Zoo and Jungle Animals

LIONS + TIGERS + GIRAFFES -- OH MY!!!!!
Look what amazing jungle/zoo animals I've seen recently making my rounds of school visits. LUV LUV LUV these bulletin boards!!

I've written here before regarding my delight at finding 'lion' craft and Art projects..... after all I AM the LION LADY!!! Click back to this heart-warming story about a young boy with special needs and my participation at his birthday party. The earlier post has oodles of lion artwork using paper plates and handprints among other ideas. 


[Spoiler alert? Stop now. Read no further. His first spoken word is the roar at the end of my original children's song, "Lion Prowl." ] 


These lion beauties were on display in Taylor Michigan earlier this week. My sweetie Mrs. Fesler-friend and her peeps created these amazing lions in anticipation of my music-lady arrival. That's a lot of work for the preschoolers to cut the lion's mane all around the piece of construction paper. BRILLIANT!!!! What a delightful welcome for the LION LADY's return school visit!! LUV going back to make visits to schools I've visited in the past. I think this was my 4th visit to their school district in my 15 year rainbow-hurrah of travels. 

One of the traditional spring field trips many plan as their culminating adventure is the outing to the zoo -- so I thought I'd gather up several zoo-ie artsie projects into one post. Just as applicable if you're thinking jungle theme. These next couple of collages are the work of the early elementary students at Garden Elementary in Venice, FL. Do you remember my Author Visit in their midst a couple of weeks back? It was my last palm tree, author-visit before we headed up north.


My blogging buddy Joanna Davis of "Our Arts Lately" fame, was the one responsible for orchestrating my visit to their K-5th grade building. YES!!! I got to work with each and every grade level -- all the way up to the super-mature 5th graders. These triangular tigers were hanging in her Art room as we went dashing thru to the music room and they add to the theme here today. 

Joanna and I first met out here in the big cyber-world as blogging buddies and over a wack-doodle set of serendipitous circumstances (I am a member of her grandmother's quilt guild up in the great woods of northern WI during our summers in Door County) we've come to be supporters of one another's work. Joanna had her students create these delightful giraffes below in anticipation of my arrival in their sunny midst in response to my second picture book, "Tall Giraffe." 


Take a minute and look at the details of the 'borders' of each of her student's projects. LUV LUV LUV the patchwork borders around the tall giraffes. 

Here are some 'stamped' giraffes from up north in Michigan. Easy peasy art for the wee hands in preschool. Isn't it awesome to see what a difference a few years makes in the giraffe interpretations and capabilities? 

Look at these simple paper plate zoo creatures from an earlier article here, from one of my music-lady visits in FL last winter. Simple zoo art projects for your youngest of children.  

Zebras on paper plates

Giraffes on paper plates

Here's one final jungle/zoo image from just yesterday and my whirlwind of fun through-out the Bryan OH community. This is one of the classroom doors I saw as I went 'zipping' about at Lincoln Elementary. (Subtle reference to my Bryan library hostess the marvel: Mrs. Zippay. Teeheehee. Get it?) 

I just this minute popped over to check in on PreK+K Sharing and see that my other dear friend from the road, Carie has a whole tradition of extensions for their very own zoo trip. You must hop over to see their tables covered for individual zoo creations and while you're over there wait till you see their end of the year auction item to raise money for Relay of Life. Collaborations are the best!!!! 

LARGE Zoo Drawings on Tables

Here's also to your enjoying this week's amazing contributions at the Kid's Co-op!!! Tons of articles for you to explore over the weekend.  

-- Debbie --