Zoo

Crafts

*Giraffe Measuring Chart - cut out a giant (7') giraffe shape and have children paint it yellow and glue on brown spots. Glue a measuring tape on top of it and put up on the wall. Measure each child and record the heights beside the chart.

*Elephant Mask - Paint a large paper bag grey. Add elephant features, an accordian type trunk and large ears cut from grey construction paper. Cut out large circles for the child to see through.

*Paper Plate Animals - Attach a small paper plate to a large one using brads. Children can cut and paste construction paper to design their own jungle animal.

*Monkey in a Tree - Take 3 large pieces of newspaper folded on the fold. Place the folded pieces of paper on top of each other. Roll into a tube and tape. Cut slits about 1/2 inch apart and 1/2 way down the tube all the way around the top of the tube making a large fringe. Carefully pull the fringe part up so the tree grows. The fringe will fall looking like leaves and the bottom of the tube will be the trunk of the tree. Children can paint the tree if they wish. When dry, children cut a monkey from construction paper and hang in their tree.

*Zebra - string paint black stripes onto a zebra shape.

*Lions - cut strips of yellow paper and curl them using edge of scissors. Glue the curls around the outside of a paper plate and add features for a lion or tape to a tongue depressor and cut out eye holes for a mask.

*Paper Plate Snake - paint both sides of a paper plate and then cut into a spiral. Add a string for a wiggly snake.

Science

*Terrarium - set up a terrarium and watch a tadpole turn into a frog.

Block Area

*Add zoo animals to your block area.
*Add boxes that have been cut into "cages" by cutting out strips into the cardboard.

Dramatic Play

*Add "safari" type clothes to your centre for going to the zoo.

*Put in binoculars.

*Add animal puppets and a box that can be used as a theatre.

*Add felt ears to headbands so the children can dress-up as different animals.

Circle Time

*Mommy's Taking us to the Zoo Tomorrow

*One Elephant Went out to Play

*One Little Elephant Balancing

*5 Monkey's Jumping on the Bed

*3 Little Monkey's swinging in the tree

*Going on a Jungle Adventure

*An Elephant goes like This and That

*I'm Being Eaten by a Boa Constrictor

*Kalamazoo, the Kangaroo

Stories:

*Curious George

*Curious George Visits the Zoo

*Ahoy There, Little Polar Bear

*Dizzy

*Horton Hears a Who

*Rumble in the Jungle

*I Don't Want to Take a Bath (Little Tiger Series)

*I Don't Want to Go To Bed (Little Tiger Series)

*Horton Hatches an Egg

*Let's go Home Little Bear

*Just You and Me Little Bear

Games:

*Adult animal and baby match-up.

*Group animals with similiar characteristics.

*Barrel of Monkey's - count how many monkeys each child can get to hang before they fall

*Obstacle Course - go through a course as a snake.

Water & Sand Play

*Add plastic trees, rocks, boxes, and animals to your sand table.

*Add seals, polar bears, fish, and frogs to your water table.

Outdoor Play

*Bring real or pretend binoculars outdoors.

*Make a jeep from a large box.

*Use hoola-hoops for animal cages.

*Move around like various animals - have cheetah races, monkey climbs, elephant walks, etc.

Field Trips / Special Days

*go visit a real zoo

*Have an exotic animal trainer come to visit you - they bring snakes and turtles, iguanas, etc that you can pet and learn about.

Songs

An Elephant

An elephant goes like this and that
He's terribly big and terribly fat
He has no fingers
He has no toes
But goodness gracious what a nose!

Kalamazoo, the Kangaroo

(sung to:Old MacDonald had a Farm)

Kalamazoo, the kangaroo see what I can do
I can jump as far as a motor car
You can do it too.
Oh sing a jump, jump
Oh sing a bump, bump
Everywhere a jump, bump
Kalamazoo, the kangaroo
See what I can do!

Kalamazoo, the kangaroo see what I can do
In one short week I can jump a creek
You can do it too.
Oh sing a jump, jump
Oh sing a bump, bump
Everywhere a jump, bump
Kalamazoo, the kangaroo
See what I can do!

Printouts

Related Sites

Perpetual Preschool

Kratt's Creatures

Hummingbird Educational Resources

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