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

December's Welcome Song: Christmas is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat!

Today we enjoyed our penny toss game, a welcome song/game I made up for December, using a very familiar carol.

Every child is handed five pennies, and while we pass them out, I instruct the kids to count the pennies very carefully to make sure they have 5. They love this.

I set the rules: where a penny lands, it stays! No one is allowed to touch a penny once it has been tossed. (Oh this is hard, but following directions is such an important skill to learn)

Each child has a turn to gently toss their 5 pennies one at a time toward the center of the circle while I sing:

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat
(use child's name) put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny, a half-penny will do,
If you haven't got a half-penny, God Bless You!

I used to bring some hats to place in the center of the circle, and that was fun, but we now have a beautiful carpet for circle time that has a brilliant sun in the middle. It makes a perfect target.

The object is not to score points by hitting the target -- the kids are praised for taking a turn & following directions. Their motor skills are all over the map at this age! Some will improve their ability to do this as we play this again, but everybody can have fun.

Creeping Bugs & Race Car Spider -- Easy Motion Songs

Sunshine Moms & Dads, here are some of the songs we learned earlier this year.

For this one, the kids sat with their legs flat out in front, and we placed our hands on our toes for a great stretch! Then as we sing the song, both hands "creep" up to our noses & down again.

Creeping, creeping, little flea.
Up my leg and past my knee.
To my tummy, on he goes.
Past my chin and to my nose.
Now he's creeping down my chin,
To my tummy once again.
Down my leg and past my knee.
To my toe that little flea.....
(pause to build up some excitement)
GOTCHA!

Here's a youtube - slightly different, but you get the idea 

Of COURSE we do the Eency Weency Spider, but with variations...
We also use an easier hand posture than the one I grew up using.
Hook your thumbs together, now wiggle your eight fingers. Easy.

after the Eency Weency Spider, there's the
GREAT BIG SPIDER (we sing in a GREAT BIG VOICE)
and then the teeny baby spider (we sing in a teeny baby voice)

a few years ago one boy (Jackson) asked for a

 Race Car Spider. Why not?
 We sing:

The Race Car Spider went up the waterspout -- VRROOOM!!!
(hold "spider" hands  down until the vroom, and then they shoot up all at once)
Down came the rain VRROOOM!!!  and washed the spider out
Out came the sun & dried up all the rain, and the
Race Car Spider went up the spout again VRROOOM!!!

You could make a game of creating all kinds of spiders. Would you share your ideas with me?

 We have also enjoyed "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes" this year.

Our Christmas Songs for 2012

Every year I search high & low for a special Christmas song to go with the theme for the year. Some years it's a real challenge!
I also teach a few "core" songs every year, because they are expected, and for the most part are songs the kids already know. Sunshine Moms & Dads, it would be great if you can help them with these at home. Every year we have just a few lessons to learn all the songs we sing for the Christmas party, because I won't start before Halloween!

Every year:

• Jingle Bells -- we ring the bells on the chorus, but not the verse. (just one verse)
• Away in a Manger -- one verse with hand motions
• Up on the Housetop -- one verse with whole body motions
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas -- with other verses like "let's all do a little clapping and spread Christmas cheer"
• Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer -- with Teacher Teri's cute hand motions

Two special songs for this year:

Old Toy Trains sung by Terry Kelly

Old Toy Trains
Because we have a western theme this year, but I totally failed at finding an easy cowboy Christmas song, I went for a Country Western song that is sweet & simple. If you want to help your child learn this song, please download the same version we are using in school. This artist sings "boys and girls" in place of the traditional phrase "little boy", so the girls don't get left out.
He also sings it in a perfect range & gentle tempo, and has such a warm voice. 
For the instrumental bit, we chug-a-chug like trains.

Simple hand motions I made up:

Old toy trains, little toy tracks (children move a hand like they are pushing a toy train)
Little toy drums (pretend they are playing drum)
Coming from a sack (lift both hands like taking something from a sack)
Carried by a man, dressed in white & red (one thumb hitched over shoulder like carrying a sack)
Boys & girls, don't you think it's time you were in bed (folded hands on shoulder - the "sleep" motion)

Close your eyes (hands over eyes)
Listen to the skies (one hand sweeps air, look up at hand)
All is calm, all is well (lower both hands, palms down)
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells (mime ringing jingle bells)

Must Be Santa
Because it is easy & cute, and I just can't do the Hippopotamus song every year. We sing the first three verses only. Here's a link to a you tube with nice illustrations.

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.

Welcome Songs / Games : Peek-a-boo, Charlie Over the Water

I usually change the welcome song every four weeks or so. I call these welcome games, because the child being greeted gets to perform a fun activity.

"Peek-a-boo"  works great at the very beginning of the year. (By the end of the year they might feel too grown up for this game)

I brought a scarf & demonstrated for the kids by putting it over my head & singing:
The melody I use is in solfege \ down slash means go down the scale, / up slash = go up

Kathy is hiding, hiding, hiding.
 do do re mi do, re \ sol /mi do
Kathy is hiding. Where can she be?
do do re mi do, re \ sol / do

(I take the scarf off my head)

Peek - a - boo! I see you!
 / sol sol mi,      fa fa re
Peek - a - boo! I see you! 
 mi mi do,         re \ sol / do

Then I passed the scarf to a child, and they knew right away what to do. 

This week we learned "Charlie Over the Water"

As usual, I started with a traditional song and changed it to something I could use. It makes no sense whatsoever, but the kids don't seem to care.

To play this fun welcome game, I bring a little beanie toy that has no sharp projections. A simple bean bag would work also.

On "Charlie catch", I gently toss the toy underhand to the child. On "throw it back" they do their best to throw it back to me. They all get praised for their turns. It's too much to expect them to all be able to throw & catch perfectly, but they are learning to follow directions & take turns, so they deserve a "good job!" for this.

Of course, I use the name of the child being welcomed in place of "[Charlie]".

[Charlie] over the water,      [Charlie] over the sea
  do do     do do do do \ sol,   /  do do     do ti do  re

[Charlie] catch the beanbag -- and throw it back to me!
 /fa fa      \ re     re   ti  sol         sol    sol   sol  la    ti  do