Jungle

Jumpin' Jammin' Jungle Time Laptime

Note: I've recently discovered that if you hold back some of the display books and as you begin your storytime, start setting the books up with a one-liner comment about how awesome that book is . . . the payoff? All your display books get checked out!

Also -- if you have a partner behind a stage, have a bug pop up behind you, you'll know when. Or have an assistant make chirping sounds at timed intervals. If you are alone, you can just pretend to hear these pesky--silly--bugs

Listen . . .
Do you hear it?


Boom. Boom. 
(Use a drum! Hold each boom for a whole note)

   it's an elephant, in the Jungle. Can you hear it?


Puh, Puh, Puh, Puh
(hold each puh for 2 counts-a 1/2 note)

   A lion, I hear the lion's feet, padding puh, puh... do you hear the lion's feet?


Eee-Eee Eee-Eee, Eee-Eee Eee-Eee
(1/4 note)

   It's the monkeys! I hear monkeys!


Chi-chi-chi-chi,  Chi-chi-chi-chi,  Chi-chi-chi-chi,  Chi-chi-chi-chi,  
(1/8 note)

   the Cicada's have come out, do you hear those big silly bugs?



Do you think there are lots of bugs in the Jungle? 
(shiver) 
 Oh, I do think so! 

What animals do you think live in the Jungle?
(I like to point to the animals I have set up: Oh, the elephant, and the lion! There, there I see a ssssnake. Or, look here, a big old Rhinoceros! Oh, that's not a Rhino, it's a Hippo? Now we are down in the water with the Hippopotamus, I think I see a shark! No? There's no sharks in the Jungle? I think you are right. But, here, here is the alligator and the giraffe and even a bear. Are there bears? Of course there are bears! You've never heard of Baloo from the Jungle Book! ;)



Down in the Jungle 
(Have children slap their knees or clap to the rhythm of the chant)

Down in the jungle
With the beat in your feet
Think of an animal
That you'd like to meet
That you'd like to meet ______!
(point to a child, what animal would they like to meet? A little direction is sometimes needed, ie: point to the Monkey animal/puppet you have there.)

A (Monkey)? A (Monkey). She wants to see a (Monkey)! 
 (Have the children imitate a monkey--vocally and physically. Repeat with different animals. Screech, growl and roar! p.s. this is a great indoor activity for rainy days that teaches not only animal sounds but large motor skills)







What's that? I hear something again . . .
Oooh, it's those noisy bugs again!  
(Said with anticipatory relish, build the tension . . . ) 


No, No. It's not bugs! It's a cranky monkey
(or save this one for when you hear a little one crying or fussing ;)

 What Do You Do with a Cranky Monkey
(I modified the tune What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor for this one)

Oh what do you do with a cranky monkey,
What do you do with cranky monkey,
What do you do with a cranky monkey,
Early in the morning?

Heave Ho and up he rises,
(lift baby up high on the 'Heave Ho')
Heave ho and up he rises,
Heave ho and up he rises,
Early in the morning.

Take him in your arms and tickle him all over,
(tickle!)
Take him in your arms and tickle him all over,
Take him in your arms and tickle him all over,
Early in the morning.

Heave ho and up he rises, 
Heave ho and up he rises,
Heave ho and up he rises,
Early in the morning.

Now what is it I'm hearing this time?
Bugs?
No, no, not yet . . .
It's that Elephant!

Elephant

An elephant goes like this and that,
 (Move arms, wrists together back and forth like an elephant's trunk)
He's terribly big and he's terribly fat!
 (Show just how big he is with your arms on either side of you)
He walks on his fingers, and he walks on his toes,
 (Wiggle those fingers! Point to those toes!)
And goodness gracious, WHAT A NOSE!
 (ASL sign for Elephant)

Whew, I'm glad that Elephant was a friendly ol' chap. He could have squished us like a bug!

What is it with these bugs?!!
You aren't afraid of bugs are you?
You are!??
You say they give you the creepy crawlies?


Criss Cross Applesauce 

Criss cross applesauce
(draw an X on baby's back)
Spiders crawling up my spine
(fingers crawl up baby's spine) 
Cool breeze
(blow on baby's neck) 
Tight squeeze
(give a hug) 
Gives my baby the sillies!
(TICKLE!!)


Ah, but I LOVE bugs!
...particularly eating them!
(ok, so maybe you don't want to take it THIS far! LOL! Instead of eating them--with relish (pun intended)--just like them ;)

I Like Bugs  
(from Let's Play Music)

I like bugs, every kind of bug I see.
I like the big ones and the bad ones,
And the fuzzy purple fat ones.

People think they are yucky,
But I just don't agree.
No. You can't bug me! 


__________



More Ideas

MONKEYS:

There Was an Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog by Jennifer Ward

No More Kissing! by Emma Clark
OPL Link

I'm a Little Monkey
(Sing to I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little monkey in a tree
I swing my tail so merrily
I can leap and fly from tree to tree
Having lots of fun you see.

I'm a little monkey
Watch me play
I munch on bananas every day
Lots of monkey friends to play with me

We all have fun up in the tree.

Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree

Five little monkey's swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Alligator, "You can't catch me. You can't catch me."
Along comes Mr. Alligator, as quiet as can be and...
Snatched that monkey right out of that tree!

Four little monkeys . . .

Banana! by Ed Vere
OPL Link
 
Bananas of the World Unite!

Form banana, form form banana
Form banana, form form banana

Peel banana, peel peel banana
Peel banana, peel peel banana

Shake banana, shake shake banana

Shake banana, shake shake banana

GO BANANAS, GO GO BANANAS!!
GO BANANAS, GO GO BANANAS!!

ELEPHANTS:

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
OPL Link

A Great Big Elephant
(Sing to Itsy Bitsy Spider)

A great big elephant
(walk hunched over with a trunk swinging in front of you)
Went out to play
Down came the rain
(rain fingers)
And then he couldn't stay
But up came the sun
(sun arms)
And dried up all the rain
And the great big elephant
Went out to play again.
(repeat the elephant walk)

One Elephant by Sharon Lois and Bram

One elephant went out to play
On a spider's web one day.
She had such enormous fun,
She called another elephant to come.

Two elephants went out to play . . .

HIPPO or RHINO:

Hippo. No, Rhino! by Jeff Newman
OPL Link


GIRAFFE:

Giraffe's Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
OPL Link

BUGS:

Poor Little Bug on the Wall


Poor little bug on the wall,
No one to love him at all,
No one to blow his nose,
No one to tickle his toes,
Poor little bug on the wall.

OTHER:

Animal Crackers
(sing to 99 bottles of ...on the wall)

Oh once I ate a lion
And then a tall giraffe
But when ate the elephant
He really made me laugh!

Now you might think I'm fooling
But I will tell you true
They were animal crackers
And you can eat them too!
 
I'm So Hungry

I'm so hungry
I'm so hungry
Yes I am
Yes I am

I could eat a lion
Without even tryin'
Yum Yum Yum
(continue with silly suggestions from the kids)
 
Just One Bite by Lola Schaefer
OPL Link

Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter
OPL Link

If You're Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition by James Warhola
OPL Link

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
OPL Link

Picnic Time

Picnic Party with a Beetle Boogie Bop

Prep:
Picnic blanket, basket, etc.
Hide a host of bugs under silk leaves, real leaves.

Walk in with a picnic basket on one arm and a little puppy (puppet) in the other



Bark, bark!
    Are you excited Ralph? Are you so excited?

Bark
(and wiggle to get out of arms)

   You want to play in the park, don't you boy, oh don't you

Bark Yip

   Oh you're a good doggy, good boy.
(Ralph jumps out of arms and starts sniffing around)

    Just a minute Ralph, you sit here while I set out my picnic...
    Oh you wiggly wiggly little boy - here, let's get those wiggles out...


I Wiggle My Fingers

I wiggle my fingers, I wiggle my toes
I wiggle my shoulders, I wiggle my nose
Now no more wiggles are left in me
So I can be as still as still can be.


    Oh, look Ralph, there are some kids here - Yes, you can go play
    Would you like to say hello to Ralph?
    Raise your hand if you would like to pet Ralph 

take him around to those kids with their arms up,
Then Ralph starts sniffing around, something on the ground (or up on your table)


Yip Yip Yip!
     What have you found Ralph? What is it?
pull back leafy covering (fabric with leaf motif or whatever you have used to cover up a bagful's worth of bugs!

     Oh Ralph! You've found BUGS!

    I LOVE BUGS!
    You can't have a picnic without bugs!


I Love Bugs by Emma Dodd
OPL Link










    Oooh, SPIDERS!  Yummy tummy wiggly spiders . . .


Itsy Bitsy Spider

Itsy bitsy spider, went up the water spout,
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out,
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.   


     You know what else loves a nice sunny day
     - what did we see in our book - -fuzzy buzzy honey bugs...


Here is the Hive

Here is the hive
But where are the bees?
Hidden inside, where nobody sees.
Uh, oh, oh, oh
(hand shakes)

1,2,3,4,5
They're alive, they're alive!
(tickle, tickle, tickle)


    bzzzz, BzzZZzzzz, bZzzzz
    I caught one!


I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee - ouch, it stung me!

I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee - ewww, it's all yucky

I'm wiping off a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm wiping off a baby bumblebee --ughhhh, it's all over me!

I'm licking off a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm licking off a baby bumblebee, -- my mommy won't be proud of me!


    That was really yucky!  (shudder)     
    Oh, and here, what do we have here?


Roly Poly Caterpillar

Roly poly caterpillar, into a corner crept
Spun himself a blanket, and for a long time slept
Roly poly caterpillar, wakening by and by
Found himself with beautiful wings, changed to a butterfly!


    Ooooh, another c-c-creepy crawly . . .


Slowly, Slowly

Slowly, slowly creeps the garden snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail...

Quickly, quickly goes the little mouse
Quickly, oh so quickly all around the house!


     Oh, look! A butterfly!
           (catch it)

Baby Butterfly
(from Let's Play Music)

I'm bringing home a baby butterfly now, 
that bumblebee didn't like me somehow,
(shake finger in a no-no)

So I'm bringing home a baby butterfly now, 
Won't my daddy be so very proud of me now!


Aaaarrgghh Spider by Lydia Monks
OPL Link

















Criss Cross Applesauce

Criss cross applesauce
Spiders crawling up your spine
Cool breeze, tight squeeze
Gives my baby the sillies!


Can't Bug Me
from Let's Play Music


I love bugs, every bug that I see
I like the big ones, and the bad ones
And the fuzzy purple flat ones
People thing they're yucky,
But I just don't agree
No you can't bug me


    Oh what a fun day it's been! Time to go now,
    I am so glad you were here to share our park day,
    say bye bye Ralph

Bark!

Bugs and Spiders!

Today we are going to focus on a Bugs and Spiders Laptime!

I almost got to do Laptime yesterday, but then our volunteer showed up. I know I should be happy about that, but I was so disappointed that I did not get to do it- I'm just nuts, I know.

Anyway, since I wasn't able to do it then, I've decided to focus on one rhyme or fingerplay or theme as often as I can. So today you get BUGS!
____________________________

BUGS! Creepy, Crawly, Wiggly, Tickly and ever so sometimes SCARY BUGS!

Oooo, let's start out with WIGGLES! 'Cause whenever I talk about bugs, spiders or creepy crawly things I can't sit still! I try so very hard, but it never fails, my arms start to shiver up in goosebumps and my stomach flips around and before I know it, I'm wiggling all over!



Wiggles

I Wiggle my Fingers
~wiggle fingers

I wiggle my Toes
~wiggle feet and toes

I wiggle my Shoulders
~rotate and shiver your shoulders

and I Wiggle my NOSE!
~I have to use my finger to wiggle this one!

Now no more wiggles are left in me
So I will be as still as still can be.
~shhh


Roly Poly Caterpillar

Roly Poly Caterpillar, into a corner crept
~arms make a circle for a big caterpillar

Spun himself a blanket, then for a long time slept
~spin arms around for cocoon

Roly Poly Caterpillar, wakening by and by
~wake-up stretch

Found himself with beautiful WINGS, changed to a butterfly
~stretch out 'wing' arms, admire


Did you know that Butterflies were once Caterpillars?


Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Use a flannel board, an eating sock puppet caterpillar or just have plastic fruit to show and count! Have fun!


Slowly Slowly

Slowly, Slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail
~start s-l-o-w-l-y creeping fingers up from ankles of your child

Slowly, Slowly, very slowly up the wooden rail
~fingers slowly up to head, light and tickly at the neck
~take a deep slow anticipatory breath, arms up, fingers ready... let your body language tell the kids something is up! -

Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse
~quickly tickle child all over 

Quickly, quickly, very quickly all around the house
~keep tickling like a mouse running around



Oh, where did that mouse come from!?!! Back to the bugs!
~hands on hips - hmph!


Can't Bug Me!
(a slightly altered version from Let's Play Music - they use this one in such a CUTE way to learn notes, not my goal here, but it's an awesome idea they have!)


I eat bugs. Every kind of bug I see!
~Hands on hips, nodding 'yes'

 I like the big ones
~arms out to show 'big'

and the bad ones
~make a big bad face

and the fuzzly purple flat ones!
~rub hands together for fuzzy
 
People think they're yucky.
~shrug shoulders

But I just don't agree!
~shake finger back and forth 'no-no'
 
No you can't bug me!
~hands back to hips



You know, a LOT of people don't like bugs. Can you believe it?


Poor Little Bug on the Wall
(really ham this one up!)

Poor little bug on the wall
~I have a little plastic bug I use for this

No one to love him at all
~shake head sadly

 No one to blow his nose
~pretend to blow nose, loud and juicy - make'm laugh! This one is AWESOME if you are on a microphone! 

No one to tickle his toes
~my voice goes up high in an almost ready to cry voice here

Poor little bug on the wall
~shake poor little sad head, shrug shoulders, take a deep breath, so SAD!



Ewwww, just thinking of bugs on the walls get me all shivery again!


Criss Cross Applesauce

Criss cross applesauce
~draw an X on baby's back 

Spiders crawling up your spine
~walk fingers up baby's back

Cool breeze
~blow on baby's neck

Tight squeeze
~hug baby

Gives my baby the sillies!
~Tickle baby



Spiders, itty bitty, teeny weeney spiders!


Itsy Bitsy Spider

Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
~fingers walk up arm

Down came the rain and washed the spider out
~fingers mimic rain falling down
 
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
~arms up over head for the sun

So the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again!
~fingers walk up arm again

alt. - fingers walk up baby's tummy to turn this into a tickle game!


I bet you didn't know that next door lived the itsy bitsy spider's cousin!


The GREAT BIG SPIDER!
(deep big voice)

The great big spider went up the water spout
~arms out for a BIG spider

Down came the rain and washed the spider out
~fingers mimic rain falling down

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
~arms up over head for the sun

So the great big spider went up the spout again!
~arms out again


I've got the shivers BAD now! I need a break to make myself feel better!


Gonna Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi
(I recommend singing and acting this one out instead of reading the book. Particularly for the toddlers and babies this laptime is meant for)


Ant Hill
Amy's version

Once I saw an ant hill
~hand in a fist,like a hill, fingers curled under

With no ants about
~puzzled look on face

So I said, Dear little ants

Won't you come out?
~motion a come-come with opposite hand

Then, as if those ants

Had heard my call,
~put your free hand to your ear 

1 2 3 4 5 ants came out!
~open fist and count up

Uh-oh, ouch, OH! not fun at all!
~tickle child with little finger 'ants'


Oh the Ants, those teeny tiny little ants - they're all OVER!


The Ants Go Marching
(keep the beat with hands on legs)

the little one stops to climb a tree
and they all go marching,
down to the ground, to get, out of the rain.
Boom Boom Boom Boom,
Boom Boom Boom Boom

Oh, the ants go marching four by four hurrah, hurrah!
Oh, the ants go marching five by five hurrah, hurrah!
Oh, the ants go marching six by six,
the little one stops to pick up sticks
and they all go marching,
down to the ground, to get, out of the rain.

Here is the Hive

Here is the Hive
~hand in fist
 
But where are the bees?
~puzzled look, other hand up in a ? gesture
 
They're hidden inside
~point to fisted hand
Where nobody sees...
~use a fun, uh-oh, anticipating voice

Oh, oh, oh,
~dart your eyes over to your fist with an uh-oh look
1 2 3 4 5
~fist starts to shake, faster, faster - fist opens up counting...

They're alive! They're alive!
~AH! Those 'bees' tickle baby all over!


Oh, I caught one!!!


I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
~hands cupped together, swinging to the rythym
 Won't my mommy be so proud of me!
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee...
Ouch he stung me!
 
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee
~hands squish together back and forth
 Won't my mommy be so proud of me!
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee...
Ewww, it's all over me!

I'm wiping off a baby bumblebee!
~wipe hands on legs to the rythym
 Won't my mommy be so proud of me!
I'm wiping off a baby bumblebee...
Ugh, it's all messy!

I'm licking off a baby bumblebee!
'~lick' hands - make it SOUND like it too!
 Won't my mommy be so proud of me!
I'm licking off a baby bumblebee...
ughewwwww
~shiver like you just tasted something horrid!
 
MY MOMMY WON'T BE PROUD OF ME!
~shake finger back and forth in a 'no-no'


We clap our Hands
This is possibly a Kindermusic song, I've not been able to verify it though. I did learn it from a teller that was also a Kindermusic teacher.

We clap our hands and wave bye-bye, bye bye
We clap our hands and wave bye-bye, bye bye

Bye kiddos!
Goodnight and watch that those bad bugs don't bite!
____________________

More...

Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming
OPL Link

Rain Song by Lezlie Evans
OPL Link

There was an Old Monster by The Emberley's
OPL Link

Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward
OPL Link

Creepy Crawly Handout
Just click the above 

Oh, the ants go marching one by one hurrah, hurrah!
Oh, the ants go marching two by two hurrah, hurrah!
Oh, the ants go marching three by three,