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You are invited to download the Platypus pack – learning printables for preschool and kindergarten children. Use this resource with clear true-to-life images and photographs to create hands-on science activities for your students. Children will learn stages of the platypus life cycle, and parts of a platypus, practice sequencing skills, and work to improve their concentration and fine motor skills. This resource will come in handy when exploring the Australia/Oceania unit and learning about vertebrates and mammals.

This resource contains a ‘Platypus life cycle’ poster, worksheet, 3-part cards, and Parts of a Platypus printables. This printable will be a great addition to your shelf activities if you are planning to talk about Australia and have students who are fascinated with mammals and animals that are different from all the other creatures in their class.
The platypus is a duck-billed animal native to Australia. It is a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal. A couple of fascinating facts – platypuses, just like echidnas, don’t have stomachs. And their bills are incredibly sensitive and can detect electric fields of living things. So platypuses can hunt solely relying on their beaks.

Here is what’s included
- Platypus life cycle poster
- Platypus life cycle 3 part cards
- Platypus life cycle information cards
- Platypus life cycle coloring, cutting, and pasting worksheet
- Platypus life cycle tracing strips
- Parts of a Platypus diagram
- Parts of a Platypus booklet (independent writing)
- Parts of a Platypus student activity page
- Parts of a Platypus labels
- Parts of a Platypus tracing & independent writing
- P is for Platypus worksheet
Age: Preschool ages 3 – 6 years
Subjects and uses in the classroom: Mammals study, Animals of Australia, Nature Table, Science Centers, Fine motor, Prewriting.
How to Use:
Parts of a Platypus – Gather books on Australian animals for children to explore. Print posters and label cards on cardstock and laminate. Cut individual label cards.
Attach clear velcro to the poster without labels and label cards. Velco will come in especially handy if you decide to take your work outdoors. Having an additional challenge for little fingers is always welcomed when working with young children!
Present the poster – name all parts and invite the students to share their thoughts on the various functions of each part. Then read each label and invite the student to match it to the corresponding part of the platypus’ body.
Life Cycle poster – print on cardstock and laminate. Present all stages of the life cycle. Invite the children to retell them or tell their own story that features all the stages.
3-part cards – Print on cardstock and laminate if you wish to preserve colors and card quality for future use. Place picture cards in a column and invite the children to match the picture to the picture and the word to the word.
Life cycle line art – supply scissors, glue, and coloring pencils. Invite the student to color and cut cards and glue them into the correct sequence.
Tracing and coloring worksheets – print on cardstock and laminate. Supply an erasable pen. Invite the child to trace the words and color corresponding images. Alternatively, print pages on regular printing paper and slide them into plastic pockets.

Children’s BOoks AND PRINTABLES about animals in Australia

Exploring Animals of Australia - Children's Books
Shark Life Cycle and Parts of the Great White Shark Characteristics
Ocean Animals Vocabulary 3 Part Cards
Sea Turtle Life Cycle and Parts of a Sea Turtle
Animals Of The Continents Bingo
Australia / Oceania Resource Pack
Australia / Oceania Preschool Hands-on Activities
45 Animals of Australia and Oceania - Nomenclature and Information Cards

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