This craft is absolutely adorable and very fun to make! Rather than just an average paper plate craft there is the extra component of cutting the fringe around the paper plate to represent the spikes; it is also quite simple for a paper plate craft because the template pieces are straight forward and relatively easy for kids to cut out on their own. I found this craft extra interesting because of how cool echidnas are!

Echidnas are mammals that are mainly found in Australia and New Guinea. Pretty straight forward, except…. They lay eggs! They are one of the two egg laying mammals in the world along with platypus’. Both of these animals are classified as monotremes since they lay eggs but are still mammals. The puggles (baby echidnas) hatch after an average of 10 days and then are carried in a pouch that the mother develops for 2 or 3 months.

The photo was taken at the Australia Zoo by Andy Mitchell (source: wiki commons)

Echidnas have long noses and spikes, so they look like a cross between a porcupine and an anteater. What makes them seem even more similar to anteaters is their diet, which is made up of mainly ants and termites. The large claws that they have on their front and back feet enable to dig quite efficiently; I sure wouldn’t want an animal like that digging around my garden! Their ability to dig provides them with a number of advantages because they can find food easier and burrow themselves underground for defensive measures. All in all echidnas are really awesome, just like this craft!

Paper Plate Echidna on DLTK’s Crafts for Kids