Get crafty with the DUCK Lab! Each Friday, trained research assistants from the UNCG Psychology Department’s DUCK Lab will guide at-home crafts for children ages 3 to 12. Parents can join too to learn fun facts about crafts that foster age-appropriate skills or learn about the DUCK Lab’s nonprofit child development research projects. We will also be at LeBauer Park on Saturday with some to-go craft bags to make crafts at home!
This Friday, the DUCK Lab and the Greensboro Science Center invite all preschool- and elementary-age friends to join Kelsey and make a lemur craft! Follow along as Kelsey takes you through each step and chats about ring-tailed lemurs, including what we can do to keep them safe. Make sure to visit the Greensboro Science Center to see their ring-tailed lemurs or scroll below to see them on video!
Parents, did you know?
This craft offers an opportunity to chat with children about the importance of conservation, especially the protection of endangered species. Read on below for more info. about the connection between these types of activities and age-appropriate developmental milestones.
We also invite you to check out our child development research opportunities, which are now modified for the virtual world! Please click here to learn more or sign up to participate with us.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
Supplies:
Two pipe cleaners (one black, one white)
3 sheets of construction paper (gray, black, white)
Scissors
Glue (liquid, stick, or dots)
Googly eyes or buttons
Black marker, pen, or pencil
Directions:
Draw a large circle on gray construction paper for the lemur’s body. Then, add a bent leg to the bottom of the circle. Cut out the body.
Draw a medium circle on white construction paper for the lemur’s head. Then, cut out the circle. You can also include ears on the circle or you can cut ears out separately.
Next, cut out details for the lemur’s face. First, cut out two small black circles for the lemur’s eyes, along with a small triangle or circle for the lemur’s nose. Then, cut out a half circle from gray construction paper for the top of the lemur’s head (between the ears).
Glue all of the face details to the lemur’s head (circle cut out during Step 2). Then, glue the head to the body.
Twist the black and white pipe cleaners together to form the lemur’s tail. Glue this to the lemur’s body. Then, glue some googly eyes to the black circles on the lemur’s head.
The DUCK Lab: Lemur Craft
Relation to Developmental Science:
Families are welcome to stop by the Greensboro Science Center to visit their ring-tailed lemurs: Rita, Royce, Reese, Rocky, Rambo, and Rosco! Lemurs are native to Madagascar. They usually live in forests and open areas with arid climates. Importantly, lemurs are currently endangered due to a variety of reasons, including slash-and-burn farming, the illegal animal trade, hunting, and trapping. Parents can use this craft to talk to children about the importance of conservation, including what kinds of steps people can follow to help keep lemurs and other endangered species safe and protected. For example, parents can explain how slash-and-burn farming destroys the vegetation in an area and new crops are planted in the ashes, although usually the land remains fertile for only a limited time. Parents can also talk about how these practices damage animal habitats. Families can take simple actions to help lemurs and other endangered species, such as spreading awareness through word of mouth and supporting organizations dedicated to conservation, including the Greensboro Science Center. To learn more about ring-tailed lemurs or the Greensboro Science Center’s conservation efforts, please visit https://www.greensboroscience.org/.
*Great for kids of all ages!
The DUCK Lab is a partner in the nonprofit Child Development Research Center in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They conduct studies of social and cognitive development with 2- to 12- year-olds. Families who participate in their research studies are volunteers in the Greensboro community who generously offer their time to help support research and training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Comments