Saturday June 6th / Music

Toddler Action Song

Ring Around the Rosey

(join hands and walk / dance around in a circle)
Ring around the rosey
A pocket full of posies
ashes ashes
we all fall down (fall down)
You can sing the second verse when they are on the ground

the cows are in the meadow
huddled all together (hug your neighbor)
Thunder, Lightning (pound on floor, wave your arms)
We all stand up (stand up)

You need instruments and a way to "hide" them like a box or curtain.

Toddler and Preschooler:
Gather up musical instruments that you have for your child. If you do not own any instruments, anything that makes sound will do...but musical toys are "better". Show your child each one, name it, and show them what sound it makes.  For toddlers you can use only two at a time. Then put it inside a box, behind your back, or behind a curtain. Make the sound and have them guess which instrument it is. Work your way up with a preschooler. Move to three - ten instruments and have them guess what made that sound.

Preschoolers: Turn the tables and see if they can copy what you did and now you guess the instrument!

Baked Potato Song

We haven't sang this one in a long time, but when we started this wee,k they wanted it over and over again. I made a video to show all of you and it is quite a risk for me because I can not sing a note, but the kids could care less...

We use scarves at music class and washclothes at home. Anything will work.
First have them squish it up in their hands.

Come and get your baked potato ,baked potato, baked potato
Come and get your baked potato
Careful it might be HOT

They shake or bounce the scarf while you sing and throw it at the word hot.

You need: Your Body

Show your children all the ways you can think of to make music with differrent parts of your body.

Clap with open hands
Clap with cupped hands
Snap your fingers
Pat your cheeks, head
Open your mouth and pat your cheeks
Tap Slap Clap Rap your knees, thighs, tummy
"Pop" your mouth
Rub your hands back and forth

Give directions like: Soft, Loud, Fast and Slow

Everybody do their own sounds and you have a Human Band! :-)

MusicToddler Open Shut Them!


Open shut them
open and close fists
Open shut them
open and close fists
Give a little clap clap clap
clap three times

Open shut them
open and close fists
Open shut them
open and close fists
Give a little tap tap tap
Tap your knees three times

Open shut them
open and close fists
Open shut them
open and close fists
Put them in your lap lap lap
fold hands in your lap
Creep them ,crawl them
slowly creep them
right up to our chin chin chin
Crawl hands from tummy to chin
tickle your child along the way

Open wide your little mouth
Touch lips with finger tips
But do not let them in!
Quickly run hands down and tickle tummy

Toddlers:
Grab your firemans hat and lets sing and pretend with actions!

My daughter’s favorite song is:
Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck (tune of Ten Little Indians)

Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck
(Pretend to drive the fire truck)
Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck
Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
(Pretend to ring the bell)

Hurry Hurry Climb the Ladder
(Pretend to climb the ladder)
Hurry Hurry Climb the Ladder
Hurry Hurry Climb the Ladder
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
(Pretend to ring the bell)

Hurry Hurry Put the Fire Out
(pretend to spray water)
Hurry Hurry Put the Fire Out
Hurry Hurry Put the Fire Out
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding
(Pretend to ring the bell)

Preschool:
Hands up, voices on, LET”S SING IT!

My sons favorite action song:
Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
(walk the your hands up finger tip to finger tip switching sides)

down came the rain
(fingers wiggle like rain coming down)

and washed the spider out(move your arms and hands like "out" in baseball, Dramatically)

out came the sun(form a circle with your hands above your head)

and dried up all the rain
(Wiggle your fingers like rain but go up not down)

and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
(walk your fingers finger tip to finger tip up again)

You need one radio.
Toddler: Turn on the radio. Go through different stations and move to the music. If it is classical slowly sway and try to have your toddler mimic your movements. If the music is upbeat clap, dance to the rhythm. This is difficult for toddlers. They may become more interested in turning the dial or pushing the button to change the station! Keep introducing movements related to the music.

Preschoolers: If you take your preschooler to a music or dance class or a large focus will be on distinguishing rhythm and following directions. You can do the same activity as the toddler but with more directions. Try to have your preschooler keep the beat with stomping, clapping, and swaying, tapping, etc. Have them try to mimic what you are doing. Watch and see how long it takes them to pick up the differences in movement based on what they are listening to. Once they have it, change stations, wait to see what they do, and now you follow their lead!

Saturday April 18th Lap Sit
Toddler: This day is a completely separate activity for toddlers. You can certainly plant a seed in a cup with them and they will enjoy digging in the dirt but the whole concept of what a flower needs and how long it takes to happen is a little too advanced at this point.

Grand Old Duke of York / Lap Sit Song
You sing this song while you have your child on your lap. I suggest sitting on the floor with legs straight out.

Sing                                                Actions
The Grand Old Duke of York           -small bounces
He had 10,000 men                      -small bounces
He marched them up to the top of the  hill       -alternate legs (up and down) and "march"                                                                     your toddler up til your knees are bent
and he marched them down again   -alternate legs (up and down) and "march" your
                                                        toddler down till your legs are flat
And when your up your up              -lift knees until bent up (you can lift with arms if you
                                                        are strong enough)
and when your down your down      -straighten your legs flat
and when your only half way up      -lift your knees half way up
your neither up                              -bend knees and lift toddler up
nor down                                       -straighten legs straight infront of you

Toddler: Bang on pots and pans with spoons. Shake smaller plastic bowls inside larger plastic bowls. Watch as your toddler puts one bowl in and dumps it out repeatedly.

Preschooler: Use plastic bowls with plastic spoons, metal pans with metal utensils, and wooden spoons on a wooden surface (cutting board, small stool). Talk to your preschooler about the different sounds and different materials. See if they can notice anything about the sounds, or if they prefer one material over the others.