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RAINFOREST THEME

CRAFTS:

Animal Cracker Art
Supplies needed: Light Blue Construction paper, Animal Crackers, Glue, Crayons or markers (Crayons work better)
Give each child a sheet of light blue construction paper and let them create a scene for their animal crackers to appear in. (They have a much easier time if you prepare an example for them to look at). After each child has completed their scene just glue the animal crackers to their picture. This is a great project for the children to do, and you can finish off the box of animal crackers when you complete the project.

Collage
Make rainforest collages from rainforest products - coffee, sugar, tea.

Corky Frogs
Take corks and color them green with crayon or marker. Use a green pipe cleaner and wrap it around the cork, twist it, then bend the long ends into frog shaped legs.
A string tied to the pipe cleaner can be used to pull the floatable frog through water. Such a simple thing and the kids play with them all day!

Fluffy Birds
Glue 2 popsicle sticks together to form a cross. Glue real colored or paper feathers onto the cross leaving the top for a head. Glue paper head on top OR use markers as eyes & beak.

Newspaper Trees
Make newspaper trees by taking 3 sheets of newspaper and roll them up overlapping as you go. Tape the bottom. Cut about 4 or 6 slashes 1/3 of the way down the top. Gently pull up on one of the inside "leaves" and then you have a paper tree.

Rainforest Mural
As a class activity, the children will be dipping their palms in green paint to make palm prints covering several large sheets of paper. Once dry, these will serve as a background for your class rainforest. As you learn about the rainforest add food, plants, and animals to your mural.

Rainforest Puppets
In an effort to visually inspire students about the animals of the rainforest, have students construct a variety of simple puppets.
The butterfly can be made out of paper cut into a butterfly shape. Fold paper in 1/2 & cut out shape. On the fold staple a straw for the child to hold.
The frogs can be made by cutting out simple frog shapes & gluing a stick or staple a straw to the frog.
The toucans can be done like the frogs using a bird shape.You might try cutting 2 beaks & using 2 brass brads so that that can move.

Tribal Faces
Get a book on indigenous people of the rainforest and face paint the children to look like the tribal people. Then string beads for tribal necklaces.

Zany Zebras
Give each child a construction paper picture of a zebra with no stripes,mane, or tail. Use a fine brush or Q-tip & have them make stripes with black tempera paint. When paint dries, glue strips of fluorescent paper on neck & tail. Have the kids fringe paper.
 
 

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Rainforest Safari
Hide animals all over and pretend to put on backpacks, hats etc. Then stop in the middle cause it's so hot and have a pretend drink of water and put on sunscreen. If you decorate the room to look like a rainforest, you could use some steam vaporizers. This will enable the children to understand more about the type of weather that is found in the rainforest.

Rainforest Art
Draw and color a picture of a rainforest. As they finish, they dictate a few words about their pictures. Compile the papers into a class book. Talk to the children about the four levels of a rainforest. The emergent level is the top level of the rainforest. The canopy is the next layer where monkeys, apes and exotic plants live. The canopy is like living under a big green umbrella. The understory is the next layer. It is the home of bats, frogs, butterflies and many other animals. Finally is the forest floor. It's dark on the rainforest floor because the trees keep most of the light out.

Rainforest Safari
After taking about what animals live in the jungle, ask the children to draw and cut out three or more animals that live in the jungle. Make binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. When the children are not there, tape the pictures out in the hall and then we go out on a safari. The children are to find the pictures that belong to them.
 

SONGS:

Baby Frogs
Ribbit Ribbit said mama frog
Sitting on a great big log
"Where are my babies, where can they be?
Then out of the pond jumped one, two and three.
(Hold up three fingers , one at a time)
She was happy as could be,
But where were the others?
She couldn't see.
So, "Ribbit, ribbit," she called again.
Then out they jumped---4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10.
(hold up remaining fingers one at a time)

Five Freckled Frogs
Five little freckled frogs setting on a speckled log (5 fingers on bent arm)
Eating the MOST delicious bugs, yum, yum! (pick bugs out of air, rub tummy)
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool, (finger hops in pool)
Then there were four freckled frogs!
Continue with four frogs, then three, and so on.
Then there were NO freckled frogs!

Little Froggy
(Tune: I'm A Little Teapot)
See the little froggy
Swimming in the pool
The water's great
It's nice and cool
When he gets all cleaned up
Out he'll hop
Squeaky clean
From bottom to top.
See the little froggy
On the lily pad
Trying to catch flies
She's getting sad.
When she catches one,
She'll gobble it up
Back in the water
She'll go kerplop!

Three Talking Toucans
Three talking toucans sitting in a tree
The first one turned & squawked at me!
Three little toucans sitting in a row
The second one said "I flap my wings,watch me go!"
Three little toucans sitting side by side
The third one said "my bright beak, I open wide!"

Three Frolicking Red Eyed Tree Frogs
Three little frogs sitting in a tree
The first one turned & jumped towards me!
Three little little frogs hopping all about
The second one said "At night's when I come out!"
Three little frogs leaping tree to tree
The third one said "Hey,wait for me!

The Mighty Morpho Butterflies
Three morpho butterflies gliding through the trees
The first one swooped to take a look at me!
Three morpho butterflies sitting on a leaf
The second one was trying to eat something sweet!
Three morpho butterflies flitting all about
The third one landed on my snout!
 

STORIES:

Have any good stories? Let us know!
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Rainforest Animal Centerpiece (Edible)
Pick an apple that will stand up by itself nicely. Cut the apple in half, horizontally. Place the two cut ends in a little lemon juice, to retard browning. Cut a plastic straw into 3 equal pieces. Pick 3 rainforest animals from a pkg. of animal crackers. Place the straws into the bottom half of an apple evenly. Attach each animal cracker with a dot of peanut butter. Press top half of apple into bottom half of apple. Instant animal carousel.
 

TIPS/NOTES: