Blending In: All about Camouflage

6-8’s, 9-12’s

1. Activity 1: Hidden Animal Word Search

Give each child a word search to work on while waiting for the rest of the group (can be printed off from http://www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/zoo/)

2. Activity 2: Matching Game: Camouflaged Critters

In this game, children try to match an animal to the type of habitat or geographic feature that would be best at hiding it.

Materials:

• Whiteboard, blackboard, or other large display surface

• Writing tool

Instructions:

1. Write down a list of habitats.

2. Next to it, write a list of animals (you can use the lists below if you like, but if you do, make sure you mix up the animals and habitats so it isn’t too obvious!).

3. It’s important to note that there may be more than one animal that will hide in a habitat, or more than one habitat that can hide an animal!

4. Discuss the appearance of each animal and how each habitat would help hide individual creatures.

List of Animals Habitats

Green Tree Frog Big Green leaf

Tiger Tall grass

Zebra Tall grass

Leopard Patches of sun and shadow

Moth Tree Bark

Green Tree Snake Big Green Leaf

Flamingo Among Friends

Python Leafy Forest Floor

3. Activity 3: Hide and Go Seek

Children get to try to camouflage themselves. One child hides their eyes while the other kids try to find a place to hide. When it looks like everyone has hidden, you can let the seeker know; they then try to find all of the other kids. Once a child is found, they can help to search.

4. Activity 4: Masked Animal Art

Materials:

• Paper pad of large size easel or drawing paper

• Thick black marker

• Bandanna

• A list of different animal names printed out on index cards

• Timer (which can be set to 10 or 20 seconds)

• Paper and marker to tally up best picture

Instructions:

1. Chose one child at a time to draw.

3. Take them aside and show them the name of the animal they must draw.

4. They are then led to the drawing paper, asked to feel out the size of the paper,

given a marker and blindfolded.

5. As the timer starts ticking, their task is to try and draw an animal that others will recognize within the allotted time.

6. At the end of 10 seconds, children try to guess what kind of animal has been drawn. They then vote on the best/most realistic picture.

7. Children come up one by one, are blindfolded and attempt to draw a different animal.

4. Activity 3: Jumbled Jungle Animal Drawathon

1. Have all of the participants sit down at a table and give each one a piece of blank paper that has been folded into thirds.

2. On the top third, have the children draw the head of an animal, with only the neck lines spilling over to the second third of the page (note: you do not want the participants to see one another’s pages).

3. They then fold the top third over so that it cannot be seen, and pass the page to the person beside them.

4. Using the neck lines on the given page, the second child then proceeds to draw the body of some animal on the second third of the page. Though they cannot see the head, they can see the neck lines and so know where to connect. The only part to spill over onto the third part of the page, are the leg lines (note: there may be lines for two legs, or for four legs, depending on the animal drawn).

5. They then fold the page again so that only the last third is shown, and pass it onto the person beside them.

6. The third person uses the leg lines given to add animal legs to the mysterious creature.

7. Once the legs are done, the animal can be unfolded and admired. With each individual likely drawing a different animal, the result can be amusing. Feel free then to color the animal, and come up with a name for this new species.

5. Crafts: Camouflaged Library Zebra

Materials:

1. Outline from http://www.freekidcrafts.com/jungle.html

2. Markers

3. Scissors

4. Sticky tack

Instructions:

1. Print off the zebras from the webpage

2. Color them so that they will each camouflage in some part in the room (the same color as a wall for example)

3. Cut out the coloured zebras and place them in the spaces they were coloured for.

4. See if someone can find the camouflaged animals

6. Audio Book: “How the Leopard got it’s Stripes”

While working on the craft, listen to an audio book. Kipling’s “How the Leopard got it’s Stripes” (from his Just So Stories) deals with camouflage.

Jungle Animal Sights and

Sounds

2’s and 3’s, 4’s and 5’s

1. Storytime – Starting Song

Walking Through the Jungle (Have children pretend to be the animal seen!)

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some green and scaly crocodiles were snapping at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some slippery, slimy snakes were hissing at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in

circle)

Some funny little monkeys were laughing at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see?

(walk around in circle)

Some great big lions were roaring at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in

circle)

Some nice quiet children were waiting for me!

(Children sit quietly for next part of program!)

2. Read first story “Who is The Beast?” or “A Color of His Own” or

“Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothes”

3. Song: I Went to the Jungle One Day (tune: London Bridge is Falling Down)

I went to the jungle one day, jungle one day, jungle one day

I saw a snake along the way and this is what he said..ssssss

Repeat with other animals: monkey - eeeee, tiger – growl,

parrot – squawk

4. Read second story "Over in the Jungle" or “Africa Calling” or “Hippo goes Bananas”

5. . Poem: Let’s Go Exploring

Rhyming Guessing Game

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Deep in the jungle, he’s roaring not cryin’

I see something big and furry, must be a _________ (lion)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Swinging from a vine, doin’ a dance that’s kinda funky

I see someone that likes bananas, must be a ________________ (monkey)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Slithering in the tall grass, this something makes me shake

I see something long and slimy, must be a ______________ (snake)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Flying through the sky, his coloured wings his merit

I see a feathered friend, must be a _________________ (parrot)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Way up in the air, watch her flutter by

I see an insect too, must be a __________________ (butterfly)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Down by the river bed, with a big toothy smile

I see something green and scaly, must be a ______________ (crocodile)

Let’s go exploring, 1, 2, 3

Let’s go exploring, what do you see?

Walking through the trees with a trunk that’s relevant

I see something big and grey, must be an _________________ (elephant)

6. Read fourth story “If You’re Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition" or “Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain” or “The Umbrella”

7. Song: Five Little Monkeys

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed (hold up five fingers, bounce up and down)

One fell off and bumped his head (Touch finger to head)

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said (Make telephone receiver with thumb and pinkie)

No more monkeys jumping on the bed! (Shake index finger “no”)

…Repeat actions with 4, 3, 2, 1 and “no more” monkeys

8. Crafts: Paper Bag Giraffe Puppet– Beforehand, trace a large oval for the giraffe’s nose, two ears and two horns on yellow and orange construction paper; if the children are old enough to use scissors, they can then cut the pieces out. Using brown and orange markers, the kids can color dots on the bottom of the lunch bags. They can glue on the nose, the ears, and the horns, then, either draw on eyes or use googly eyes.

Supplies

-Lunch bags

-Orange and yellow construction paper

-Orange, brown and black markers

-Scissors

-Glue

-Googly eyes (optional)

Jungle Adventure

6-8’s, 9-12’s

1. Activity 1: Book Talk

Chat about different adventure stories

2. Activity 2: Add a Line Adventure Story

Get the group to collectively write their own adventure story. Throughout the program, pass around a page or note book; get everyone to add a sentence and see where it goes (for younger children, you can ask them to add a sentence out loud and write it down yourself). At the end of the program you can read the story out.

3. Activity 3: Stepping Stones

The idea is go get safely from one side of a ‘river’ to the other using ‘stepping stones.’

Cut out 2 cardboard ‘stones’ for each child. If this is not practical because of numbers, cut out several pairs of stones, and when one child has ‘crossed the water’ give his (her) stones to a child still waiting to cross.

Create a ‘river’ in the room using chairs to define the ‘banks’ of the river.

Divide the children into two lines.

The first child in the line places one of the stones in front of him and steps on it.

Then the child places the second stone down in front of him and steps on it. Then the child must turn around and, without falling off the stone he is standing on, pick up the first stone and places it in front of him and step on it.

Repeat until the child has crossed the ‘river’.

The team whose members all safely and successful ‘cross the river’ first wins.

4. Activity 3 (9-12’s): Jungle Jeopardy

1. Before the program begins, find 5 questions on 4 to 5 jungle/rainforest topics (for a total of 20 to 25 questions). You may want to come up with several sets of questions, in case there is time for multiple rounds of the game.

2. Write the questions on pieces of card, and arrange on the display surface face down as on the television show “Jeopardy”; by subject (vertical rows) and difficulty (horizontal columns). Points ranging from 100 to 500 are assigned to each question, with 100 points awarded for correctly answering the easiest question, 200 for the second easiest, etc.

3. Form children into teams of 4 or 5, and give them a few minutes to choose a fun jungle name for their team.

4. Each team then rolls the two dice to pick who goes first.

5. The teams try to guess the correct answers to questions about the chosen jungle topics. If correct, the team is awarded the number of points card is worth. If incorrect, card remains in play and the next team gets to choose a question to answer.

6. You should decide in advance whether teams can answer multiple questions per round. Base this decision on the number of children participating, and the potential for all teams to get to answer a set of questions.

5. Crafts: Toucan Mask

Materials:

1. Construction paper

2. Printable outline from Scholastic

3. Glue

4. String

5. Stapler

6. Scissors

Instructions:

1. Using bright coloured paper cut out the outlined pieces.

2. Glue the pieces together.

3. Staple on a string so that it can be worn.

Jungle Puzzle

Materials:

1. Jungle or nature pictures from old books or magazines

2. Glue

3. Scissors

4. Poster board

5. Coloured tape

6. Plastic Bags

Instructions:

1. Glue the picture to a piece of poster board.

2. Seal the outside with coloured tape.

3. On the bottom, or blank poster board side, draw lines like puzzle pieces.

4. Cut out and store in the plastic bags

Week 2: Let's go Buggy 2-5's

Let’s Go Buggy

2’s and 3’s, 4’s and 5’s

1. Storytime – Starting Song

(Have children pretend to be the animal seen!)

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some green and scaly crocodiles were snapping at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some slippery, slimy snakes were hissing at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some funny little monkeys were laughing at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some great big lions were roaring at me!

Walking through the jungle and what did I see? (walk around in circle)

Some nice quiet children were waiting for me!

(Children sit quietly for next part of program!)

2. Read first story “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” or “Waiting for Wings” or “The Butterfly Kiss”

3. Rhyme: Little Arabella Miller

Little Arabella Miller

Had a fuzzy caterpillar.

First it climbed upon her mother,

Then upon her baby brother.

They said, "Arabella Miller, Put away your caterpillar!"

4. Read second story "Old Black Fly" or “Three Nasty Gnarlies”

5. . Song: Five green and Speckled Frogs

Five green and speckled frogs

Sat on a speckled log

Eating some most delicious bugs

YYYYUUUUMMMM YYYYUUUUMMMM

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Then there were

Four green and speckled frogs

GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB

(Repeat in descending order.)

6. Read fourth story “Diary of a Spider" or “The Very Busy Spider” or “Squash the Spider”

7. Rhyme: I’m Being Followed by a Big Brown Spider

I’m being followed by a big brown spider,

I’m being followed by a big brown spider,

I’m being followed by a big brown spider,

And I don’t like it one bit.

Oh no, she’s up to my toe

Oh gee, she’s up to my knee

Oh fiddle, she’s up to my middle

Oh heck, she’s up to my neck

Oh dread, she’s on top of my head

And she tickles, tickles, tickles!!!

8. Read fifth story (if there is time) “Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!" or “Busy Bugs”

9. Crafts: Beady Little Spider – Cut two pipe cleaners in half so that there are four shorter ones and push them through the centre of a large wooden bead, so that there is an even amount sticking out of each side (making a total of eight legs). Place smaller beads of chosen colors on each of the legs. Fold over the end of the pipe cleaners to seal the beads onto the legs. Glue googly eyes to the wooden bead body.

Supplies

-Large wooden bead

-Pipe cleaners

-Scissors

-Smaller plastic beads

-Googly eyes

-Glue