Little Chameleon's Color Game

This is an oldie but goodie from my files. I made this set many years ago. I used the classic, A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni with it and we had a blast!  This was one of my first attempts at making my own rhymes and I was pretty pleased with it.  It was also the first attempt at a giving clues type activity. I could almost see the wheels turning in their little heads as they used their visual memories to match the clues I gave.  I LOVED it so much, I've been trying to do similar things ever since!  It's so rewarding to watch a child 'get it'! Their little faces light up and they are so proud of themselves...I'm so proud of them too!  Anyway, here it is:

Little Chameleon's Color Game
 by Kathryn Roach
(put up the gray chameleon on the board to start)

Little Chameleon let's play a game today

Change your color to match the things that I say!

Fluffy clouds in the sky, cotton balls, a polar bear,

Sometimes this is the color of people's hair   

(put up white one - big laugh, my hair is almost snow white now)

The sun and a lemon, sunflowers too,

Squash and bananas to name a few!    (yellow)

The great big ocean, the big, high sky,

Yummy berries to put in a pie!   (blue)

The grass and frogs, a small snake that slithers by,

Peas and broccoli, my, oh my!  (green) 

Pretty flowers, cotton candy, a little bunny nose,

cute baby pigs and tiny baby toes! (pink) 

Three things I can think of that are this beautiful hue,

Some pansies, sweet grapes and eggplants too!  (purple)  

Now try this color of leaves in the fall,

Pumpkins and carrots and a basketball!  (orange)  

We like this color when it's chocolate to eat, dirt in the garden or wood for a seat.  (brown)

This color is dark, the opposite of white.  You'll see this color when you turn off the light! (black)

  

Roses and cherries, a Valentine heart; Yummy strawberries baked in a tart!  (red) 

Little Chameleon now it's time for you to rest. You've changed to all the colors that we like the best!

(put grey chameleon back on the board)

The chameleon is made from a deconstructed picture from an old Mailbox magazine page. I just cut it apart and used the pieces as patterns. **update**  I found the page in The Mailbox 1996-1997 Yearbook: Preschool pg. 131. I reduced the size a little on the copier, made two copies and cut apart the head, and legs (I didn't worry about two legs for the front and back). I cut the total body shape and glued the head and legs on the body. I added a pink circle 'cheek' just because I liked it that way. Be sure to glue the tail to the back to reduce pulling and general floppiness. **       I did glue the end of the tail to the back of the chameleon  because it was too floppy and one or two were pulled too hard and lost their cute curve. This could also be a cute file folder rhyme too.    This was a LOT of fun at Storytime with my little friends!