Old Brass Wagon and Move the Circle

These easy dance songs challenge the kids to listen and follow directions.

Old Brass Wagon by Sally's Music Circle

Old Brass Wagon 
is an old favorite of course.

I recommend this recording because it's a wonderful acoustic performance, and the directions are easy for young children to follow.

To introduce this dance, I walk the children through all the movements first, before playing the recording.

• Holding hands, we circle right. At the end of eight counts I call out "Go the other way!" to prepare the kids for the change in direction.
• Then we circle left.
• Interlude (see note)
• Jumpin' up and down! 
• When the caller sings "swing your partner" I just have the kids spin in place, but when we dance this with the Moms I encourage the Moms to swing with their child.
• Interlude (see note)
• Everybody in - this is called three times, so I teach the children by saying "one step in, one step in, LAST step in!" and on the last step we raise our hands. 
• Everybody out -- also called three times, so I teach them saying "one step back, one step back, LAST step back!
• Instrumental end (see notes)

Interlude: The two 8 bar instrumental sections are a good time to come up with your own choreography. I came up with a simple clapping rhythm. 

LAP, LAP (pat your legs two times)

CLAP, CLAP 

simply repeat this three more times. 

Some kids will find this tricky, but I encourage them by telling them it doesn't matter if they get off, just keep going, it's all good!

Instrumental end: 

LAP, LAP, CLAP -- YEE HAW!

Move the Circle by Tumble Tots

Move the Circle
is not a square dance melody, but the motions are almost exactly the same. The caller gives good, clear directions in a tempo that is perfect for young children, using the words
"Stop!  ---  Listen!"
to help them understand something new is coming up.
Teach this one first, and Old Brass Wagon will be even easier for the kids to learn.

Here are the simple movements:
Move the circle 
Stop, go the other way
Move the circle
Clap your hands
Shake your hands
Move the circle 
Stop, go the other way
Move the circle
Jump!
Bend!
Walk to the center with hands up high
Walk back out with hands down low
Take a bow

Go to Sleep ** Now Dance! Fun Music Games

Kids love this easy game formula. I often pull up one of these recordings as a fun game at the end of a lesson, especially if I have come to the end of my lesson plan and we still have a few minutes left.

I have four favorites using different animals: Lions, Rabbits, Ponies, and Pigs.

The easiest of all is "Hop Little Rabbits". The children start by "sleeping" on the floor, and then the music calls for them to "Hop little Rabbits". And then they sleep again. Hop again! etc.... Great stuff.

Hop little Rabbits Julia Plaut

Happy Mouse Presents: Hop Little Rabbits

12 Action Songs for young children played withClassical instruments

"Wimoweh" (The lion sleeps tonight) as brilliantly arranged by Laurie Berkner. Same formula, but when the music speeds up, the kids get up and dance. The lyrics do not tell the kids what to do, so I demonstrate the actions.

Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)

Laurie Berkner, Whaddaya Think Of That?

"See the Pony" is a circle game, as the kids start by galloping, but switch to "Coming home, all tired out". There are several versions of this song available in MP3 format.Here's the one I am using.

See the Pony

Sally's Music Circle, Little Red Caboose

"There was an Old Woman and She Had a Little Pig"
The little pigs curl up & sleep, then "the farmer" (my adult helper) wakes them up one by one, and they roll around, and then they go to sleep again.
I found this variation on a classic folk song in a library book, and cannot find a recording or similar text version on the internet. Apparently, the original song usually involves the death of the pig, and the old woman. Here's a link to that version, so you can see the melody.
I am reasonably certain the library book was:

American Folk Songs for Children, in Home, School and Nursery School: A Book for Children, Parents and Teachers

Ruth Crawford Seeger (Author), Barbara Cooney (Illustrator)

Three Wintery Action Songs & Dances: The Freeze & more

Looking ahead to January, it's time to enjoy some action songs to burn off all those Christmas sweets & cooped up energy!

Last year I found two wonderful seasonal activity songs from Bananas in Pajamas: "Bumping and a Jumping" CD, which is out of print but you can find it used on Amazon, Ebay, CD Universe or perhaps your library.
The kids really enjoyed these last year, so I am looking forward to using them again.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1518759/a/bumping+%26+a-jumping.htm

"Walking in the Snow" is a perfect circle movement song, we just move around the circle as the song directs: walking, marching, skipping, running (not too fast!) sliding, slipping, and finally falling & sitting in the snow. Just silly enough.

"Skating" is a descriptive song in a waltz rhythm that I like to use for scarf dancing time. Lyrics like "Swishing, twirling and turning" help give some direction, but generally I use this is a free style creative movement piece. Here is a short sample of this song on track 4.

And of course, we must do "The Freeze". I like Wee Sing's recording. Everyone loves this dance.

The Freeze Game

Wee Sing  Wee Sing Games, Games, Games

December Action songs: Hava Nagila and the Reindeer Hokey Pokey

December Action Songs give us much needed breaks from rehearsing our program.

 Hava Nagila Dance -- of sorts ---

What Child Is This?/Hava Nagila  Jingle Cats Meowy Christmas
Seriously, I love the Jingle Cats. It's a silly CD, but a terribly creative one, and that makes me happy. Anybody can arrange Christmas music for traditional instruments. It takes an extra bit of genius to make it work with cats & dogs.

I use the second half of this track, so it starts right on the introduction to the Hava Nagila portion. Three year olds are generally not ready to dance the Hora, so we just do a fun, easy dance.

First 8 counts: holding hands, we walk to the right
Second 8 counts:  holding hands, we walk to the left
3rd -- We "scoop" our hands low as we move to the center & then stand up tall on 4 counts, then move backwards "scooping" low, and stand tall again.
4th -- repeat going in & out of the circle
on the "uru achim" we stomp our feet
last section of the song -- I am never sure how to choreograph! Yesterday we tried a modified skipping to the right & then to the left. I would love to do a step -kick, but it proved way too difficult last year.

(to teach this I sing the melody of the Hava Nagila using words like
"To the right, we're walking to the right, we're walking to the right, and now we'll go the other way--"
"To the left, we're walking to the left, we're walking to the left, and now listen to what I say"
"Scoop to the middle, stand up tall, Scoop to the back and stand up tall"  etc....

The Reindeer Hokey Pokey

Accom. the Hokey Pokey

Bill Evenhouse  The Folksinger Sings Songs for Children and Learners of English

This album offers many accompaniment tracks. I use this instrumental recording of the Hokey Pokey because it does not go too fast. The range is quite low for my voice -- I often speak/sing here & there to give my voice a break. It has a really long intro -- or no intro depending on how you look at it!

Because it's an accompaniment track, you could use it to make up all manner of Hokey Pokeys!
Here's how we use it:

You put your red nose in
Put your red nose out
Put your red nose in, and shake it all about
Do the Reindeer Hokey Pokey (at this we put our hands on top of our head like antlers)
And turn yourself about
That's what it's all about! (clapping)

Other verses:

Front hooves (both hands)
Back hoof (one foot)
Other hoof (other foot)
Antlers (hands on top of head)
Little Tail (hands held together behind back, wiggle for a little tail)
Whole Self

Native American Music, and What to do when the kids make oatmeal container drums

Last week Teacher Terri asked me to find some way to use the oatmeal box drums the kids were making in class as part of their Native American Indian unit.

Gladly!

Here's what we did today.

We warmed up with a fun dance game idea (Uhe Basho Sho) I found in Wee Sing  Around the World, but used the
 Holding Hands Song from
"Dancing Spirit: Native American Songs & Dances"
also available on Itunes.

It's a perfect recording for this game, and sounds a lot like the song on the Wee Sing CD, only it's several minutes longer.
Basically, have the kids line up & hold hands. Place some "trees" around the room. I used five chairs. 

As the music plays, step rhythmically & slowly, leading the line around the obstacles in a crazy path. After a few turns, release the hand of the child next in line and tell them they are the leader. Go join the child at the end of the line. Encourage them to take unexpected turns & keep it fun. They will get the hang of it, but it really helps to have a couple adult helpers to coach them. In my class, each child lead for about 20-30 seconds.

Drum Time

First, anytime I give the kids instruments, I warm them up with a simple piggyback song. I can't remember where I found this, but it's wonderful.

tune: "The More We Get Together"

It's time to play our instruments, instruments, instruments, 
It's time to play our instruments in music class.

Play them HIGH (pause & play them up in the air)
Play them LOW (pause, play low)
Play them FAST (etc)
Play them SLOW

It's time to play our instruments in music class, and STOP!!!

At the STOP everyone MUST put their instrument on the floor and put their hands on their lap. It is a fun game which we practice the first time they get instruments, and keeps instrument time manageable.

Because the drums were too big to lift up high, I substituted the "high & low" with "like this" and swished my palm over the top, and then "with your fingers" and we made rain sounds.

Then we had a blast using this song:

 My Favourite Drum from Kids Music Company

Link goes to their website where you can preview this song. You can also purchase this on Itunes from their "Swing With Me" CD.

At first the kids play however they like, then it directs them to play softly or loudly, and at the end of each verse they:

drum and drum and STOP!! (Pause)
drum and drum and STOP!! (Pause)
drum and drum and drum and then I STOP!! (Pause)

This was great fun, like the Freeze Game for drums.

Finally we used:

Social Dance James Peshlakai From the Album Songs of the Navajo

This is an amazing album. (MP3 downloads from Amazon or Itunes)

For this song, I had the kids scoot back from the circle to leave room for dancers, and told them I would be taking each one by turn for a little dance around the room. They could drum to the music while others were dancing.

I watched some youtubes of social dances, and chose to use a simple variation of this idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIHOZDk3M-0

While the kids drummed the basic beat, I took one child at at time around the circle, both hands joined (criss cross if possible) facing forward. I used a kind of bounce step to the rhythm, but did not expect the kids to do exactly as I did. When we returned to their spot in the circle, I turned us in a 360, still with our hands locked together, and then released them to sit & drum, and extended my hands to the next child. They understood this very easily.

When everyone had a turn, I asked them to put their drums up on the table and choose a dance partner. We all danced as a group a couple more times around the circle to the music. If they could not figure out the two hands idea, it was fine for them to simply hold hands as usual.