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.
June 13, 2022
BIG JUICE BOX/ALFREDO – Alfredo had ginger root today!
We got ready for the singalong tomorrow! Here’s what we’ll be singing:
(We also did Rattlin’ Bog)
June 6, 2022
BIG JUICE BOX/ALFREDO – Alfredo had an egg today!
We did the Ella Jenkins song Head & Shoulders again, with new variations.
Where’s My Pajamas? – a number off children had ideas for variations around when we’d sing and when we’d be quiet, such as be quiet for the whole song, and then say Hey! at the end; or all quiet, and raising a quiet fist instead of shouting Hey! One idea was to alternate between lines: first line sung, second line quiet, third line sung, fourth line quiet: “a pattern” the child explained. They were very focused on these ideas, and even though it was difficult for everyone to get them right altogether, we worked nicely.
We played a game called “Monkey Around” in which we each had a beanbag (aka banana, since monkeys eat bananas), and each child picked a card which gave us a challenge, sometimes incorporating the “banana” (balance it on your head), or not using the “banana” (walk on tiptoes).
May 23, 2022
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a cookies today!
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, elephant, volcano, Eve, warrior 2 and warrior 1.
May 16, 2022
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a sweet potato today!
We used the rhythm sticks today, playing along with the Ella Jenkins song 1&2&3&4, then:
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
and Bling Blang
May 9, 2022
We’re Gathering Together – I showed them, again, the picture below, reviewing “Spider pie, spider pie, gorillas love spider pie.” Then I taught them a new sentence: “The gorilla swallowed the worm. Ew!” Then I asked them to see if they could understand me when I signed “We’re gathering together with spiders/gorillas/worms.” Someone mentioned spiderwebs, and I taught them the sign for that, too. At that point, some children showed us their own signs for ant, caterpillar, butterfly, and others.
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a carrot today!
BINGO – we sang this briefly. I switched the letters around to spell IN BOG and tried that, and then I taught them:
MAY DAY SONG – it’s this Wed, 11:30, at the Big Black Hearts!
I Shampoo My Hair – today we mixed them up in a new way! E.g;, I look for alligators while I’m in a rocking chair!
May 2, 2022
We’re Gathering Together – I reviewed sign language for “We’re gathering together with friends,” which some were learning for the first time. Then I showed them the picture below, and we learned sign language for “Spider pie, spider pie, gorillas love spider pie.” Then I asked them to see if they could understand me when I signed “We’re gathering together with spiders” and “We’re gathering together with gorillas!”
MAY DAY SONG – we were planning on having May Day on Wed, 5/4, but it looks like it may be rainy (I explained this to the children). We’ll likely change the date to 5/11. Email to come, when it’s definite.
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a onion today!
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing) – tapping, clapping, stomping, etc., to the beat.
I Shampoo My Hair – today we mixed them up! E.g;, I look for alligators while I do the hula hoop!
We played the rhythm sticks to Ella Jenkins’ 1&2&3&4, then played them to BINGO, trying clicking in substitute for letters, e.g., X I-N-G-O, or X X N-G-O.
Finally, we played the rhythm sticks to Walking Down the Line.
Apr. 25, 2022
We’re Gathering Together – I taught them sign language for “We’re gathering together with friends”
Yoga: candle mouse snake dog cat and back to candle.
May Day song – we’ll be having May Day on Wed, 5/4 (rain date 5/11), so we’re learning this song in preparation! Email to come…
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a hot pepper today!
We sang the Ella Jenkins song Head and Shoulders again.
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing) – tapping, clapping, stomping, etc., to the beat.
I Shampoo My Hair – again, we didn’t mix them up today, so please don’t spill the beans about doing variations.
We passed around the red mini-medicine ball, singing Magic Penny
We also tapped/clapped to BINGO, trying clapping in substitute for letters, e.g., X I-N-G-O, or X X N-G-O, then we clapped for all the letters.
Apr. 11, 2022
We sang an Ella Jenkins song called Head and Shoulders, in which we tap and then head and shoulders as we sing. We did knees & toes, clap & touch belly, palms up and down, tap floor then knees).
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a cucumber today!
We tapped, clapped, stomped and shook our bodies to an old Ella Jenkins song: “One and Two and Three and Four” (no link).
I Shampoo My Hair – we didn’t mix them up today, so please don’t spill the beans about doing variations.
We passed around a red mini-medicine ball, singing Magic Penny
We also tapped/clapped to BINGO, trying clapping in substitute for letters: X I-N-G-O, or X X N-G-O, then we clapped for all the letters. Augie suggest we try X I X g X. It was challenging!
Apr. 4, 2022
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing) – we clapped (“you gotta clap”), tapped, stomped, etc., to this.
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had an avocado today!
We did Alfredo’s did a call and response poem again, Hello, Alfredo! We tried it with Alfredo “conducting,” (high=loud, down low=soft)
and segued to Be My Echo
We reviewed sign language for “(If) I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake,” and then sang If I Knew You Were Coming (we don’t do the sign language to the song, I just introduce it that way).
We tapped, clapped, stomped and shook our bodies to an old Ella Jenkins song: “One and Two and Three and Four” (no link).
Yoga – mountain, house, moon, elephant, volcano, Eve, warrior 2, warrior 1
We also tapped/clapped to BINGO, trying clapping in substitute for letters: X I-N-G-O, or X X N-G-O, then we clapped for all the letters, and they did a great job clapping right on the beat!
We passed around a red mini-medicine ball, singing “Pass that ball and give it a squeeze,” and then kept passing it around, singing Magic Penny
Mar. 28, 2022
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a fruit that grows from a tree, not an apple, but about that size; it can be green or brown…
Then Alfredo did a call and response poem, Hello, Alfredo!
and we segued to Be My Echo
I showed them sign language for “(If) I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake,” and them sang them my version of the song, for which I have pictures. If I Knew You Were Coming
This Little Light of Mine – I taught them sign language for “world,” which is holding 3 fingers out on both hands (to make W’s) then do the Wheels on Bus motion with hands (for the “All around the world, I’m gonna let it shine” verse). Then we sang the song. Augie suggested we do “Won’t let nobody blow it out” and we also sang “Hide it under a bushel? No!”
We tapped, clapped, stomped and shook our bodies to an old Ella Jenkins song: “One and Two and Three and Four” (no link).
We also tapped/clapped to BINGO
We passed around a black squishy thing, singing “Pass that thing and give it a squeeze,” and then kept passing it around while I sang Magic Penny
Mar. 14, 2022
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – Alfredo had a fruit the color (and shape) of his beak for snack…
This Little Light of Mine – I taught them sign language for the chorus. It’s very tricky! They did a great job! Then I just sang it a few times, and some sang along.
Everyone Counts – we sang 1, 2, 3 in Spanish, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and English. )I sing it in Spanish, French and Japanese in the recording)
We passed out a long thick piece of rope and pulled, pushed and shook it for: Row Row Row (crocodile and “putt putt” verses), Michael Row the Boat Ashore, Shake It All Over Town, and Draw the Circle Wide.
Mar. 7, 2022
Everyone Counts – we sang 1, 2, 3 in Spanish, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and English. )I sing it in Spanish, French and Japanese in the recording)
We’ve Got the Whole World – I taught them sign language (ASL) for world – hold out three fingers on both hands to make a W, then make them go around and around as in Wheels On the Bus.
YOGA – mountain, house, moon, volcano, Eve, warrior 2 and warrior 1 (see below)
Big Juice Box/Alfredo – ask your child what food Alfredo had in the for snack today (big juice box, “teeny weeny crackers,” an apple – and a pair of smelly socks!). They did a great job following Alfredo as he “conducted” their singing of the ABCs – singing louder when he was up high, soft when he was down low, and medium when he was in the middle.
Freeze Dance
Feb. 28, 2022
Yellow Jello/Bathtime (by request)
Everyone Counts – we sang 1, 2, 3 in Spanish, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and English. )I sing it in Spanish, French and Japanese in the recording)
We played the jingle bells to Shake the Bells, Jingle Bells, and Look Out the Window.
We passed out a long thick piece of rope and pulled, pushed and shook it for: Row Row Row (crocodile and “putt putt” verses), and Michael Row the Boat Ashore.
Feb. 7, 2022
We passed out a long thick piece of rope and pulled, pushed and shook it for: Row Row Row (crocodile and “putt putt” verses) and Shake It All Over Town.
We played the jingle bells to Shake the Bells, Jingle Bells, and Look Out the Window.
This Little Light of Mine – I taught them sign language for the chorus.
Jan. 31, 2022
Yoga: candle mouse snake dog cat, transitioning smoothly between these, then backwards to candle.
We played the jingle bells to Shake the Bells, Jingle Bells, and Look Out the Window.
And we finished with Mariana’s popcorn song!
Jan. 24, 2022
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Yoga: candle mouse snake dog cat, transitioning smoothly between these, then backwards to candle.
We’ve Got the Whole World – we had many suggestions of what to hold in our hands: rainbows, rings, cranes (the vehicle), birds, schools, books, and more, each with its own movement!
We played the rhythm sticks to Walking Down the Line. I asked if anyone had something else they wanted to play to, and Veera suggested Ring Around the Rosie, so we did that (just playing rhythm sticks, not the movement).
Dec. 20, 2021
We sang through the songs we’ll be singing at the Winter Sing (11:30 on Wednesday, near where the Silver Car was). Bling Blang and Walking Down the Line are new to them – other classes will be singing these, but I wanted to introduce the songs to the Studio Purple children so that they have some familiarity with them. And of course it’s a sing-a-long, so please bring your singing voices on Wednesday!
Dec. 13, 2021
I passed out rhythm sticks (one ribbed, one smooth, for each person) and we played around with different ways to play them, then played them to the ABC’s, a “click the sticks” song about regulation (fast, slow, loud, soft, silent), and All Around the Kitchen.
Yoga – turtle butterfly, tulip, mountain, house, moon, volcano, Eve, warrior 2 and warrior 1 (see below)
This Land is Your Land – the chorus and the verse
Dec. 6, 2021
Yoga – turtle butterfly
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
May There Always Be Sunshine – I taught them the sign for popcorn, and we sang “may there always be popcorn!”
We sang Mariana/Becky’s popcorn song again, by request.
Way Up in the Sky (Little Birds)
This Land is Your Land – just the chorus: “This land is your land, this land is my land…”
Nov. 29, 2021
The Ants Go Marching – I create movement challenges to go with this, and different words: The ants go marching one by one… the little one stops to blow bubble gum (blow up a pretend bubble until it pops). “2 by 2″: the little one stops to hula hoop” etc.
Yoga – turtle butterfly mountain moon house volcano Eve
Nov. 22, 2021
Yoga – turtle butterfly
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
May There Always Be Sunshine – I taught them the signs for “grandmas” and “grandpas,” then Augie wanted to sign “teachers” and made one up on the spot – it’s the same as for grandma/pa except the thumb goes on the nose, and you do two “bumps” because “teachers” has two syllables, just like “grandmas” and “grandpas.”
The Ants Go Marching – I create movement challenges to go with this, and different words: The ants go marching one by one… the little one stops to blow bubble gum (blow up a pretend bubble until it pops). “2 by 2″: the little one stops to hula hoop” etc.
Way Up in the Sky (Little Birds)
and there was a last minute request for Mariana and Becky’s popcorn song. so we did that, too!
Nov. 15, 2021
Yoga – mountain house moon volcano Eve (sculpture – see photo in post below) turtle butterfly
Nov. 8, 2021
Nov. 1, 2021
Yoga – Mountain, House, Moon, Volcano, and we did the pose of the sculpture Eve Celebrant; photo below.
Way Up in the Sky (Little Birds)
Sam the Clam – Sam the Giant Clam, and sam the teeny clam.
Yoga – Candle Mouse Snake Dog
Oct. 25, 2021
We did Mariana and Becky’s popcorn song again (I forgot to ask them last week), which we all enjoyed immensely!
Yoga – Mountain, House, Moon, Volcano
Sam the Clam – this time we added Sam the Giant Clam, and sam the teeny clam.
Yoga – we did a series: Candle, Mouse, Snake (cobra), Dog, and then went backwards back to Candle.
Oct. 18, 2021
Oct. 4, 2021
Popcorn Chant – Becky told us that she knew a different popcorn song from her last school, and she and Mariana taught it to us!
Yoga – we did a series: Candle, Mouse, Snake (cobra), Dog, and then went backwards back to Candle. We also did Owl (before the Owl song), and the series Mountain, House, Moon, Volcano.
We Got a Good Thing Going (no link; this is a stand up and move song)
Sept. 27, 2021
I started by reviewing everyone’s names with the song Willoughby Wallaby Woo
Yoga – Mouse, Turtle, Owl, Cat, Mountain, House, Volcano
We Got a Good Thing Going (no link; this is a stand up and move song)
Sept. 20, 2021
Sept. 13, 2021
BEFORE SINGING FROG NAMED TINY TIM, I TOLD THEM A STORY ABOUT HOW I WAS PAINTING THE TRAIN IN THE SUMMER BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, AND I SAW SOMETHING HOPPING ON THE GROUND. IT WAS A FROG, AND THAT MADE ME THINK OF THIS SONG.
HERE’S THE TRAIN – CAN YOU SEE THE FROG?
I’LL GET A LITTLE CLOSER – CAN YOU SEE THE FROG YET?
Here it is!
Repertoire
(a running list of songs that we’ve sung this year)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 (Ella Jenkins song, no link)
3 Little Hot Dogs
A B Squeeze
A Cat Had a Birthday
Alligator Pit
Alligator Song
Bamboo
Be My Echo
Big Juice Box/Alfredo
BINGO
Bling Blang
Come Sail With Me
Draw the Circle Wide
Everyone Counts
Frog Named Tiny Tim
Head & Shoulders (Ella Jenkins song, no link)
Hello, Alfredo!
Hickory Dickory Dock
I Couldn’t Sleep Last Night
I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon
I Shampoo My Hair
I’m a Mushroom
If I Knew You Were Coming
Look Out the Window
Magic Penny
May Day song
May There Always Be Sunshine
Movie Star
Mrs. O’Leary
My Favorite Things
On Top of Spaghetti
Ooh Ooh
Open Shut Them
Owl
Popcorn Chant
Puddles
Rattlin’ Bog
Razzamatazz
Row Row Row (crocodile and “putt putt” verses)
Sam the Clam
Shake It All Over Town
Shake the Bells
Sit Down Stand Up Song
Skidamarink
Tarzan
The Ants Go Marching
There Was a Bee
There Was a Little Turtle
This Land is Your Land
This Little Light of Mine
Touch the Ground
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Under One Sky
Up Goes the Castle
Wake Up You Sleepyhead
Walking Down the Line
Way Up in the Sky (Little Birds)
We’re Gathering Together
We’re Talking Big
We’ve Got the Whole World
Where’s My Pajamas?
Who Fed the Chickens?
Willoughby Wallaby Woo
Witch Has an Itch
Yellow Jello/Bathtime
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
