“The Owl Chicken Bunny Song” Young children really enjoy this funny activity, which gets them moving in some very silly ways! It’s from my most recent book, “Shake, Rattle and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning” (Gryphon House, 2015). Children should be standing in a circle. Make circles around your eyes with your […]
Category Archives: Songs
I’m planning to use this in a class soon and thought I’d give a shout-out…there are a lot of versions of “La Bamba” out there, but Daria’s is my go-to version to use with young children. First, it’s the most authentically Latin-sounding, in rhythm and in instrumentation. Daria’s vocal performance is lovely and has an […]
In my music enrichment classes for young children, I often read stories to which I add repeated, sung phrases or “sound effects” children can join in on. I find this adds: 1. Engagement as children focus in on the story and listen for the auditory cues for “their part,” […]
Is it truly hip to be square? This amazing song gives one adorable shape’s opinion. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn facts about polygons. Although the ending is indeed rather gruesome and disturbing if you really think about it (my advice: don’t), the shape is perfectly okay, in fact delighted, with the outcome. This song […]
In the olden days, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln each had their own birthday, like regular people. Since their birthdays were so close, though, they graciously agreed to celebrate them on the same day in honor of three-day weekends. Nowadays we remember these great presidents by sleeping late and shopping. This song is a leave-out-the-words, […]
Yes, I’m aware that the picture features a romantic mouse couple, not rhythm sticks… Here’s the thing though – rhythm sticks aren’t as cute as mice giving each other flowers. This activity appears in my book “Shake, Rattle and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning” (Gryphon House, 2015). “Oh My Darling Valentine” Tap […]
The other day, while singing “Old MacDonald” with a class of three-year-olds, I found myself wondering how many times I’ve sung this song. Must be in the thousands, I thought. Well, I just did some calculations. Multiply approximately ten times a day, three or four days a week, times say fifty weeks a year, for (excuse […]
Quick, guess what this is! Raise your hand if you said “melted snowman!” (Or “snowperson” as I refer to them…) Here in NJ we haven’t had a lot of snow yet. I can’t complain about the mild weather, but I have so many snow-related songs and games, and I want to get them in before […]
Learning About Bats With a Song Kids LOVE! Bats are so cute!! Yes, you read that right. C’mon, how cute is this little guy? Bats are also the most populous mammals on Earth, next to rats (which aren’t cute). (Sorry, rat lovers!) So it’s good for children to learn about these furry flyers. This week, […]
April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But here in New Jersey, the rain, in blatant disregard of both the calendar and corny old sayings, is still falling. No one’s a big fan of bad weather, but I’d argue that it’s particularly annoying for preschool teachers. Young children need to get outside every […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 