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 read the lyrics and listen to me song, etc.
June 12, 2023
I continued the mouse story listening exercise from last week.
I previewed the last day of school with them – our parade to the sculpture park, singalong, and return to classroom. Then we sang all our songs we’ll be singing for the singalong: They were fantastic! We’re ready!
CORNER GROCERY STORE – beans, giraffes, corn and rats!
And we finished with ABC: Karen’s Version (not in the singalong).
It has been wonderful to sing with your children! Thank you for sharing them, and I hope everyone has fun and relaxing times this summer and beyond!
June 5, 2023
I continued the mouse story listening exercise from last week,
I’ve also continued listening exercise in which I read a poem. This week, each line ended in a word rhyming with either HEAD or KNEE. When you hear a rhyme with HEAD you say head and touch your head. Same deal with with KNEE. It was fun, and they were quite engaged!
May 22, 2023
I continued the mouse story listening exercise from last week,
I’ve also been doing a different kind of listening exercise, in which I read a poem. Each line ends in a word that rhymes with either ZIP or BAM. When you hear a rhyme with ZIP, you say zip and do the zip motion that we’ve been doing in Zip Zip Bam. Likewise for a line that ends in a work that rhymes with BAM.
May 15, 2023
I also did a “mouse story” which is a listening exercise. The mouse lives in a hole, and it goes down into the hole to go to sleep, and I indicate this by playing a scale down, and then play up the scale for when the mouse comes up. I play a major chord to indicate when the mouse is happy, and a minor chord for when it’s sad. There is some song melody that happens along the way in the story. For instance, the mouse is sad when she’s asleep, but thinks it would make her happy to go up and see the stars, which I indicate by playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. And so forth!
May 8, 2023
As we did last week: Head & Shoulders and a 1, 2, 3 – no link; this is an Ella Jenkins song for tapping different parts of your body (or doing other motions, like a clap or tap), first slowly and then quickly. For example, knee & toe, or clap then (tap) belly.
May 1, 2023
Head & Shoulders and a 1, 2, 3 – no link; this is an Ella Jenkins song for tapping different parts of your body (or doing other motions, like a clap or tap), first slowly and then quickly. For example, knee & toe, or clap then (tap) belly.
Corner Grocery Store – like last week, I handed out cards with pictures/words. Each child got one, and then had to find the person who had the card that matched theirs. Then they got together and each pair decided how to incorporate theirs into the song – e.g., “there were ducks driving trucks” – finally we sang them.
April 24, 2023
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
Corner Grocery Store – today I handed out cards with pictures/words like frog, guitar, pants, bean, car, dog, car, ants, queen. Each child got one, and then had to find the person who had the card that matched theirs. Then they got together and each pair decided how to incorporate theirs into the song – e.g., “there were ducks driving trucks” – finally we sang them.
April 10, 2023
May Day song – we’ll be singing this on May Day, and I previewed with them what we’ll be doing then.
We tried the beanbag passing game again, and did well!
When I First Came To This Land
We reviewed some signs, and I taught them the sign for fire (there was a question about this last week) and candle. I also pointed out that we can also use the signs from May There Always Be Sunshine (e.g., “always”). Almost all of them are very excited about making up their own sentences, so we went around the circle again. Very fun.
I ended with a brief singing of Tony Chestnut
April 3, 2023
Signing: I reviewed ASL for My, Friend, and Disappear, and because so many children wanted to show ideas they had, we went around the circle and most of them shared their own sentences, while the rest of us tried to read them.
BINGO – I uncovered different letters so that we had clapping and singing challenges, then rearranged letters to spell BOING, and we sang that for the dog’s name!
March 27, 2023
Signing: I taught them ASL for My, Friend, and Disappear, and then tried out some sentences on them, like “The gorilla disappeared,” and then asked them to sign “My friend disappeared,” and so forth. They were marvelous!
We did the beanbag pass game again. (see last week for the description). They’re getting better at it!
March 13, 2023
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
We tried some more sign language – I signed “I always love spaghetti,” “Mom swallowed the popcorn,” and “Spiders love worm cake.”
We sang the ABC’s version that Scarecrow Chant
We did a beanbag passing game that originated in Africa, using rocks, where each person has a beanbag and (on my signal) puts it front of the person on their left. So the beanbags are constantly passed around the circle. It’s tricky, and they did quite well for their first time!
When I First Came To This Land
Karen learned as a child – ABC: Karen’s Version
March 6, 2023
We sang the ABC’s and then I showed them the version that Karen learned as a child – ABC: Karen’s Version
YOGA: candle mouse snake dog cat, and we tried plank, too.
We reviewed some sign language, including sign language for “If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake.” I had them a sign, which was for swallow. Then I had them guess some sentences: The worm swallowed the gorilla; I baked worm cake; Spiders love worm pie, and If I knew gorillas were coming I’d have baked spider pie. Then we sang: If I Knew You Were Coming
February 27, 2023
We sang the ABC’s and then I showed them the version that Karen learned as a child – ABC: Karen’s Version
YOGA: mountain moon elephant star square triangle warrior1
We reviewed the signs in my version of Today is Monday, then the chant: “Spider pie, spider pie, gorillas love spider pie.” Next I showed them sign language for “If I knew you were coming I’d have baked a cake,” and finally, sang them my version of the song:
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
They all started lying down, so I sang Up Goes the Castle
February 13, 2023
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing) – we experimented with different ways of tapping to the beat. They had lots of great ideas!
I repeated an activity that I did in early January: I handed out “zips” and “bams” (a zip is a strip of paper and a bam is a circle of paper). Each child gets 3 zips and 3 bams, and they create a pattern out of them and then play it (e.g., zip bam bam zip zip bam). They were really engaged in this!
We did our sign language Today Is Monday, as we’ve done previous weeks. Now that they know signs for gorilla, spider, and pie, I taught them the word for “love” and we signed the chant: “Spider pie, spider pie, gorillas love spider pie.”
February 6, 2023
As we did last week, we did a new twist on Today Is Monday. Instead of singing a food for each day of the week, we did an item in sign language: Monday-popcorn, Tuesday-ball, Wednesday-pie, Thursday-worm, Friday-gorilla, Saturday-spiderweb, Sunday-cake. The refrain is “come on everybody, show me what you see.”
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn – we couldn’t live without moose, brains or doughnuts!
We played a game called “Monkey Around,” in which everyone gets a “banana” which is actually as bean bag. Then each child picks a card and we all do what it says. Sometimes it involves the beanbag (balance the banana on your shoulder and walk around) and sometimes it doesn’t (walk on your tiptoes).
January 30, 2023
We did a new twist on Today Is Monday. Instead of singing a food for each day of the week, we did an item in sign language: Monday-popcorn, Tuesday-ball, Wednesday-pie, Thursday-worm, Friday-gorilla, Saturday-spiderweb, Sunday-cake. The refrain is “come on everybody, show me what you see.”
YOGA: mountain moon elephant star square triangle warrior1
January 23, 2023
Boom Chicka Boom– replacing the first sound with V and then Q
YOGA: mountain moon elephant star square triangle warrior1
We used the rope again today, pulling, pushing, swaying and shaking to Shake It All Over Town. We did the crocodile and putt putt verses to Row Row Row (your boat). We “rowed” to Michael Row the Boat Ashore.
January 9, 2023
YOGA: candle mouse snake dog cat and backwards to candle. Also, butterfly, turtle, tulip. And standing: mountain moon star square triangle.
I handed out “zips” and “bams” (a zip is a strip of paper and a bam is a circle of paper). Wells remembered this from last year, so he demonstrated and explained how he made a pattern and then played it (e.g., zip bam bam zip zip bam) They were very engaged with this!
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn – we couldn’t live with sandwiches, owls, and jelly beans!
December 19, 2022
I lost my voice! While I wouldn’t want this to happen much, it’s a great way to engage the material in a new way, and the children step up to the challenge. First we just passed around the red ball, and I played MAGIC PENNY. Gradually more and more children joined in singing the song.
I reminded them of what will be happening for the lantern walk, and we sang through most of the Lantern Walk songs. Boy did they sing! (HERE’S THE LINK TO ALL THE LANTERN WALK SONGS)
WE WALK WITH OUR LITTLE LANTERNS
WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD
We also did freeze dance, in which I show them a stick figure pose which we try out. Then I play guitar and we dance. When the music stops, we freeze in the pose. They opted to shout “guacamole,” too!
YOGA: candle mouse snake dog cat and backwards to candle. Also, butterfly, turtle, tulip. And standing: mountain moon star square triangle.
A Cat Had a Birthday – requested by Wells.
December 5, 2022
Hickory Dickory Dock – a sensory take on this nursery rhyme, similar to A B Squeeze.
YOGA: candle mouse snake dog cat (cat is actually two poses, one where you arch your back and hiss and the other in which you look up, arching your back the other way, and meow). Then backwards to candle.
Then I segued to talking about the Lantern Walk, which they seem excited about, and it sounds like they’ll be asking you to bring musical instruments, so get ready!
During the parade itself, we’ll be singing We Walk With Our Little Lanterns. We’ll probably sing This Little Light of Mine during the parade as well. When we get to the cafe for hot chocolate, etc., some songs we’ll be singing (that we sang today) are FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and Look Out the Window, which we sang. Go to this link to listen to all the songs for the Lantern Walk.
Bug On the Wall – here’s the link! We learned what sign language is for “brain in head” was today.
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn – we couldn’t live without elephants, waffles, or PJs!
November 28, 2022
Bug On the Wall (I’m still not putting the link up for it yet!)
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn – we learned the WOW and OOO cheers, and couldn’t live without mushrooms, pickles, or penguins!
We’ve Got a Good Thing Going (no link – this is a stand up and move song)
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Boom Chicka Boom – replacing the first sound with B, T and G (we did both G sounds, the hard and the soft)
November 21, 2022
We began my version of a song called Bug On the Wall, but I’m not putting the link up for it yet. That will have to wait until we’ve done the whole thing! We also learned sign language for “bug on the wall,” “pie on the plate,” and “bear in a cave.”
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn – we learned the WOW and OOO cheers, and couldn’t live without popcorn, aliens, rainbows or worms!
We’ve Got a Good Thing Going (no link – this is a stand up and move song)
YOGA: transitioning through candle mouse snake dog, and backwards back to candle.
November 14, 2022
We passed a clap around the circle.
I passed out the rhythm sticks and we tried patterns using “zips” and “bams” (rubbing the sticks and clicking them, respectively), such as zip zip zip bam, etc.
Then we played along to: Hammer & Nails and See the Pony Galloping (here working on fast and slow, and also dynamics – can you play fast and softly?).
Boom Chicka Boom – continuing to replace the first sound, this time with a D an R and an F.
YOGA: transitioning through mountain candle mouse snake dog, and backwards back to candle.
We danced to Guacamole Dance, but this time the challenge was to freeze in a particular pose when the music stopped while yelling “guacamole!”
November 7, 2022
YOGA: butterfly, turtle, tulip
Using butterfly and turtle, we then learned Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
We used the rhythm sticks, starting with the 1, 2, 123 pattern that the teachers use to gather children &/or get their attention. We experimented a lot with different ways to do this, with zips and clicks and taps on the floor. Lots of ideas! We moved on to Hammer & Nails, and worked on the “chorus” which has a 1, 2, 3, (stick clicks) “a hammer and nails” that is repeated. Again, lots of ideas about how to do this. Then we did WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD
Boom Chicka Boom – continuing to replace the first sound, this time with a Z then a D.
YOGA: transitioning smoothly through mountain moon star square triangle.
Many were in a dancing mood, so we did Guacamole Dance
October 31, 2022
Paw Paw Patch
We used the rhythm sticks, first to the Ella Jenkins son “1&2&3&4”, then clicked 3 times and rested for the 4th beat, continuing this pattern for Miss Mary Mack. Then we played to a new song, Hammer & Nails.
YOGA: we’re transitioning smoothly through these poses, and then going approximately backwards until we end up with our palms together in front of our heart in “rest position”: mountain moon star square triangle.
Boom Chicka Boom – As I did last week, I replaced the first sound with an L after we learned this: I say “LOOM LICKA LOOM…” Then we tried it with Z.
We passed a clap around the circle, then we passed 2 claps around.
October 24, 2022
I used the rope again today, pulling, pushing, swaying and shaking to Shake It All Over Town. We did the crocodile verse to Row Row Row (your boat), and also learned the “putt putt putt” verse. We “rowed” to Michael Row the Boat Ashore.
Boom Chicka Boom – I replaced the first sound with an L after we learned this: I say “LOOM LICKA LOOM…”
YOGA: mountain moon star square
I passed out scarves, and we moved them fast and slow, like different strengths of wind. Then I sang MERRY LITTLE BREEZE and we moved our scarves to it. We also twirled and threw them to Pop Goes the Weasel.
We clapped 3 times and rested for the 4th beat, repeatedly, continuing this pattern as I sang Miss Mary Mack. Along the way, some children tried different beats, or tapped instead of clapped, or alternated taps and claps, and we checked out what each other were doing.
October 17, 2022
We had class inside Studio Blue today, because of the rain.
I passed out a long, thick rope and we pulled and pushed and swayed and shook to Shake It All Over Town. I taught those who didn’t know it the crocodile verse to Row Row Row (your boat), but first we practiced a quiet scream!
I then passed out scarves, and we talked a bit about different kinds of wind, and how you can see where the wind is moving by watching things like leaves falling and milkweed seeds. Then I sang MERRY LITTLE BREEZE and we moved our scarves to it. We tried something challenging, too – I paired them up and asked them to try to throw their scarves to each other – at the same time, so they had to count to three and throw at the same time, and catch, too! We also twirled and threw them to Pop Goes the Weasel.
I passed out rhythm sticks and we played them to the Ella Jenkins song 1&2&3&4. Next, we made a pattern of clicking the sticks three times, then tapping them on the floor three times. We continued this pattern as I sang Miss Mary Mack, and they did an excellent job continuing the pattern. We played the rhythm sticks to WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD, and at a certain point we had an excellent rhythm going.
We passed around the red mini-medicine ball and sang MAGIC PENNY.
October 3, 2022
We worked on being together doing 3 claps and a pause, 3 claps and a pause. Then we did that to Miss Mary Mack.
Then we passed around 3 claps, with me clapping 3 times, then the person on my left, and on around the circle.
We did a calming song: OOH OOH, followed by some YOGA poses: butterfly, turtle and tulip.
We passed around the red mini-medicine ball and sang MAGIC PENNY.
We played egg shakers to ABC and an Ella Jenkins song !1 & 2 & 3 & 4. Then we played along to BUILDING A NEW WAY and TINGALAYO. We had fun listening to different ways we could play them, and how quietly we could play them, and playing louder, too.
September 19, 2022
We gather on the back playspace (where the climbing structure is) every Monday afternoon during the Afternoon Adventure program. Here’s what we did today:
Paw Paw Patch (no link)
We passed around a red, slightly squishy, heavy, mini-medicine ball, while I sang MAGIC PENNY
Then we passed around a clap! I clapped (one clap), then the person to my left clapped once, then the next and the next, all around the circle.
We did a calming song: OOH OOH, followed by some YOGA poses: butterfly, turtle, and tulip.
I showed them sign language for “together” (fists together with thumbs up in front of your chest, then move them out and around in a circle and back to your chest). I explained that when we play music, we need to be together. Then we did 3 claps followed by 3 taps, staying together nicely! We continued with the 3 claps and 3 taps as I sang Miss Mary Mack (which some of them knew and sang along, too), so that the claps and taps were on “Mack, Mack, Mack,” and “black, black, black,” and so forth through the song.
WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD – we did a lot of verses: “we all need more clapping…tapping…stomping…singing…in this world.”
I passed out yellow scarves, and we explored them for a bit, then we sang Pop Goes the Weasel, swinging them in a big circle up and down until we got to “pop!” when we threw them up in the air.
We danced with our scarves to IF I WERE A KITE.
We finished with the Goodbye Song
September 12, 2022
We gathered on the back playspace (where the climbing structure is) for music, which will be taking place every Monday afternoon during the Afternoon Adventure program. Here’s what we did:
We started with Paw Paw Patch, to help me learn new names (no link).
Then we passed around a red, slightly squishy, heavy, mini-medicine ball, followed by a exercise where we held and moved an invisible ball which expanded when we breathed in and contracted when we breathed out. We imagined what color it was, and when we were done with it, we made it small and put it in our tummy for whenever we needed it.
We did a stand up song, HERE COMES MOUSE.
I passed out egg shakers and we figured out how to not only shake it vigorously to make a long sound, but also how to make a single sound, with one shake. They’re excellent at this. Then we played to the ABC’s, with one shake for each letter. We did the same with an old Ella Jenkins song, One and Two and Three and Four (no link).
Then we played the shakers to TINGALAYO.
We did a calming song: OOH OOH, followed by some YOGA poses: butterfly and turtle.
I showed them a song by Guy Davis: WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD. We didn’t sing it as it is in the link, but after singing Kindness and Sunshine, we sang Clapping, Stomping, then “we are tapping clapping and stomping in this world,” as children had different ideas about how to use their body to keep a rhythm.
I passed around rhythm sticks (one is smooth and one has ridges, so you can tap them or rub them. We played along to BLING BLANG, and then to BUILDING A NEW WAY.
We finished with Time To Move On
Repertoire
(a running list of songs that we’ve sung this year)
3 Little Hot Dogs
3 Short-Necked Buzzards
ABC: Karen’s Version
A B Squeeze
Alligator Pit
Alligator Song
Apples and Bananas
Banana Song
Be My Echo
BINGO
BLING BLANG
Boom Chicka Boom
Bug On the Wall
BUILDING A NEW WAY
A Cat Had a Birthday
Corner Grocery Store
Draw the Circle Wide
Elephant in my Shoe
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN
Goodbye Song
Guacamole Dance
Hammer & Nails
HERE COMES MOUSE
Hickory Dickory Dock
I Am a Bud
I Can’t Imagine Life Without Popcorn
If I Knew You Were Coming
IF I WERE A KITE
Inch By Inch
IT’S A RAINY DAY
Jingle Bells
Look Out the Window
MAGIC PENNY
Mail Myself To You
May Day song
May There Always Be Sunshine
MERRY LITTLE BREEZE
Miss Mary Mack
My Favorite Flower
c
Mysterious Fish Tank
Mysterious GIANT!
On Top of Spaghetti
OOH OOH
Open Shut Them
Over the River
Pancake Jake
Peace Like a River
Popcorn Chant
Rainforest Animal song
Razzamatazz
Row Row Row
Sailor Song
Scarecrow Chant
See the Pony Galloping
Shake It All Over Town
Skidamarink
State Laughs
There Was a Little Turtle
This Little Light of Mine
Time To Move On
TINGALAYO
Tony Chestnut
Twinkle Twinkle (silly version)
Under One Sky
Unicorn Song
Up Goes the Castle
WE ALL NEED MORE KINDNESS IN THIS WORLD
We Walk With Our Little Lanterns
What Makes the Fire
When I First Came To This Hole
When I First Came To This Land
Where’s My Pajamas?
Who Fed the Chickens?
Willoughby Wallaby Woo
Wishie Washie Washerwoman
YELLOW JELLO
You Gotta Sing (when the spirit says sing)
Zip Zip Bam