An idea from Auntie Gill gill@gillmcgregor.com

Auntie Gill Says

“Let’s look at……… Seahorses”

Seahorses are tiny fish with a head shaped like a

horse.

There are 36 different species of seahorse.

Their bodies are covered with spiny plates all the way down to their curled tail,

which they use to hold onto objects.

Seahorses swim upright amongst sea weed and sea and ocean plants.

Why don’t you see if you can find some pictures of 2 different sea

horses and draw them? Try to find seahorses which have different

coloured spiny plates, and use coloured pencils to show how

different they look.

There are 2 different seahorses found in seas around the UK, the Spiny Seahorse

and the Short Snouted Seahorse.

Find the answers to these questions.

1. How long is the Spiny seahorse?

2. What is the Spiny seahorse’s other common name?

3. What colour is the Spiny seahorse?

4. The Short Snouted seahorse can only live in waters how deep?

5. Where does the female seahorse put the eggs she has laid?

Let’s make a picture of seahorses.

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

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

for you. Open it up and with the head at the top with the fold

facing you, bend the fold of the body and tail inwards and as you

do this the head will start to move downwards. Continue to push

the head downwards and crease to keep the head in position.

Draw 2 eyes and colour the seahorse shape. You can try and copy

the spiny plates of a seahorse you have seen in a picture you

have found or make a pretty pattern.

To finish, make a background to show where the seahorses live.

As well as coloured pencils and pens you can use pieces of

coloured paper from old magazines or used tin labels to add

shiny, textured sea weed shapes. Stick the seahorses on to the

picture.

Write a poem about a seahorse and read it to someone special.