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REPTILE THEME

CRAFTS:

Alligators
Make alligators out of clothes pins painted green with yellow tiny pompons for bumps down the back.

Alligator Puppet
Construction paper, Paper Bag
Draw & cut out the eyes, nose & the upper section of the alligators mouth from construction paper. Glue them to the bottom of the paper bag. Draw &; cut out the inside of the mouth & the two front feet from paper. Glue them to the front of the bag. Attach a tail to the back of the bag. Place your hand inside the bag & curve your fingers over the fold to move the puppet. 

Lizard Bracelet
Cut out a lizard and let the children color it. Wrap him around your wrist staple the tail to the head.

Group Snake
Give each child a different colored piece of construction paper to decorate any way they wish- paint, crayons, marker, glued on things - whatever. Then attach them all with a head and tail that you make and you have a very long snake when you are done - it is beautiful!

Lizzy the Lizard
Cut bubble wrap the shape of a lizard. Have the kids use brightly colored neon paint and mini-paint rollers. Roll paint on bubble wrap and then press pieces of paper over the bubbles to make scaly lizard pictures.

Necktie Snakes
If you have a source or each child can bring in an old neck tie, they make nice snakes. Glue the small end of the tie closed or sew closed. If you want to make a rattle snake you can put a couple of bells in then tie a string to mark the tail end. Finish stuffing with any type of stuffing you have, paper, cotton, Polyfil etc. When you get to the large end glue or sew shut. You can also tie a string about four to five inches from the end to make a head and leave the head floppy. You need to glue on eyes (wigglies are my favorite) and a red felt tongue. These not only make cute toys but door draft dodgers when placed along the bottom of a closed door.
You can also slide an opened hanger from one end to the other so you can pose the snake but it makes it an unsafe toy for under 5 group.

Paper Plate Snake
Make a snake out of a paper plate: First color with markers or paint the entire front of a paper plate and let it dry. Next, starting at the outside edge, begin cutting around the plate to create a spiral, turning as you cut. When you get to the inside, cut the end to make it look like the snake's head. Add stickers or glitter to the snake, then poke a hole in the head and tie on a piece of string to hang it from the ceiling. If you are studying specific types of snakes, you could make each snake with the unique markings that distinguish it from the others. (Children love to see a three-dimensional creation spring from a two-dimensional object; this is a neat art activity to demonstrate this effect.)

Paper Towel Roll Snakes
Start at the end of the paper roll & cut in a circular or spiral line. At the end cut a head shape, then cut the tail into a tapered shape. Let the kids paint the "snake". When dry they can wrap it around their arm.

Small Snakes
Wind colored pipe cleaners around a pencil to make snakes. Plant a fallen branch in a bucket of sand and wind the snakes around the branches.

Snake
Take a large circle, cut a spiral into the circle. Add two eyes and a tongue and hang. It will bounce a little!

Spool Snake
Collect old thread spools that are empty and put a string down the center of each spool. When you put a lot together they form a long snake. You can paint your snake or color with markers.

Slithery Snakes
Measure the width of the playground tires & cut long white paper accordingly. Wrap the paper around the tire & secure with tape. Have kids rub entire paper with the sides of green and brown crayons so the tread pattern is transformed to the paper. Remove paper from tire & cut ends so the corners are rounded. Add 2 black eye dots & a red paper forked tongue.

Slinky Straw Snake
The slinky snake is lots of fun to make. Once made the children can manipulate the body into almost any shape.
Materials:
Plastic soda straws
One length heavy string or yarn with a tip made from tape per child
One construction paper head and tail pattern per snake

Transparent Snake
paper punch , scissors, paper reinforcements, crayons
Directions: 1. For each child, cut a length of 24" string or yarn. Tape the end for easier threading of the straws.
2. For each child cut several straws up into sections about 1" long. If you want extra long snakes, then cut longer lengths of string and more straw segments.
3. Cut out a snake head and tail for each child. Have the children draw snake eyes on the head and then color the head and tail. Punch holes and reinforce with paper reinforcement at each hole for strength.
4. Tie untaped end of string to hole in tail. Thread straws on. To finish, tie string through hole in the head, bring the string down and under the snake's head. Tape string down along the underside of head. Use the remaining string to pull the snake along. You can also make one of these snakes out of tissue tubes.

Treasures Stones/Reptile Eggs
1 cup of flour
1 cup used coffee grinds
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sand
3/4 cup water
Mix all dry ingredients together. Slowly add water and knead until mixture is consistency of bread dough. Break off piece of dough and roll into ball (bigger than object you would like to hide inside). Make a hole in center of ball and fill with treasure, seal with extra dough. Let treasure air dry for 2-3 days or until hard, or bake on cookie sheet in 150 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Turtle Puppet
Color two paper plates, one to resemble the top shell on a turtle and one to resemble the bottom shell. Staple together on sides only. Now put your arm into a green sock that you have glued wiggly eyes on and slip it through the two plates. It's a wonderful (cheap) way to make a turtle puppet for story time!
 
 

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Color Turtles
Cut turtle shapes out of light green construction paper. Give each child a turtle shape and help the child use crayons to draw one dot of red, black, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, white and orange on the turtles back. Then recite the poem and have the children point to each color on the turtles back as you name it.
I can name these colors,
All so very bright,
Red, yellow, blue, purple,
Green, brown and white.
Don't forget the color orange
And the the color black,
These are the colors of the dots
Upon my turtle's back.

Frogs of the World
Cut out frog shapes and talk about how poisonous frogs are brightly colored. Let them color their own frogs in the bright red, green, purples, etc. Then make a frog habitat on a poster board with lily pads and a pond - and bugs.

Measuring Snakes
Measure out different kinds of snakes with yarn. The kids will be amazed by how long a boa constrictor really is!

Reptile Play
Purchase plastic reptiles and add them to your sand and block areas. Be sure to preface, and follow through, with nonfiction picture books from your local library.

Sorting
Group pictures of snakes in one row, and pictures of lizards in another, pointing out what makes them different.

Snakey S
The letter S and snake are a good pair. You can color a picture of a snake, and write it's sound. It's very phonetically memorable, if you make the sound while you write it. You can add descriptive words to the discussions such as slithering, slimy, etc. If you have a pretend rubber snake, you can paste it to a piece of paper in the shape of an S.

Toad
If you ever find a live toad you can show the children this neat fact:
Feel a toad's eyes and you will feel a flat surface. Feel your eyes and you will feel they are rounded. A toad's eye can be used to help push his food down his throat.

The Chameleon Game
After explaining that chameleons blend with their environment, kids can be chameleons in reverse, finding colors in the environment that match their clothes. People wearing the same color as the rug can lay down there, people wearing the same color as the wall stand against it, people wearing the color of the couch sit on it, etc.

Turtle Races
Make three to five turtles and let the children race them. Cut turtle shapes out of green poster board, number or name each one. Punch a hold just above the center of each turtle and put a five to eight foot long piece of string through it. Get one chair for each turtle. Tie one end of each piece of string to one of the legs of a chair. Line up the chairs along the finish line. Have the children who are racing their turtles stand in a row at the starting line. Each child should hold the loose end of one of the strings. Begin the race with the turtles near the children's hands. When you say "Go" the children who are racing should start jiggling their pieces of string so that the turtles bound toward the finish line. The other children should pick a turtle and cheer for it. Which turtle made it to the end first? Which one was last? Race again. 
 
 

SONGS:

A Salamander
I saw a little creature that was slimy, smooth, and wet.
I thought it was the oddest thing that I had ever met.
It was something like a lizard, but it had no scales at all.
It was something like a frog, but it didn't hop- it crawled.
So I took it to my teacher and she told me right away,
" I see you brought a salamander into class today."

Boa Song
I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor,
Boa constrictor, boa constrictor.
I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor,
Now what do you think of that?
Oh no, he's got my toe
Oh gee, he has my knee
Oh my, he's up to my thigh
Oh fiddle, he's up to my middle
Oh heck, he's up to my neck
I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor, boa constrictor, boa constrictor.
I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor
No! No! No! (In a high squeaky voice)

If You See
If you see a crocodile,
Do you think it's a pretty sight?
(Make a frightened face)
If you see a snake,
Do you freeze with fright?
(Freeze in position)
If you see an alligator,
Does your heart pound with all it's might?
(Quickly thump fist over heart)
Their reptile families think they're dear
(Hug self)
But people really should steer clear!
(Take giant step backwards)

Lizard Finger play
(Use fist of one hand to represent the lizard - have pointer finger move in and out of fist quickly to be the lizard's tongue. 5 fingers of the other hand are the bugs that "disappear" as the lizard's fast tongue "gets" them.)
5 little bugs on the forest floor Along came a sticky tongue lizard ... SLURP!!! Now there are 4.
4 little bugs on a kapok tree Along came s sticky tongue lizard ... SLURP!!! Now there are 3.
3 little bugs without a single clue.....
2 little bugs soaking up the hot sun....
1 little bug knew that he was done.....
Now there are none.

On The Back Of A Crocodile
She sailed away
On a bright and sunny day
On the back of a crocodile
You see said she
He's as tame as he can be,
I'll ride him down the Nile,
The croc winked his eye
As she waved a fond good bye Wearing a happy grin.
At the end of the ride,
The lady was inside,
And the smile was on the crocodile.

Snapping Turtle
He snaps in the morning, (snap with hand)
He snaps at night
He snaps at the bugs
As he takes each bite.
He snaps so much,
He's quite a sight.
Snap! Snap! Snap!

S-n-a-k-e
As he bends and twists and squiggles around,
(Do actions as indicated by words)
See Mr. Snake shaping letters on the ground.
(Point to ground)
First an "S"
Now an "N"
Then an "A"
Next a "K"
And an "E"
(Make giant size letters in the air as each letter is mentioned)
He's spelled out his name for us all to see.
"S-N-A-K-E" (spell name aloud)

The Alligator is my Friend
The Alligator is my friend, he can be your friend too
If only you would understand that he has feelings too
The alligator laughs and sings, he never cries the blues
I'd rather have him on my shirt than have him for my shoes
Alligator,alligator, can be your friend, can be your friend,
Can be your friend too!
 
 

STORIES:

Have any good stories? Let us know!
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Lizard Skins
1/2 cup Peanut butter
12 ounces Marshmallows
4 drops Green food coloring
4 cups Rice Krispies, Cheerios or Corn Flakes
Pam
Raisins
Heat peanut butter with marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat until melted. Add green food coloring and mix in. Pour in cereal and stir quickly. Spray 8" pan with Pam then pour contents into pan. Allow to cool in fridge, then cut into long thin strips, about 1" X 4". Cut each raisin in half and stick on one end of each strip to make the lizard's eyes.

Snake Cakes
Make patty cakes and join them together in the shape of a snake. Ice them with green icing.

Snake Sticks
Buy pre made or make your own bread stick dough. Have the children help roll them out in the shape of snakes on the baking board or tray. Sprinkle with grated cheese or garlic & butter if desired. Bake according to directions.

Slippery Salamanders
Materials:
pan
spoon
bowl
self-seal sandwich bags
cookie sheet
aluminum foil
scissors
For each different color salamander you'll need:
1 1/2c. apple juice
1 3 oz. pkg. jello (yellow, red, green or orange)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
5 ice cubes
Directions: Heat 1/2 the apple juice in a small pan. Add flavored gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour remaining juice in a bowl, sprinkle with unflavored gelatin and stir. Pour cool mixture over hot and add ice cubes. Stir until most of the ice is melted. Refrigerate about 20 min. until mixture is the texture of pudding. Pour 1/2 of mixture into sandwich bags. Seal bag, leaving corner of bag open. Cover cookie sheet with foil and slowly squeeze jello into 2-in. squiggles. Chill 2 hr. and enjoy some wiggly, squiggly salamanders

Snapping Turtle Salad
one pear
4 pecan halves
2 cloves
1 green olive
Wash and peel the pear. Cut in half. Place one of the halves hollow-side down on a salad plate. Use the pecans for feet. Use the green olive for the head and stick the cloves in for the eyes. Makes one serving.

Snakes to eat
1/3 cup of margarine
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 Tsp salt
green food coloring
1 lb. powdered sugar
Knead mixture until smooth. Add more sugar if sticky.

Tuna Turtles
Yield: 8 sandwiches
1 can of flaked tuna
small cucumber seeded and chopped
grated carrot
2 tbs thousand island dressing
1 tbs mayonnaise
1 can biscuits
1 tbs sesame seeds (optional)
Heat oven to 450 Cut two biscuits into four pieces. Attach one piece to sides if the eight remaining biscuits - these are the heads. Score surface of each biscuit to look like turtle shell. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the biscuit. Transfer to lightly greased cookie sheet . Bake 8 minutes until golden brown. Cut each turtle biscuit in half horizontally and fill with tuna salad.

TIPS/NOTES: