THEME: Giraffes

__SUGGESTED BOOKS/STORIES _____________

*Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrede
*Neck & Neck by Elise Parsley
*Abigail by Catherine Rayner
Giraffe Problems by Jory John
The Short Giraffe by Neil Flory
The Short-sighted Giraffe by A. H. Benjamin
Giraffe is too Tal for This Book by DK Ryland
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe by Jun Takabatake
There's a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Barach
Giraffes Up Close by Carmen Bredeson (non-fiction)
Carlo Likes Colors by Jessica Spanyol
Saffy and Saffy & Ollie by Paola Opal
Giraffes Ruin Everything by Heidi Schulz
Oh Dear, Geoffrey! by Gemma O’Neill
Starry Giraffe by Andy Bergman
One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck

__  SONGS  _____________________________

Mr. Giraffe
(Tune: Mary had a Little Lamb)

Mr. Giraffe is very tall.
His neck is long.
His legs are long.
Mr. Giraffe is very tall so he can reach the leaves. 

Mr. Giraffe has a special tongue.
A long tongue.
A purple tongue.
Mr. Giraffe has a special tongue so he can reach the leaves.

Zoo Animals song
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 
If you want to be a monkey if you want to be a monkey 
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 

parrot… flap your wings 
elephant… swing your trunk 
lion… roar out loud 
giraffe… stand up tall

__  FINGERPLAYS / RHYMES_______________

Flannel board:

One Giraffe in the bathtub going for a swim. 
Knock, Knock, (Clap twice with “Knock, Knock.”) 
Splash, Splash, (Slap knees twice with “Splash, Splash.”) 
Come on in! (Motion with both hands to come in.) 

Two Giraffes in the bathtub...  
Three Giraffes in the bathtub...
Four Giraffes in the bathtub...  

Five Giraffes in the bathtub going for a swim. 
Knock, Knock, Splash, Splash, 
It all fell in! (knock everything off flannel board)
_____

Flannel board:
(Idea taken from Making Learning Fun)

First, we figured out what color the spots were on one giraffe.
(The spots were: red, blue, green, orange, purple.)
Then we sang this song:

(Tune: “Mary Wore Her Red Dress”)
This giraffe has red spots,
red spots, red spots.
This giraffe has red spots.
Count them with me now.

Count the spots on the giraffe, then bring out another giraffe and repeat.

With the blank giraffe we sang:
This giraffe has no spots,
no spots, no spots.
This giraffe has no spots.
_____

I’m a Giraffe

Rhyme taken from: Mansfield/Richland County Public Library

 I’m a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up overhead)
A big tall giraffe, I almost reach the sky (stand up on tip toes)
I eat the leaves from the tallest of trees (pretend to eat like giraffe, rub tummy)
And when I run I move with ease (run in place)
I’m a big tall giraffe stretching way up high (reach arms up overhead)
Way… up… high! (stand on tip toes)

__  NEW WORDS INTRODUCED  ____________

Bobbing, gleaming, goofus, types of dances, sneered

__  ACTIVITY  _________________________

#1 Running giraffe craft
#2 G is for giraffe

__  MATERIALS NEEDED  ________________
#1 Giraffe cut-outs (Ellison dye)
Simple safari background (cut path for giraffe)
Craft sticks (if desired for giraffe), glue, crayons

#2 Coloring page, crayons, glue
Yarn for tail, pre-cut giraffe head

__  OTHER IDEAS _______________________