Paper plate Ringtail possum

Make an adorable paper plate possum using our latest printable template. This easy craft for kids is based on the Ringtail possum which is common all over Eastern Australia.

Get the template here.

Nobody can deny the ultra-cute factor of Australian Ringtail possums. They are, however, one of the rare species of animals which has not just survived but thrived in suburban backyards as well as in their natural habitat of the Australian bushland.

It’s common for people to have possums living inside their roof and they have been known to greedily gobble up the vegetables and fruit growing in suburban gardens.

Scarcely a night goes past when we don’t hear possums crashing down onto our tin roof and thundering across it noisily – usually at around 3am! In the morning we often wake find the trampoline littered with half eaten mandarines along with scraps scattered across the lawn. We don’t even own a mandarine tree, the cheeky critters pick them from next door and then decide to eat them at our place.

We still love them though!

Here are a few interesting possum facts to get us started…

Fun Ringtailed possum facts for kids

• Whilst Ringtail possums are a protected native species in Australia, they are an introduced species in New Zealand and have become an enormous pest. With no natural predators over there, they’ve had a devastating impact on the environment. A popular Kiwi saying is “The only good possum’s a dead possum!”, and indeed, possum fur gloves and sweaters (mixed with merino wool) are a thing over there.
• Female possums are called “jills”, male possums are called “jacks” and baby possums are called “joeys”
• Joeys spend the first four months of their lives in their mother’s pouch. By the time they are 6 months old they live outside the pouch, often clinging to their mother’s or father’s back
• The Ringtail possum is the only species of possum where the male helps to care for the young
• Possums are nocturnal, meaning they sleep all day and play all night 
• During the day they sleep in a spherical nest called a “drey”, which is built from grass and shredded bark. Usually their drey is in the hollow of a tree or the fork of a tree and they share it with other family members
• Possums love to eat gum leaves but are not actually vegetarians. They are also known to eat fruit, nectar, insects and birds eggs
• Ring tailed possums have even been known to eat their own poo – yuck! The theory is that by twice digesting their food they manage to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from it

 

How to make a Paper Plate Ring Tailed Possum

You will need:

• Coloured construction paper (card stock recommended) in grey, pink and white
• Paper plates in side plate size (18cm/7.25”)
• Acrylic paint in grey and white
• Paint brush
• Cotton ball
• Glue stick
• This printable template, available in both our Printables store and our TPT store

How to:

Print your template out following the instructions on the download. Then gather together one sheet of body parts, one ears and nose, and one eye.

Cut out the shapes

Cut your paper plate in half and paint it grey. Use a cotton ball to dab white along the bottom edge. Allow to dry.

To make an upright standing possum stick the feet, tail and head into the positions shown in this picture. Glue on the eye, ears and nose.

To make a hanging possum, round one corner edge of the paper plate with your scissors first, then glue the head, tail and feet on in the positions shown.

Glue on the eyes and nose.

Your possum is complete.

Watch out—she’s after your tasty, ripe tomatoes!

 

More Australian Animal crafts

• Make a paper plate cassowary from tropical north Queensland
• These paper chain pythons are based on two real snake species
• Create a frill necked lizard from a paper roll
• This paper frog craft is based on the common Green Tree frog species
• Make a mother and baby koala card