Africa Finger play I’d like to go to Africa (Point to self) Where Natives build straw hits like this (Join fingertips of two hands and form roof) Where elephants have big, grey trunks (Clasp hands and swing arms in front like a trunk) Where natives’ arrow seldom miss (Draw an arrow into a pretend bow) Where lions shake their manes and roar (Shake head & roar) I’d like to go to Africa (Point to self)

Safari music/ videos that you could play in the background whilst doing these tasks can be found

here:

Safari animal sounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLbwqAYozZM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFO58DZJKxc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0EN8itpQZo

Relaxing safari back ground music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3usmfU_GYM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcgPRmLPPqw

Safari Documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDdliyH02E

Week 1- Activity 1 (Sight)

(Parents/ carers to help students to make this)

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• X2 cardboard tubes (the same size)

• Some tape (sellotape/ masking tape/ duct tape

• Some string

• Some crayons/ paint/ stickers to decorate with

• Some scissors

• Is the student able to hold the binoculars close to their eyes?

• Is the student able to look through the binocular holes?

• Is the student able to follow an object whilst looking through the binoculars?

• Does the student show a like or dislike to the activity or object?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Week 1- Activity 2 (Hearing)

We are going to make a

homemade drum.

Parents/ carers to help students to make this)

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Tin Can (empty)

• Scissors

• 1 Balloon

• 2 Dowel rods

• 2 Beads

• 1 Rubber band

• 1 inch thick decorative ribbon tape (optional)

• 2 - 1/2 inch thick decorative (optional)

• Is the student able to listen to the drum being played?

• Is the student show a like or dislike to the object?

• Is the student able to use the rods to make a sound on the drum?

How to make:

1. Cut the bottom stem portion of the balloon

2. Stretch the balloon over the top open side of the can.

3. Take the 1 inch decorative ribbon tape and place a strip around the middle of the can (optional)

4. With the 1/2 inch decorative ribbon tape adhere a strip above and below the 1 inch strip. Use the same colour ribbon or different colours (optional)

5. Secure the balloon covering the mouth of the can with a rubber band to be sure the balloon does not come off.

6. Finally, take your two dowel rods and two beads, and fasten the beads to one end of each rod. This creates your drum sticks.

Week 2- Activity 1 (Touch)

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• A Tissue box / shoe box (or more than one)

• Different textures to represent animal fur/ skin (rough, smooth, scaly, soft)

• OR Different fruit (that can be grown in Africa) like bananas, pineapple and citrus fruits.

• Animal figurines (if you already have some)

• Scissors

• Does the student appear interested/ engaged in the boxes? (looking/ reaching/ smiling/ touching/ smelling)

• Is the student able to place their hand inside the box to feel the animal/ fruit? (with help/ by being shown or independently)

• Is the student able to pull out the animal/ fruit from the box? (with help/ by being shown or independently)

• Does the student show a like or dislike to the activity or objects?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Week 2- Activity 2

Touch and Fine Motor Skills

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• A container or a box

• Different stimuli for the students to feel

- Rice - Sand - Water - Beans - Seeds

• Animal figurines

• Does the student appear interested/ engaged in the boxes? (looking/ reaching/ smiling/ touching/ smelling)

• Is the student able to place their hand inside the container to feel the animal (with help/ by being shown or independently)

• Is the student able to pull out the animal from the box? (with help/ by being shown or independently)

• Does the student show a like or dislike to the activity or objects?

Instructions of how to make and do task: 1. Place one of the different stimuli in a large container or box. 2. Place animal’s figurines in the container or box. 3. Place the box near the student. 4. Then wait to see if the student interacts with the container. 5. If not, you could show what the students need to do. 6. Can the students pull out the animal figurines out of the container/box? 7. Repeat this activity with different stimuli and different animals.

Week 3 Activity 1

Sequence & Pattern -Turn Taking

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Choose from: Cardboard tubes/ straw/ pasta/ beads/ cheerio’s

• Choose from: String/ rope/ long pasta

• Coloured paint or felts to decorate the African style beads with

• Scissors to cut the materials/ string up with

• Is the student able to pick up an object?

• Is the student able to choose between a choices of two options?

• With help, is the student able to thread the bead/ straw/ pasta/ cheerio/ cardboard tube onto a piece of string/ rope/ long pasta?

• Can the student take it in turn with you to thread the object?

• With support, have you been able to create a pattern?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Week 3 Activity 2- Sequence & Pattern

Repeating patterns with large objects

Repeating simple patterns with animal pictures for example zebra, elephant, zebra and

elephant

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Large scale boxes

• Plastic Bottles

• Large Objects

• Is the student able to pick up an object?

• Is the student able to choose between a choices of two options?

• With help, is the student able to create a repeated pattern for example placing a box, next a plastic bottle, next another box, next another plastic bottle?

Week 4 Activity 1- Fine Motor

Skills

Instructions of how to do task:

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• A colander/ sieve/ metal rack tray/ box with holes in

• Colourful pipe cleaners/ straws/ ribbon

• Is the student able to pull the snake objects out of the colander by using whole hand or pincer grip?

• Is the student able to poke/ push the snake objects through the colander?

• Does the student engage with the snake objects by looking/ touching/ smelling?

• Does the student engage with the colander by tapping, pushing, turning over, and listening to the sound?

Week 4 Activity 2- Touch

Green Gloop

Instructions of how to do task:

1.Put all ingredients together in a tray.

2. Mix together with your hands.

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• 2 cups cornflour

• 1 cup water

• green food dye

• A large tray

• Do the students show an interest in touching the gloop?

• Do they accept exploring the gloop for a longer period of time?

Week 5 Activity 1- Fine Motor Skills

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Either; actual vegetables (cut up into chunks), or photo’s/ drawings of vegetables

• Lolly sticks

• Egg box

• Box

• Scissors

• Glue/ blue tac/ tape

Some examples of vegetables that can be grown in Africa are:

• Potatoes

• Peppers

• Common bean

• Eggplant

• Cucumber

• Is the student able to pick up the vegetable/ lolly stick?

• Is the student able to choose between a choices of two options?

• Is the student able to place the vegetable/ lolly stick on top of the egg box?

• Is the student able to place the vegetable/ lolly stick onside the hole of the egg box?

• Is the student engaged in this activity? Looking/ touching/ smiling/ smelling/ listening etc.

Week 5 Activity 2- Fine Motor Skills

African Thumb Piano

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• 1 Empty shoe box

• Tape

• Knife or Scissors

• Bobby Pins

• Paints

• Paint Brush

• Is the student able to listen to the thumb piano being played?

• Is the student show a like or dislike to the object?

• Is the student able to touch the bobby pins to make a sound/vibration on the thumb piano?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Start by taping the lid closed on your box. 2. Next, cut a circle in the top of the box. It should be about the size of the palm of your

hand. 3. Pull each bobby pin to open the prongs an inch or two.

4. Use tape to secure the open bobby pins to the box.

Position them about halfway over the hole in the box with

the rippled sides up.

5. Paint your box an assortment of colours that remind you of the jungle. Use the bright

colours of bird, foliage, insects and animals of the jungle as your inspiration. Create

patterns like zig-zags and stripes too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coCeJllwLRw Amazing African Traditional

dance Botswana

African Children

Dancing

Tour of Africa

Activity 1- Touch

Oil & Water Sensory Bag

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Large freezer bag

• Baby Oil • Water

• Food colouring

• Duct tape

• Do the students show an interest in touching the sensory bag?

• Do they accept exploring the sensory bag for a longer period of time?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Freezer bags can had weak corners and dripping can happen with the smallest of holes. So the first thing you want to do is tape up the 3 closed sides of your bag with tape.

2. Place the tape on half of the bag and fold it over to the other side. I suggest doing the sides first and then the bottom.

3. Once your tape is in place, it’s time to put the bag together. 4. Start with your baby oil. I don’t measure, but I probably used about 1/4 of a cup of

oil. 5. Then drip in some of your food colouring. 6. Then add some water. About 1/4 of a cup of water too. 7. Seal the bag, pushing out most of the air. I do leave a small pocket of air in this

sensory bag- but not enough that it could potentially pop. 8. Tape up the open edge of the bag and it’s ready to play!

Activity 2- Mark Making

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Tray

• Sand

• Green Food Colouring

• Sticks

• Do the students show an interest in touching the green sand?

• Are the students to able to make marks in the sand with either a stick or their fingers?

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Activity 3- Mark Making – Colouring the South Africa Flag

Activity 4 – Story

Materials you will need are:

• Picture of a Rhino

• Grey objects to feel

• Feel/taste of fruit

• Water on a damp cloth

• Yellow and Brown paint in a bag

• Feel of Mud

• Long thin Object

• Rough Objects

•

Activity 6 – Rainmaker

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Start by painting your cardboard tube. We pained ours to resemble a

piece of hollow wood. Let it dry

2. Cut out two circles from a large, paper grocery bag. We crumpled the

paper up to make it soft and look worn. We also cut some fringe around

the outside of the circle.

3. Attach one circle to the end of your cardboard tube using a rubber

band.

4. Experiment with different ways to fill your rainsticks. Once you’re

happy with the sound of your rainstick, rubber band the other paper

circle to the opposite end.

5. Tie some different coloured pieces to yarn to each end.

6. Create music and explore sound with your homemade rain sticks!

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Sturdy cardboard tube

• Paint

• Large, brown paper grocery bag

• Yarn

• Rubber bands

• Scissors

• Pipe cleaners and/or craft wire

• Beads, rice, beans, or other material for inside the rain stick

• Is the student able to listen to the rainmaker being played?

• Is the student show a like or dislike to the object?

• Is the student able to move the rainmaker up and down to make a sound?

Activity 1 – Pattern Necklace

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Materials you will need are:

• Paper plates

• Paint or felt-tip pens

• Pencil

• Scissors

• Paintbrush

Activity 2 – African Mask

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Cut eye holes. Start out with paper plate. Draw and cut out a pair of eye holes.

Take some strips of newspaper. Twist and form them into a mouth and nose shape. Glue them onto the plate.

Paint your mask with a base colour, which is typically brown, black, or white. Use a water-based paint like tempera or poster paint. Let the paint dry completely.

Paint dots, lines, and patterns according to the African tribal mask you have in mind. You can go with a single colour such as white or make the mask as colourful as you like.

Some African tribal masks have hair. We used colourful strips of crepe paper on ours. The crepe paper strips were slightly crumpled up before being glued onto the paper plate. Besides crepe paper, you can also glue some raffia, yarn, or feathers.

Materials you will need are:

• Paper plate (8½ or 10-inch)

• Tempera or poster paint

• Paint brush

• Scissors

• Newspapers

• White glue

• Crepe paper

Activity 3 – Lion

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Have the kids break their pieces of spaghetti noodles in half

and at random lengths. Cut out a lion’s face shape with the

yellow paper and glue it in the middle of the paper. Cut out

some eyes with white paper and draw pupils with the marker.

Finish the lions face with a nose and mouth. The easiest way to glue on the spaghetti is to use a clear glue

bottle and make lots of random straight lines around the face, then have the kids stick on each piece of

spaghetti.

Materials you will need are:

• Whole grain spaghetti noodles (regular

works too)

• Glue

• Scissors

• Yellow and white paper

• Black or brown marker

Activity 4 – Giraffe

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Begin by covering the student hand and arm in yellow paint. Remember not to paint their thumb!

First we left our prints on our paper.

Use a brown felt tip pen to draw around the Giraffes - giving them ears and short hairy horns!

Use pupil’s finger tips to print on the Giraffe markings and we used PVA glue to add on the Googly eyes and that was it they were done!

Materials you will need are:

• Paper

• Yellow/Brown Paint

• Paint Brushes

• Googly Eyes

• Paint Brush

• Pen

Activity 5 – Zebra

Instructions of how to make and do task:

Begin by covering the student hand in white paint. First we left our prints on our paper with the thumb separate out. Use a paint brush and black paint on the zebra handprint to make lines, tail

and hair. We used PVA glue to add on the Googly eyes and that was it they were done!

Materials you will need are:

• Paper

• White/Black Paint

• Paint Brushes

• Googly Eyes

• Paint Brush

Developing Skills

Horticulture Workstations

Activity 1 – Touch

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Cut potatoes into halves 2. Places compost into a tray/pot 3. Hide the potatoes into the compost 4. Can the students feel the compost and move the compost to find the potatoes

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• Tray/Pot

• Compost

• Potatoes

• Do the students show an interest in feeling the compost?

• Are the students able to move the compost to find the potatoes?

Activity 2 – Making a Bird

Feeder

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Mix together the dry ingredients (the birdseed, flour) in a bowl.

2. Stir in the wet ingredients (the water). You will probably need to use your

hands to get it sufficiently mixed.

3. Spray a cookie cutter (any shape as long as it has thick sides) with cooking

spray.

4. Press the bird feed mixture into the cookie cutters. Then use a skewer to

make a hole.

5. Gently remove the cookie cutter.

6. Allow it to dry overnight.

7. String a ribbon through it and give it away or hang it in your trees.

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• 4 cups birdseed

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/2 cup water

• cooking spray

• parchment lined baking sheet

• thick sided cookie cutter

• Do the students show an interest in helping to make the bird feeder?

Activity 3 – Beaded Wind

Chime

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. Start by gluing the craft sticks into 2 triangles. Place on top of each other to

form a star shape and glue.

2. Cut 4 20″ pieces of jewellery wire.

3. Slide a crimp bead onto the end of one piece of jewellery wire, crimp to

close. Start stringing beads in desired pattern, half way up the strand stop

and add a large bead, crimp bead and close.

4. NOTE* Start and end with a large bead on each strand. The large beads

hanging on the bottom will bang together making a sound and the other large

beads will hold the star up.

5. Continue stringing 2 more strands this way.

6. String the 4th strand completely leaving only about 4 inches at the end.

7. Thread the 3 strands, 1 through each hole on the star,

Materials you will need are: Possible activity outcomes:

• 6 jumbo craft sticks in rainbow colours

• Tacky or Hot glue

• Jewellery wire or fishing line

• Crimp beads (found near the beads in any big box or craft store)

• Plastic or crystal beads

• 6 large beads

• Scissors

• Jewellery pliers or regular pliers

• Do the students show an interest in helping to make the wind chime?

• Are the students able to place the beads onto the wire?

• Can they follow instructions of how to make the wind chime?

Activity 4 – Leaf Printing

Instructions of how to make and do task:

1. First, you need to collect some different size rocks and leaves.

2. Make sure your rocks are clean and dry before painting. Depending

on the paint that you use and the colour you might need to do more

than one coat on your rocks.

3. Once your rocks are dry, it’s time for the leaf printing! I found that

painting the leaves on the back, helped create more detail when

printed. Paint your leaves with a paintbrush, but be careful not to put

the paint on too thick or it will not make a clear print.

4. Take your painted leaf, press it on your painted rock and gently lift

off to reveal your beautiful print! Continue printing with your leaves

on the rest of your rocks.

5. Let everything dry and edge your rocks in gold paint with a small paintbrush. Don’t worry about the lines being too straight, that just adds to the design!

Materials you will need are:

• Rocks, make sure your rocks are large enough for your leaves

• Leaves, different sizes, and shapes

• Paint brushes

• Paint

• Gold paint for edging