Sapos cachones y ranas saltonas /
Horny Toads and Jumping Frogs
by Paola Ferate-Soto, Josefina Rodriguez-Gibbs, Nohemi Lopez, and Maricela Moreyra-Torres
Books to Share
- Froggy se viste by Jonathan London.
- El perro del cerro y la rana de la sabana by Ana María Machado.
- El príncipe rana by Mary Lewis Wang.
- Sapo enamorado by Max Velthuijs.
- El sapo que no quería comer by Martha Sastrías.
- Salta ranita, salta by Robert Kalan.
Bulletin Board
Frog Pond
Cover a bulletin board with blue paper. Decorate it with lily pads made from green construction paper circles traced from coffee cans. Trace frogs from the pattern here and place them on the lilly pads. Draw fish or reeds.
Decorations
Display books about toads and frogs. Surround them with frog and toad puppets and stuffed animals, or with origami frogs.
Activity
Outline the shape of a lily pad on the floor of the program room with masking tape and have children sit in it and pretend to be frogs.
Rhyme
Sana que sana
(This traditional rhyme from Latin America is told when a child hurts him or herself. While it is being chanted, the adult massages or caresses the part of the child’s body that is hurting. You may listen to it on the Texas State Library’s El día de los niños/El día de los libros web page at www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/ninos/songsrhymes.html)
Sana que sana,
colita de rana,
si no sanas hoy,
sanarás mañana.
Heal, Heal
(Translated by Paola Ferate-Soto)
Heal, heal
frog’s tail
if it doesn’t heal today
tomorrow it will.
Fingerplay
Tres ranitas pecosas
(This version of the traditional rhyme, "Three Little Leopard Frogs" is translated into Spanish by Paola Ferate-Soto.)
Tres ranitas pecosas (Put three fingers from one hand over the other arm)
Sentadas estaban sobre un tronco
Comiendose unos deliciosos bichos. (Pretend you are eating something delicious)
¡Yum, yum!
Una se saltó de un brinco (Point one finger down)
Al agua fresca y refrescante
Y quedaron dos rantitas pecosas.
Dos ranitas pecosas... (Repeat rhyme with two fingers on arm)
Una ranita pecosa... (Repeat rhyme with one finger on arm)
Three Little Leopard Frogs
Three little leopard frogs
Sitting on a leopard log
Eating the most delicious bugs.
Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were two little leopard frogs.
Glub, glub.
Two little leopard frogs…
One little leopard frog…
Songs
Cucú, cucú
(You may listen to this traditional rhyme on the Texas State Library’s El día de los niños/El día de los libros web page at www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/ninos/songsrhymes.html.)
Cucú, cucú, cantaba la rana
Cucú, cucú, debajo del agua.
Cucú, cucú, pasó un caballero
Cucú, cucú, con capa y sombero.
Cucú, cucú, pas� una señora
Cucú, cucú, con traje de cola.
Cucú, cucú, pasó un marinero
Cucú, cucú, vendiendo romero.
Cucú, cucú, le pidió un ramito
Cucú, cucú, y no se lo dió
Cucú, cucú, se puso a llorar.
Cucú, cucú
(Translated by Paola Ferate-Soto)
Cucu, cucu, the froggie was singing
Cucu, cucu, underneath the water.
Cucu, cucu a gentleman passes
Cucu, cucu with a cape and a hat.
Cucu, cucu a lady goes walking
Cucu, cucu with her long long skirt.
Cucu, cucu a sailor goes by
Cucu, cucu selling rosemary.
Cucu, cucu she wanted an branch
Cucu, cucu and he wouldn’t sell it
Cucu, cucu she left very sad.
Craft
Frog
(Adapted from Storytime Crafts by Kathryn Totten)
Materials
- Frog pattern
- Green Construction Stiff paper
- Colors
- Stapler
- Scissors
Directions
In advance, copy the frog pattern, glue it onto green construction paper, and cut it out. The children will color the frog, and with the help of their parents, cut along the outline of the tabs, and fold the rear legs along the dotted lines. Then they will bend the body under and fold the tabs down and staple, as shown in the illustration. The frog will jump when pushed lightly on the head.
Games and Activities
Leap Frog
Divide children into two groups. Half of the children will be frogs, and the other half will be the lily pads. Form a line of lily pads, they will squat down and tuck their head and shoulders. The line of frogs will "leap" over the lily pads by placing their hands on the player’s shoulders and vault over them with legs apart. After that frog has leaped over all the lily pads, he or she will become a lily pad. When the last frog has jumped, the first lily pad will become a frog and the game will continue until each child has had a turn.
Musical Recordings
"Sana, sana" on Vol. 1 - Lírica infantil by José-Luis Orozco.
"Heal, Heal / Sana, sana" on Universe of Song by María Del Rey.