You'll need

150 x 60cm sheet of 5mm MDF
Fine-toothed jigsaw
Sandpaper
Artist's acrylics (we used Matisse Daisy Yellow, Permanent Orange, Terracotta, black, white and some bright colours for the tape measure)
Artist's brushes
Craft sponge brushes
2cm-wide masking tape
Felt-tipped markers
Fringing
Dye (optional)
Hot glue gun
Coloured felt squares
Scissors
Craft glue
Plastic eyes
Self-adhesive Velcro dots

Here's how
1. Use 2cm grid paper to enlarge the giraffe pattern; transfer it onto the MDF. Carefully cut around the outline with the jigsaw and sand the edges.

2. To mark off the measuring post, lay a strip of masking tape, starting 50cm from the floor and going vertically up the giraffe's neck to its head.

3. Using a craft sponge brush and Daisy Yellow, paint background colour onto the giraffe. Paint irregular spots on the giraffe's coat in Permanent Orange and outline them in Terracotta.

4. Use a fine artist's brush to paint the giraffe's face in simple, clean lines, following the pattern. Paint on the hoofs and tail in Terracotta and black.


5. Pull off the masking tape and use pencil or felt-tipped marker to mark off 10cm sections on the blank area. Paint each section a different colour. Use a felt-tipped marker to write the numbers against each section.

6. Use cold-water dye and cold-water fixative to dye natural cotton fringing (not acrylic) to your desired colour. Cut the fringing to the length of the giraffe's neck and attach with a hot glue gun. Attach a tuft to the end of the tail.

To make felt animal markers

Draw patterns for the animals and cut out the bodies in coloured felt. Use craft glue to attach eyes; add other details with a felt-tipped pen. Make a different animal for each child; attach Velcro dots to the back of each animal and corresponding dots to the giraffe. Each child can move his or her animal up the chart with a beak, trunk or snake's head pointing to his or her height.