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Mom School: Quick Snowy Owl lesson and artwork
About the Snowy Owl
Stats:
- Average lifespan: 10 years, in the wild.
- Measurements: about 20-28 inches with a wingspan of about 4 1/2 feet.
- Weight: about 4-6 pounds
- Diet: Carnivore. Mostly small rodents, rabbits, birds, and fish.
A few facts:
- Live mainly in the Arctic in open treeless areas (known as Tundra). They perch on the ground or on short stumps while watching for prey.
- Snowy Owls mostly fly low to the ground and snatch up their prey with their sharp talons.
- They are mostly active at dawn and dusk.
- The Snowy Owl has excellent eyesight and hearing to help them hunt their prey in the snow.
- When Snowy Owl babies are born, they are covered in soft white down. As feathers replace the down, the babies change to a light brown color. (Down is a feather without a noticeable quill so it appears softer and fluffier). The babies will first leave the nest less than a month after they hatch. The young Snowy Owl knows how to fly when it reaches about a month and a half old. The Snowy Owl parents care for the young owls until they reach about 3-4 months old.
Snowy Owl Artwork Project
You will need...
- Yellow paper
- Black paper
- White paint
- Black paint
- Cotton balls
- Plastic forks
- Small paint brush
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Glue
Step One
First, take the cotton ball and fluff it up a little. Then dip it into the white paint and create the body base. Note that this base is not the final size of the owl. We will add "feathers" afterwards to make the owl bigger. Use a blotting motion to create texture with the paint. Advise the kids to refrain from using too much paint as it will prolong the drying time and warp the paper.
Step Two
Next, use the fork to create the feathers for the owl. Dip the tips of the tines into the white paint, then blot the paint onto the paper. This creates the feather texture when the tines scrape at the paint. Teach the kids that if they hold the fork in the same direction each time, they will create a more realistic layering of feathers. If they want the feathers to point in a different direction, turn the fork accordingly.
Step Three
Then, take the pencil and draw the outline of the eyes onto the yellow paper. Cut them out with the scissors. After that, use the black paint to paint the pupils of the eyes. Let the black paint dry to the touch.
Step Four
After the paint has dried to the touch, carefully glue the eyes onto the owl. Then use the paint brush to paint on the black paint to resemble the beak.
Step Five
Finally, swirl the black and white paints together to create a marbleized grey color. Try not to mix the colors together completely - the marble effect is desired. Then take a fluffed-up cotton ball and dab it carefully into the paint. Then blot that paint onto the black paper just beneath the owl. This will create a rock or stump for the owl to perch on.
And that’s it! Your kids will learn a little about the Snowy Owl and have a nice piece of artwork that they created themselves.