This is a weekly update of what songs we’re currently singing, yoga poses, movements, the whole nine yards.
In most cases, the song/activity listed is a link so you can listen to me sing and read the lyrics, etc.
Week of June 7, 2022
Week of May 31, 2022
We passed around the “feely jar” on Wednesday. Ask your child what was in it!
We also acted out the book “Mr. Gumpy’s Outing” (with a few minor tweaks) on Friday.
Week of May 24, 2022
May Day song – Magnus asked for the song about the branch, and I didn’t know what he was talking about until someone explained it was the song about waving the branch! Good thing we have children who understand what each other are talking about – sometimes we adults need a little help!
We passed around the “feely jar” on Wednesday, inside of which was a bristle block (the material they’ve been using to make airplanes, boats, trains, etc.)
We played the “Monkey Around” game on Wednesday.
Wheels on the Bus, a regular request!
Week of May 17, 2022
Freeze Dance
We also passed around a “feely jar,” inside of which there was an object that you would feel and try to figure out what it was. We did it on Tuesday, and it was a clothespin. On Friday it was a “donut” – a metal form we use in the sandbox, often to make pretend donuts.
There was a request for Wheels on the Bus on Friday, so we sang that, too.
We also read and acted out the Mrs. Wishy Washy story that we had done long ago. There were lots of cows, pigs and ducks jumping, rolling and paddling in the mud! (Hadley volunteered to be Mrs. Wishy Washy, and gently cleaned off everybody with a brush.) See photos of animals in the mud below!



Week of May 10, 2022
Week of April 26, 2022
May Day song – On Friday I previewed with them what we’ll be doing for May Day – a walk through the sculpture park with all the Studios, waving our “branches of snowy May” (sticks with streamers, one for each color Studio), then gathering on the field by the big black hearts, where the May pole will be, with each Studio taking a turn walking around it as we sing the May Day song.
We played the Yoga cube game, and did freeze dance (Friday).
Week of April 12, 2022
Week of April 5, 2022
We passed around the red mini-medicine ball as I sang Magic Penny.
We played the “Monkey Around” game on Tuesday. Photos below (the cards picked here said to lie down with the “banana” on your belly, and balance the “banana” on your shoulder).
I’m a Little Airplane – I played this for quite a while at the end of the morning on Thursday as we danced around – some might have left before they heard it.



Week of March 29, 2022
On Wednesday and Friday we played the Yoga cube game again. Everyone has a turn throwing the cube, and we all do the pose on top. They’re from the Yoga Pretzel Cards (we’re calling the warrior pose “champion”).
We also passed around a red mini-medicine ball and gave it a squeeze, then continued passing it around as I sang Magic Penny.
I also sang a new version of The Ants Go Marching, in which I changed some of the words, and had movements we did while marching, such as clapping in front and behind, alligator mouth arms, touch shoulders and head, etc.
Week of March 22, 2022
Freeze Dance
On Wednesday we played the Yoga cube game, where everyone has a turn throwing the cube, and we all do the pose on top: dog, cat, plank, river, etc. They’re from the Yoga Pretzel Cards book (we’re calling the warrior pose “champion”). Today someone rolled “airplane,” and as we were doing airplane, an airplane flew by! (in the bottom photo, you can see Luke and Sylvie looking up at the airplane.)



Week of March 15, 2022
Freeze Dance
On Wednesday there was no meeting, and on Thursday, most of the class was sitting on a block structure, so we had an impromptu music & movement time. When I asked what we should sing, Douglas suggested The Wheels On The Bus. Then we did freeze dance, Vivian’s suggestion. They made up their own poses to freeze to.
Week of March 8, 2022
The Ella Jenkins “1 & 2 & 3 & 4” song
Freeze Dance
YOGA – candle mouse snake dog cat
We used the rope, singing Michael Row the Boat Ashore, ROW ROW ROW (croc and putt putt verses), and there was a request for Wheels on the Bus, so we sang that while using the rope to make the motions.
Week of March 1, 2022
I passed out jingle bells and we sang Jingle Bells, Shake the Bells, and Look Out the Window. We also played the bells along to the Ella Jenkins song they had sung while I was away: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4…
We also sang the Ella Jenkins “Head & Shoulder, baby, 1, 2, 3” song, and Jude had some ideas about different body parts to tap: “belly and eye” and “head and hair”!
We used the rope again, singing Michael Row the Boat Ashore, ROW ROW ROW (croc and putt putt verses), and Shake It All Over Town
There has been a lot of talk about tools, and so we sang Bling Blang (Thursday).
I sang a new one, with all their names in it (Thurs/Fri): Willoughby Wallaby 2021-22 (this link has all their names in it)
Freeze Dance
Here’s a link to a video of a portion of Friday’s Music & Movement: https://vimeo.com/684805173/8c5626daad
Freeze Dance!



Week of Feb.8, 2022
On Tuesday we played the Monkey Around game
I passed out jingle bells and we sang Jingle Bells, Shake the Bells, and Look Out the Window
There were requests for the rope, so we used that on Thursday, singing Michael Row the Boat Ashore, ROW ROW ROW (the putt putt verse) and Shake the Bells.
I also sang (a rather rousing version of) I’ve Been Working on the Railroad for them on Thursday. Almost all of them had their clipboards out, and I’ve been wanting to show them that they can use their pencils to tap along, and so as to not hurt the pencil tips, they can turn the pencil around and tap with the opposite end, and they all seemed to respond well to my suggestion.
And we did Freeze Dance on Friday!
Week of Feb. 1, 2022
We used the rope and sang Michael Row the Boat Ashore. A number of children were excited to say that they knew the song! We also did the standards: ROW ROW ROW and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
Week of Jan. 25, 2022
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Using the rope – ROW ROW ROW (crocodile and putt putt verse) and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
Week of Jan. 19, 2022
We played the “Monkey Around” game again this week!
Week of Jan. 11, 2022
We also did a new kind of freeze dance. This time when the music stopped, we made poses that come from pieces in a puzzle in our classroom. See photo below for the first four poses we’ve done.
Row Row Row (crocodile & putt putt verses)

Week of Jan. 3, 2022
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
YOGA – butterfly, turtle
Using the rope – ROW ROW ROW (crocodile and putt putt verse) and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
On Wednesday, we played a yoga game. I put poses on a cube which each child rolled, and then we did the pose that showed up on top. Picture of the poses and the cube, below.
On Top of Spaghetti (on Thursday)

Week of Dec. 21, 2021
I showed them a silly version of Twinkle Twinkle that I made up: Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
On Wednesday we also played a game, in which each child rolled a big soft cube with a different color on each side. After rolling it, we looked at what color was on top, and the child picked a card with that color. The card told us something we had to do, like meow like a cat, clap, make a funny face, find something green/blue, etc.
Week of Dec. 14, 2021
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, volcano, elephant, waterfall, and the sculpture Eve Celebrant
Freeze Dance
Week of Dec. 7, 2021
Freeze Dance
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, volcano, and the sculpture Eve Celebrant
Row Row Row (crocodile & putt putt verses)
Week of Nov. 30, 2021
Freeze Dance
Using the rope – ROW ROW ROW (crocodile and putt putt verse) and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
Look Out the Window – Nancy’s mother used to sing this to her when she was a little girl, and Nancy taught it to me! We sing it every year.
Draw the Circle Wide – on Thursday, many of them took down their clipboards and drew circles for this, holding them up proudly aftwrwards.
Week of Nov. 16, 2021
Freeze Dance
Skidamarink – we’re using the “wheels on the bus” motion for the “skidamarink” part, then “I” is point to chest, “love” is cross hands over chest or give yourself a hug, “you” is point to someone.
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, volcano, and the sculpture Eve Celebrant (see image in post below).
Week of Nov. 9, 2021
Freeze Dance
Using the rope – ROW ROW ROW (crocodile and putt putt verse) and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, volcano, and the sculpture Eve Celebrant (see image below).

Week of Nov. 2, 2021
Freeze Dance
Yoga – mountain, house, moon, volcano.
Using the rope – ROW ROW ROW (crocodile and putt putt verse) and SHAKE IT ALL OVER TOWN
Week of Oct. 26, 2021
We also played Freeze Dance on Wednesday – I show them a stick figure of a person in a pose, then we all do that pose, then I play guitar and we dance around until I stop, then we freeze in that pose.
Yoga – mountain, house, moon, volcano.
Using the rope (Wednesday) – Row Row Row (crocodile verse, and the new “putt putt” verse) and Shake It All Over Town
Week of Oct. 19, 2021
Bling Blang – everyone has enjoyed hammering golf tees into pumpkins that we thought this would be a good song to share with the children!
Week of Oct. 12, 2021
3 Green & Speckled Frogs – I do a dramatized version of the original.
Week of Oct. 5, 2021
Using the rope (inside, on Tuesday) – Row Row Row (crocodile verse) and Shake It All Over Town
Week of Sept. 28, 2021
Wheels on the Bus
Row Row Row – When we had meeting inside on Tuesday (and also last Friday), we all held a big rope as we sat in the circle and “rowed” with it, singing “Row Row Row your boat.” On Tuesday we learned the crocodile verse. We practiced “screaming” quietly first, then sang it. We also sang Shake It All Over Town
Week of Sept. 20, 2021
Paw Paw Patch 2021 we continue to play the faces/hearts game, and now when we give out the hearts, we show each to the children to see who can guess whose face it is. We’re working on them recognizing each other and knowing their names, as even in years without masks, we’ve been surprised at how many months can go by before everyone knows everyone else’s name.
Wheels on the Bus
It’s a Rainy Day (we sang this on Friday)
Draw the Circle Wide (we sang this on Friday)
Week of Sept. 13, 2021
Paw Paw Patch 2021 (continuing to play the faces/hearts game)
Wheels on the Bus (Friday)
Week of Sept. 6, 2021
Playing the faces game, with Paw Paw Patch.

Learning Baby Fish.


Repertoire
(a running list of songs that we’ve sung this year)
3 Green & Speckled Frogs
10 Little Fingers
Alligator Song
The Ants Go Marching
Baby Fish
Be My Echo
BINGO
Bling Blang
Come Sail With Me
Draw the Circle Wide
Elephant in my Shoe
Frog Named Tiny Tim
I Couldn’t Sleep Last Night
I’m a Little Airplane
I’m a Mushroom
It’s a Rainy Day
Look Out the Window
Magic Penny
May Day song
Michael Row the Boat Ashore
Movie Star
My Favorite Things
Now’s the Time To Go To Sleep
Old Oak Tree
On Top of Spaghetti
Paw Paw Patch 2021
Row Row Row (crocodile & putt putt verses)
Shake It All Over Town
Shake the Bells
Skidamarink
There Was a Little Turtle
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Under One Sky
Walking Down the Line
What Makes the Fire
When I See You
Where’s My Pajamas?
Who Fed the Chickens?
Willoughby Wallaby 2021-22
Wish They’d Find a Home
Yellow Jello/Bathtime