by James Johnson

Created on: April 12, 2010

The jungle, it excites every young child's mind, as well as many an adult.  Every little lad and lassie imagines themselves going on a jungle safari.  To really get the class in the mood play the song, The Lion sleeps Tonight, written by S. Linda and  popularized around the world by Pete Seeger.  It starts with "in the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight"; and it has stirred the imagination of children all around the world.  The cadence gets children singing, laughing and thinking about the jungle.  It is extremely useful for getting preschoolers in the mood for jungle crafts!

Now preschoolers are almost all little animals to start with, so your first jungle safari craft should involve allowing them to show their inner self, make some animal masks.  Most will likely want to be lions, but there need to be monkeys, birds and even the occasional sloth or antelope, so get paper and make masks of all different shapes.  Paper towel rolls can make a good nose for that elephant!

You can also get the preschoolers folding paper around sticks, then painting and make some jungle flowers.  A roll around the top, tape on the bottom and some bright colors and they become blooms of jungle lianas.  Sounds simple?  It is, just try it and use your imagination!

In the song, The Lion sleeps Tonight, it is near a sleepy village, so village crafts are suitable for jungle safari, and there are several village jungle crafts that preschoolers can make.  Toy bows and arrows can be made from just a curved stick and then plastic straws for arrows.  A tin can or bowl covered with cloth or thick paper becomes a drum.  You can even just use bamboo for making a simple xylophone.  

Of course, villagers will need jewelry, so make some beads using old magazines or even advertisement from the paper.  You cut up the glossy sections into long triangular strips and roll them.  Apply clear glue to the end and you now have jungle beads.  Put the beads on string and all your preschool villagers will now be wearing handmade, individual necklaces!

The preschoolers, and you, will have a blast making jungle safari crafts, and possibly blast out the rest of the school!  Let the music and the crafts begin.

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