Skip to My Lou as a Welcome Song and Story Time

I learned  this from another music teacher, and it's always been a favorite. If you want to add a manners lesson to this song, teach them how to shake hands.

If a child does not know how to skip, I encourage them that it's OK to just run and hop. They will figure something out.

I also found a cute picture book that tells a story using the melody & chorus. Very engaging!

Extend your hand to a child, singing to the verse tune:

"Good Morning Taylor, how are you?" 
Grasp their hand in greeting and help them rise to standing.
Go to the next child and repeat the actions
"Good Morning Jesse, how are you?"
And a third child...
"Good Morning Casey, how are you?" 
"Skip to my Lou my Darlin' "
Now the three children you have helped stand up follow you skipping outside the circle as you sing the chorus:
"Lou, Lou, skip to my Lou,
"Lou, Lou, skip to my Lou,
"Lou, Lou, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou my Darlin' "

Those three sit back down. Repeat for the next three children. If there are two kids at the last turn that works just fine, but if there is only going to be one I end with a group of four.

When everyone has had a turn, I sing:
"Good Morning Sunshine, how are you?
Everybody stand up with me too,
Let's ALL skip around the room!
Skip to my Lou my Darlin' "

We all skip to the chorus, and I finish by singing
"Everybody can sit back down"

And for storytime ~

Skip to My Lou by Nadine Bernard Westcott, a Scholastic book, available through book sellers online.

The kids love the crazy pictures as the animals come in the house and make a big mess! Hurry quick! Mom and Dad are coming home! Skip to my Lou my Darlin'. You can sing the whole book, as it follows the song structure.

Over the Sea, Sailors and Pirates -- Whole Body Movement

"Going Over the Sea" and "Over the Deep Blue Sea" have different melodies, but the lyrics are nearly identical. I liked them both so much that we did one the first half of the year, and learned the next one for our Pirate Party in May.

The kids loved both of them.

Going Over the Sea

Here is a link to a youtube video of this recording by Goin' Monkey.

There are many recordings of this on Itunes, but I chose this one because it has a gentle tempo, it's a playful acoustic performance and the brief interludes between verses allow time to remind the kids what number comes next. Just perfect!

We started with just a few numbers and gradually worked our way up to seven. This was enough for us.

Here are the motions we chose for this song:

Start each verse with the correct number of fingers

When I was one, I ate a bun, (act out)
Going over the sea. (one arm moves up and down like waves)
I jumped aboard a sailorman's ship, (jump)
And the sailorman said to me, 
(bend knees like a bowlegged sailor, thumbs up by waist, elbows out, arms swinging side to side)

Chorus
"Going over, going under, (arms reach up, arms reach down)
stand at attention, like a soldier, (salute at attention) 
With a one, two, three." (still at attention, stomp three times)

Verses 2-10
When I was two, I buckled my shoe, going over the sea...
When I was three, I banged my knee, going over the sea...
When I was four, I shut the door, going over the sea...
When I was five, I learned to dive, going over the sea...
When I was six, I picked up sticks, going over the sea...
When I was seven, I went to heaven, going over the sea...
When I was eight, I learned to skate, going over the sea...
When I was nine, I climbed a vine, going over the sea...
When I was ten, I caught a hen, going over the sea...

Over the Deep Blue Sea (Pirate Ship)

Here is a link to a youtube video of this song in live performance by Susan Salidor


This one is a little fast, but very fun.
The motions in the verse are similar, although some of the number rhymes are different.
In the chorus we sing:

He said "Go this way, that way, (arms stretch out to one side, then the other)
Forward, Backward (arms stretch forward, pull backward)
And Over the Deep Blue Sea!" (reach high and low like cresting a wave)

Rain, Rain, Go Away Welcome Song

I have a large (5 foot), beautiful sounding rainstick, a miniature (14") rainstick, and a pair of thick drinking glasses for this welcome song/activity.

If you don't have a rainstick, the internet is full of DIY craft instructions for recycling paper tubes into rainsticks.

INTRODUCE THE RAINSTICK

It's so fun to ask the kids what they think it is, what a good name for it might be, what it is made of.

Then produce the sound, and ask them what it sounds like. You will get many answers. Mostly they will want to start guessing what is inside. Since I don't know what is in mine, it is fun to keep it a mystery.

Ask them: "Could it be marshmallows?"
They will say "NO!"
"Could it be feathers?" "Why not?"

They understand so much about acoustical properties already.

Each child now gets a turn to tip the rainstick. They discover that lifting it slowly produces softer sounds, lifting it quickly makes louder sounds, and some will shake it.

While they have their turn, we sing:

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
(Child's Name) wants to play
Rain, rain go away

Week one I use the large rainstick, then for another week or two I use the little one which is easier to pass around the circle.

INTRODUCE THE WATER GLASSES

For the last week of using this welcome song, I bring two thick water glasses or jars from home that I know will give me the first two tones of the song (Sol Mi). Usually I have to tune one or both by adding a little water for the perfect pitch.

First, I preach a little to them about asking their parents before banging on their glasses at home! I show them mine are very thick and not likely to break.

Then using a spoon or a triangle beater I demonstrate playing the water glasses to our tune, but I only use the first two lines this time.

 sol       mi     sol    sol     mi       sol      sol    mi     x    sol    sol     mi
Rain,  rain,   go     a-    way    Come   a-   gain   a-   no-  ther   day

Each child then gets a turn playing the water glassses. I help them just a little if they need it. Some get very excited and want to sing the whole song. That's OK too!