Let’s find out why tigers have stripes and create our own camouflage tiger art.
Tiger camouflage lesson and activities for children
Let’s learn about camouflage as we consider why a tiger has stripes – plus try our tiger camouflage art projects.
This lesson is part of our Cats Unit Study, one of our ready-made thematic units.
In this article, you can:
:: learn why a tiger has stripes
:: learn about camouflage
:: see other animals that use camouflage
:: try one of four camouflage art projects: face painting, puppet making, clay cats and mask making
:: find links to more ready-made lessons about bigs cats
Why do tigers have stripes?
Tigers have very special markings on their fur. What do they look like? Take a look at the photographs on this page and think about how you would desribe how they look.
They are orange-brown in colour. They have white fur on their lower body and legs. They have stripes and marks of darker brown fur all across their body, head, legs and tail. These stripes are vertical, going from the sky to the floor.
Why do you think they are these colours? And why do tigers have stripes?
What is camouflage? definition for children
Camouflage is when animals blend in with the place they live, so they can hide themselves from other animals.
They might want to hide to be safe, so other animals can’t easily hunt them.
They might want to hide themselves so they can go hunting and creep up on other animals without being seen.
How does camouflage work?
Animals can camouflage themselves in different ways. They can match their colour, shape, and markings on their skin or fur to blend in the place they live.
Take a look at the photo above. Do you see how the tiger is the same colour as the plants and fallen leaves in the forest? Notice how the tiger’s dark brown stripes look like shadows and the branches of plants and grasses.
Here’s another photograph of a tiger camouflaged in long grass.
Do all big cats use camouflage?
All big cats are carnivores. They eat meat and need to hunt other animals. They want to both stay safe and be able to creep up on their prey.
They use camouflage to help them do this.
The colour and patterns on their fur help them to hide. Lions are sandy coloured like the savanna where they live. Leopard and cheetahs have dots and round markings to help them not be seen.
What other animals use camouflage?
Lots of other animals use camouflage too. Can you think of any that do?
Look at the photograph above. Can you spot three ibex hiding in the rocks? The colour of their fur helps them blend in.
Look at the photograph below. Can you spot the grasshopper? Its colour and shape helps it look just like another leaf on the plant.
Tiger crafts exploring camouflage
Explore camouflage by making your own tiger:
:: paint your face like a tiger
Ready-made Cat Unit lesson plans
Save time and teach better by using our ready-made Cats Unit Study. You’ll get a complete week of lesson plans to learn about cats and a collection of activities, arts, and crafts all planned for you: instant download, printables included, no prep needed, and all ad free.
See more details of our Cat Unit and join the Play Academy to access this and all our 50+ ready-made teaching units.
Leave a Reply