• Leader Resource 1, Animals for Shake-and-Make
• Three bowls
• Modeling clay in red, yellow, blue, and green
• Waxed paper

• Print out Leader Resource 1. Cut out each animal. You will need one animal per participant. If you do not have enough for all participants, print another copy of the leader resource.
• Cut each animal picture into three parts: head, body (including tail), and limbs/wings. Place the heads in one bowl, the bodies in another bowl, and the limbs/wings in the third bowl.
• Tear off sheets of waxed paper so each child will have one for molding a clay animal.
• Set bowls, clay, and waxed paper on work tables where all children can reach them.

Participants each create and name an imaginary animal. They imagine its habitat and consider what it needs to live.

Gather participants at work tables. Tell them each bowl contains a part of a real animal. One has heads, one has bodies, and the other has legs or wings. Invite the children to choose one picture from each bowl and arrange their three pictures to make an imaginary animal that does not really exist on earth.

Then, invite them to build the animal using clay and choose a name for the kind of animal they have made. Ask them to think about what their animal eats and what kind of habitat it lives in. Explain, as needed, that a habitat is the environment where a living creature is at home and has everything it needs to survive.

When everyone has finished, gather participants to share. Ask each child their animal's name. Have them describe its size, color(s), habitat (where it lives), diet, and any other needs or habits.

After everyone who wants to has shared, ask:

• Was it hard to create a new animal?
• Could your animal really exist? Why or why not?
• If this animal existed, would people like it or be afraid of it?
• Would people want your animal for a pet? Why or why not? Should it stay in its wild habitat, instead of being a pet?

Some participants may need help shaping their animal with clay. Others may welcome help thinking of names for the animal. During the sharing time, help participants describe their animal if needed.