It's always exciting to find an animal track. After all, the creature who made it may be just around the corner. You can capture that moment of discovery by making a plaster cast of the print to bring home.
When you find an animal track, ask your kids to note all the details. Are there toes? If so, how many? Can you see claws? A webbed foot could be a duck, and cloven hooves might be a white-tailed deer.
Look for animal footprints in wooded areas and along fields and near water; the muddy or sandy banks of a lake or river are ideal. Once you find a track, form the poster board strip into a circle that's wide enough to encircle it like a collar. Secure the circle with paper clips and press it in the ground around the track.
Add water to the plaster in the bag, mixing it by squeezing the bag from time to time, until the plaster is the consistency of a smoothie. Pour the plaster into the mold so it is about 1/2 inch deep.
Let the plaster harden, about 10 to 20 minutes. Carefully pull up the cast and peel off the paper collar. Brush off any excess dirt.