This month’s theme from Koala Crate was reptiles, and it was by far our favorite crate in a long time! The projects and games were quite varied, and helped to inspire creative play and learning.

As always, you can replicate many of the crafts below with items from a craft store. the exception being the color-changing chameleon… see details below.

First, we made our stuffed snake. The craftiest item in the crate, this involved stuffing fluffy roving into a felt snake. Your child will definitely need help – even I had trouble stuffing the very center of the snake! – but Travis loved the fluffy filling, and was a big helper pushing it as far as we could with a pencil.

As you decorate the snake with the provided hexagon stickers, you can discuss how all reptiles have scales, or talk about shapes and patterns. Travis sort of lost interest though, and preferred to pretend the stickers were band-aids on his fingers. #toddler

But then came the real fun: the snake comes with slits to insert a party blower “tongue.” Travis was so proud that he could use the party blower all by himself.

We used the blower for the next crate activity as well: a chameleon and three “bugs” for him to catch with his long tongue. Take turns with your child and see who can knock down all three bugs first. Sure to produce giggles!

Even cooler, the chameleon changed colors when exposed to heat. Travis was at first astonished and then delighted at the effect when he held the green animal in his hands.

Finally, we assembled our turtle box, adhering a felt turtle body to a cardboard base, and covering with the lid with more hexagon stickers. Attach Velcro points to the turtle’s limbs and head, and he can fold under to “hide” just like turtles do in their shells!

A really cute way to introduce this element of the animal. Travis loved hiding treasures inside the turtle’s shell.

We continued the reptile play with charades: chomping like a crocodile, slithering like a snake, and “hiding” like a chameleon, to name a few. Travis’s favorite was the slithering!

To make one more fun snake, I had Travis practice threading, adding large beads to a pipe cleaner (bent slightly at the end to keep the beads on). It was by far his best threading yet.

Once the pipe cleaner is full, bend up the other tip and add stickers for eyes, then slither your snake all over the house!

Overall, great fun, a nice dose of science, and adorable crafts that we’ll be able to use again and again. Thanks Koala Crate!