted into the top of the trunk.

The grass was made with strips of screwed up green serviette, which were stuck on with

glue. The reeds were made from the leftover A4 green cardboard. Reed shapes were cut

out allowing for an additional piece of card to be bent at the bottom at a 45 degree to

make a flap at the bottom to allow the reeds to be stuck on the island.

A small box was covered with brown paper and “jewels” of foil sweet wrappers and

bead strands were added for effect.

The wing of the parrot was then slotted into the trunk of the tree.