I am in the early stages of putting together my 2013 VBS/Camp/Crusade programing. I've decided to do a jungle safari theme. I calling it Hatari Safari which means Life's Journey. I will be doing Vent with Axtell puppets as well as story telling, chalk art, and magic. I'll be using a lot of the "Jungle Doctor Fables". Normally at this stage of the planning process for me, I gather any story, idea or trick I can find put the down on paper the decide each days (which there are 5) topic and then pull from the idea sheet to compile a show.

I plan on using 5 Puppets, the cheeky monkey, a cocatoo, a parrot, a toucan, and of course the king of the jungle a lion. I will be sort of british safari explore type character.


So that brings me to my questions. Have any of you done a jungle theme? What ideas worked well for you? Also what are some jungle themed tricks or object lesson you have done?


Also ere is my logo for the program.

Might be some ideas in here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqxcEnfrl1U

See the zoo post I brought back up. It has some ideas that might work for jungle.

I remember The Wall and the monkey who got his hand stuck in a bottle from the Jungle Doctor series. Great parables.
I still use the wall with some cheap masks from www.orientaltrading.com and audience volunteers.

Paint a stiff rope with magic markers to look like a snake. Add a forked tongue on one end. Then you can "hypnotize" the snake. Or use it to tell the story of Moses' rod that turned into a snake.

Flea tricks are good for the jungle as well. I use the Uncanny Silks and stiff rope to demonstrate the trained flea.
You can also use a rising card, the clatter box (flea gets mad and busts his house), or a slip knot trick (place the knot in a box and when you pull it out the flea has untied it.)

Jam Magic had two great jungle tricks. Tiny the Tiger used the Professor's Nightmare and some beautiful large cards. They also had Chico the Chimp and one with an ape in a hut. Try www.jammagic.com. However, I don't think they still sell. You may have to search ebay.

Polly the Parrot is a card trick that looks great as well. Also, no longer made, but it may come up since you have some time.

Thanks Tony, All I have used the jungle doctor stuff forever, the wall and the monkey trap are two of my faves as well. I had not thought of the flea as a jungle animal but i guess all animals would have fleas, so it makes sense. I will put them on my list.

As far as the JAM Magic tricks go I have a special connection there. I spent several years with Dave Mitchell (owner and creator of JAM) as an assistant building those tricks as well as working with him in church. He was my wife's children's pastor many years ago and I was a children's leader/inter under him. I consider him a mentor as well as a best friend. He is helping me put this program together as well. He does school shows as Ben Franklin now and we do not get to spend as much time together as we used to but we still stay in contact. we Just went to Vent Have together it was a blast. The school shows keep him on the road so much that he doesn't have the time to keep the magic shop going, but he gets out there some in the sumer time to do a small number of tricks and props. He and I have talked about redoing his website and listing some more of his products on a limited basis. I will also be redoing his school show web site in the next coming weeks I'll post a link to it when it done. I guess this is a bit more info than was necessary, but hey he's my pal.

Dave Mitchell was always one of my favorites to watch emcee at I-Fest. He is hilarious! I have pretty much worn out a Pet Store trick I got from him. I did wear out Tiny the Tiger, but still use the ropes in a story.

Finished costuming for my Safari program

That is a really great look for your jungle program.

Great look! However, I wouldn't use the real gun in the photo. Schools, libraries, daycares, and others would fear that you bring it to the show. I think a large fishing net held like a butterfly net might be more visual and more appropriate.

Thanks. The gun is fake, it a toy ( I used PVC and a bicycle horn to make it look like an old blunderbuss elephant gun) and It is only for the pics

If you have access to a table saw I can give you a pretty good magic trick idea I do in just about every magic show I do. With a table saw, a drill, and a sander you can make this in about 30 minutes, and then you'll have to paint it.
You can make this for either a small stage, or a large stage version.

E-mail me if you are interested, and I'll send you a picture and instructions on how to make it.

Also, if you have an Axtell special effects drawing board, I could give you an idea of how you could use it in a jungle show.

wizardpa@bellsouth.net

Chris

You did a great job on the gun. But I would definitely leave it out of any publicity shots.

Hey Chris, I and a proficient wood worker and yes I do have the magic drawing board as wel,l so I would love to see/read what you've got.

Tony, thanks for the concern of the gun. I am doing gospel/church camps and crusades. The actual promo shots will not have the gun. I have to wait till I get all my new Axtell puppets and the new back drop in order to take those photos. I probably do the same time of group shot I did for my Mad scientist show.




I hope to pick up a few if not all of the new puppets this weekend at Kidabra in Pigeonforge, TN. I have the backdrop designed but haven't ordered it yet due to budget restraints (hopefully next month). I do have to get the shots done soon though I normally have till early spring to have the promo and then I usually have another moth or two to finish up any loose ends in the programing. But I just got invited to spend two weeks in Grand Cayman in early January, to do booth my Science show as well as the Safari show. They also want me to do there schools as well as training for the church leaders. So got a lot to do between now and January.

Sounds like a lot of doors are opening! You may want to talk them into just one theme, to save a bundle of flight costs. That third checked bag shoots up to $100 by itself!

I often use the lion to tell the story of the lion and the mouse, but since you have a rat already perhaps he could be in the Safari show and he could tell that story.

The island is so small the two churches are only 10 miles apart. so many of the same kids will attend booth programs so they want two different themes

But don't you have multiple shows for each theme? Or are you talking about doing a full set of shows at one church and then a full (different) set at the other? I did a camp this summer and used the same puppets in 6 different shows. I had to pack lots of magic.

Yes, two separate 4 night crusade services as well as a hour school show and the teacher training.

Maybe go very Cartoony and put a large Cork with a loop of string tied to it in the gun.