Hi friends,

We’re sharing our African Spurred Tortoise, which features a dark shell and light-colored rings.

Tan and brown tortoise made with construction paper, paint, and round containers.

Today’s craft was inspired by a local legend, well, a legend in my neighborhood. : ) Mr. Grumpy was the sought-out neighborhood hard-shelled resident. Check it out below, and a photo of Mr. Grumpy.

*Click on photos for a closer look

What You'll Need

Construction Paper: (1)Dark Brown, (1)Tan
Disposable Bowl & Cup
Medicine Cup
Scissors
Pencil
Marker
Glue
Light Brown/Cinnamon Paint

The Steps

PREP for two turtles

Turn your dark brown paper horizontally, fold it in half, draw a wide dome, and cut it out. Set aside the two pieces and the scraps.
Carefully cut the bottom of the disposable cup.
Add the paint to the bowl.

SHELL RINGS

Dip the cut side of the cup into the paint and press firmly on the shell.
Follow with the bottom of the medicine cup, pressing firmly into the paint, and then in the center of the first ring.
Repeat the process for both shells and slide the scraps under the outer edges to get the half rings onto the shells.
Let them dry for about 10 -15 minutes.

BODY

Turn your tan paper horizontally, fold it in half, and draw: a head, two curved legs/feet, a long narrow oval piece the width of the paper/shell, and a female tail (domed) or male tail(pointy).
Cut out the pieces and glue them to the shell.
With the marker, draw an eye and mouth.

That’s it!

Storytime:

Our neighbors used to have a large tortoise in their front yard, delighting all who passed by. Mr. Grumpy had been their children’s pet. As they grew up and moved out, our neighbors continued to care for their growing pet, enclosing the front yard and creating a small pond on the front lawn. We felt so lucky to have cool neighbors like them and visit with their hard-shelled baby when he wasn’t in his huge insulated doghouse. He was the highlight of the neighborhood.

A few years ago, Mr. Grumpy was rehomed to a nearby tortoise sanctuary, where he spends his days content with tortoise friends. And although a fence no longer divides our yards, we still get to see the pond that was built for him, and his house- happily inherited for our dog, who resides in it during the winter :))