1) JUNGLE THEME TWO YEAR OLDS watch movie Jungle Book make safari helmets for children to wear on outdoor walk in the trees put a watch me grow crocodile in water and watch it grow go on jungle safari looking for bugs and birds have ants on a log for snack (celery, peanut butter, raisins) paint cotton balls brown and let dry.  have children glue cotton balls on monkey pattern MOVEMENT    The monkeys like to dance, yes they really like to dance,    Monkey business keeps them busy, the monkeys like to dance.       Act out...also use...swing, spin, jump, wiggle, shake their heads, rest THREE YEAR OLDS turn room into a jungle, paint windows, use boxes, make palm trees (use gift wrap tubes) make parrots, chimps and crocs to add to jungle rivers and trees don't forget foliage and beautiful flowers play rainforest sounds make zebra, monkey masks to wear shoe box mural to depict jungle scene make binoculars using toilet paper tubes and colored cellophane view Jack Hanna's Jungle animal series read WHO IS THE BEAST? have children draw or paint animals in the book have discussion about some plants and animals that live and grow in the jungle tell about foods that come from the jungle (chocolate, fruit, nuts)   COOKING make jungle cake    cream together 1 cup each of margarine, sugar, brown sugar    add 2 eggs    blend in 3 cups of flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda    fold in 4 sliced bananas, 10-12 oz choc chips, and handful of cashews    spread mixture in greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake for 350 for 40-50 mins.    sprinkle cake with brown sugar cool and serve ART     make long curly vines (paper plates cut in spiral painted green) cut out large green and yellow       leaves..attach to vine...hang from ceiling     cut out monkeys (sorry I don't have a scanner so I can't send the pattern we used) color or paint and hang        from vines MOVEMENT    The Jungle Walk (song/lyrics by Janice Buckner)      act out song FOUR YEAR OLDS LITERATURE    Watch Where You Go    There's a Crocodile Under My Bed    The Jungle Book    Caps for Sale by E. Slobodkina    Curious George by M Rey    Where's Wallace?  by Hillary Knight ART    Make large mural complete with tree trunks, leaves, snakes, monkeys, lions...add animal to the room each day    make cardboard tube snakes:  5-6 toilet paper tubes, paper for tongue, paint, glue, yarn or string to             connect tubes    mix dirt and water in a big bowl to make mud.  Put the mud on a table and let the children finger paint       with it.  have children make handprints on a large piece of butcher paper    Thumbprint monkeys:  give each child a sheet of paper with the outline of a tree drawn on it.  set out ink         pads and felt markers.  let children make thumbprint monkeys on the trees.  To create monkeys, have         them press thumbprints (two, one above the other, connecting) then complete the monkeys by adding        faces,arms, tails MOVEMENT    the Boa Constrictor Game- African tag game       *designate space as home for the snake and choose a child to be the snake       *the snake must start at home.  The other children run at the snake. The snake leaves home and tries to             tag others.  Once tagged the child must join the snake by holding hands.       *the snake gets longer and longer.  only the snake and the last person in line can tag people       *if the snake falls apart, the children must all return home spot and rejoin       *when everyone is hooked together the game is over      Swing, Swing      ask the children to stand in a circle and hold hands.  While you recite the following poen, have them         swing their arms up and down.             Little monkeys swinging in the tree, all hold hands and swing with me             Swing up high and swing down low, swing in the tree now don't let go!             Swing, swing like I do, swing like monkeys in the zoo. COOKING    Banana Butter      Mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork.  mix 3/4 cup peanut butter.  add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon       shredded coconut, and 1/2 cup of raisins.  blend well.  serve on bread, crackers, fruit 2) * Paper Plate Lions     On the back of a yellor or orange paper plate draw a central circle about 2 inchs fron the edge.  Draw lines from the circle to the outer rim of the plate (make 13 equal sections).  Have the kids cut the lines & fold every other one foreword to make a mane.  Use markers to make a lion's face & add a tuff of hair.          * "Boa Song"       I'm being swalloed by a boa constrictor, boa constrictor, boa constrictor.    I'm being swalloed by a boa constrictor,    Now what do you think of that?    Oh no---he's got my toe    Oh gee---he's 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 swalloed by a boa constrictor, boa constrictor, boa constrictor.    I'm being swalloed by a boa constrictor    No! No! No!  (In a high squeaky voice)          * "Ha - Ha  Hippo"    (tune: "Baa Baa Black Sheep)    Ha-Ha hippo, have you any hair?    Hurrah, hurrah, you have hair.    Hair for my horses & hair for my hog,    And hair for my "H", Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!    Ha-Ha hippo, have you any hair?    Hurrah, hurrah, you have hair.    (For hair can substitute: Hats, hammer, or houses)          * Ten Baby Kangaroos  -  poem    Ten baby kangaroos standing in a row    When they see their mama, they bow just so    (bow)    They kick to the left    (kick to the left)    They kick to the right    (kick to the right)    Then they close their eyes & sleep all night.    (pretend to sleep)    *other verses: repeat the poem, going down a number each time - that is, begin with "Nine baby kangeroos." and so on      *Another book that you might want to check into is CROCODILE, CROCODILE BY BARBARA BAUMGARTNER published by Dorling Kindersly.  Lots of short stories and tales from around the world.   *Mr. Lion and his Sneeze     Mr. Lion said, "I am going to Sneeze!"        (Point to self)   So he put his head down between his knees!        (put head down between knees)   He opened his mouth and out it flew        (open mouth)   A GIANT SUPER LOUD....ACHOOOO!!!!        (kids sneeze loudly)   The jungle floor jiggled and the trees all wiggled        (kids wiggle and jiggle body)   And the birds were flown to Bombay        (make flying motion with hands)   And the elephants were tossed every which way        (slap hands on knees)   Mr. Lion looked up and roared        (have kids pretend to look up)   "Oh my, a windstorm just passed by!     *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 our class rainforest.  As we   learn about the rainforest we will add food, plants, and animals to our   mural. *Visit the Rain Forest at the World Famous Topeka Zoo.  The whole building is set up as a tropical rain forest and animals are free to roam around as they wish.  During our visit a flamingo came up to the edge of the pond to say Hi to the kids.  It was great!