Songs

 

1. 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)

2. I'm A Little Froggy (Tune: I'm a little teapot)

I'm a little froggy,

Slick and green.

I once was a tadpole,

As you have seen.

Then I grew some strong legs

While swimming about,

And now I'm a frog.

Hurray, let's shout!

"Ribbit!"

3. 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."

4. Down in the Meadow

Down in the meadow in a little bitty pool

Swam ten little turtles and a mama turtle too

Swim said the mama turtle Swim like I do

so they swam and they swam all over the pool

Change to different action words Splash dive, float, etc.

5. I am an Alligator

With a tail that whomps and a mouth that chomps.

I slither through the southern swamps.

With a tail so long and jaws so strong.

You'd better not go where you don't belong.

I am an Alligator.  I think there's nothing greater;

Eating what I please under my cypress trees.

I am an Alligator.  You'll discover now or later.

Don't fool around with me.

 

Crafts

 

1. Circle Frog Craft

Cut out a large circle for head and two small circles for eyes out of green construction paper. Cut two white circle and glue onto two small green circles then add two small black circles to center of white circles. Attach the Eyes to top of large green circle (head). Cut out half-circle from red construction paper and glue onto head for mouth.

2. Paper Bag Frog Puppet

Paint paper bag green. Cut two small circles for eyes out of green construction paper. Cut two white circle and glue onto two small green circles then add two small black circles to center of white circles. Glue onto top of paper bag. Add a tongue by cutting a strip out of red construction paper. Glue under the flap and roll it by using a pencil. Cut out two small circles out of green construction paper add two dots to center. These will be the nostrils of the frog.  Add two arms out of green construction paper.

3. Lizard Bracelet

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

4. Snake

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

5. Crocodile 

Paint a clothespin green, glue eyes on the top then add  pom poms along the back.

6. Lizard with scales

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.

7. Coffee Filter Turtles

Take coffee filters and stuffed them with scrunched up paper towels. Then cover it with a piece of green construction paper that is glued on. Then the children can glue on the head, the feet and the tail. (It's easiest to glue on if it's flipped upside down.) Then, the child can paint the shell.   

8. Turtle

Find a nice smooth rock. Cut out a turtle shape larger than the rock out of green paper. Add eyes mouth and feet and tail. Glue on rock and paint green. The rock is its shell.

9.  Glittering Alligator

The teacher should provide each child with an alligator shape with mouth wide open. Then it can be painted with thick green or brown paint. After painting, sprinkle with green glitter. Add eyes and teeth.

10. Scaly Snake

Cut out a snake pattern out of white paper. Have children glue on a pattern of colored tissue paper to represent a type of snake.

 

 

Circle Activities

 

1. Measuring Snakes

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

2. 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.

3. 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 ……

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.

4. 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)

5. Five little speckled frogs

 Five little speckled frogs,

Sat on a speckled log,

Eating the most delicious bugs.

Yum, Yum.

One jumped into the pool,

Where it was nice and cool,

Then there were four more speckled frogs. Glub, glub!

Five....Four....Three....Two.....One

Squat on the floor like frogs. One by one take it in turns to be the frog

that jumps into the pool.

6. Here is My Turtle

Here is my turtle,  ( Form fist and extend thumb.)

He lives in a shell.  (Put thumb inside fist.)

He like his home

Very well.  (Nod head)

He pokes his head out    (Pop out thumb.)

When he wants to eat.   (Circle thumb around.)

And pulls it back in

When he wants to sleep.  (Put thumb back inside)

7. Reptiles

Introduce the children to different reptiles. Give a characteristic of each reptile.

8. Five Little Monkeys and Alligator Hand Puppet Activity

Five little monkeys swinging in a tree,

Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....

Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......

And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

4,3,2,1

No little monkeys swinging in a tree

9. Alligator Chomp

Here is a group gross motor activity game I did with my preschool co-op. You need a large blue tarp, sheet or felt etc. Place an alligator stuffed or plastic on sheet. Children form a line behind. As you cross the swamp you chant I'm walking, I'm walking; I'm walking across the swamp. I hope that alligator doesn't go chop. At this time you and the children make an alligator chomping gesture by bringing arms and hands down together. Continue by interjecting other movements such as: I'm swimming, I'm swimming, I'm swimming across the swamp. I hope that alligator doesn't go chomp. Can also do tip toeing, jumping etc.

10. Reptile Sounds

Do the sounds of reptiles. (snakes-ssssss, frog-ribbit, ribbit, alligator-chomp, chomp

Lizard-slurp, slurp)

 

Stories

 

1. Amazing Lizards! by Fay Robinson

Rhyming text and illustrations introduce the colorful world of lizards. Includes a reference section providing more information about the lizards mentioned in the text.

2. Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan

A cumulative tale in which a frog tries to catch a fly without getting caught itself.

3. The Smallest Turtle by Lynley Dodd

A newly-hatched turtle makes the dangerous journey across a beach full of obstacles to the nearby sea

4. The Snake's Mistake by Keith Faulkner

The snake swallows a bunch of school children but the last child tricks the snake by shaking some pepper onto him. The snake sneezes and all the children come flying out.

5. The Turtle and the Moon by Charles Turner

A lonely turtle makes friends with the moon.

6. Turtle Splash! Countdown at the Pond by Cathryn Falwell

As they are startled by the activities of other nearby creatures, the number of turtles on a log in a pond decreases from ten to one.

7. The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Rex Schneider

The frog believe he’s too good to eat just plain old flies so he adventures out and visits multiple animals asking them what he should eat. The last animal he visits is a crocodile and the crocodile eats frogs. The frogs jumps away and settles for eating flies.

8. Alligator's Toothache by Diane de Groat

It is a serious problem when an alligator gets a toothache especially when it is afraid of the dentist.

9. S-S-S-Snakes! by Lucille Recht Penner

Describes various types of snakes.

10. Alligators All Around, an Alphabet by Maurice Sendak

An alligator goes through the alphabet introducing things that start with each letter.

11. A Child's Book of Snakes, Lizards, and Other Reptiles by Kathleen N. Daly

An illustrated introduction for beginning readers to reptiles including snakes, lizards, the tuatara, turtles, tortoises, and crocodilians.

12. Lizard's Home by George Shannon

When Snake starts sleeping on the rock where Lizard lives, Lizard must figure out how to get his home back.

 

General Activities

 

1. 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.

2. Pond Life

Set out a variety of different reptiles and make a pond.

3. Hatching Eggs

Directions: Find small snakes, frogs, lizards. Set out animals that hatch out of eggs and plastic eggs in you science center.