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SONGS
Toddlers love to sing. They like to use their hands and bodies to express parts of the songs. These are some songs that the toddlers in my class expecially like.
Two of our favorites are "Good Morning, Mary Sunshine", and "The Three Bears". Whenever we come together to sing, they ALWAYS want to sing "Mornin' Mary Sunshine".
Two recent favorites are "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", and a similar song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Traffic Light". I have heard a couple of my students sitting at the snack table singing these songs while waiting for snack to be served. I decided that this meant they liked them, so I have added them to my list.
Begin by slapping your legs, and clapping your hands.
The song goes like this:
Good morning, Mary Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine,
good morning, Mary Sunshine,
Who is ......? (say child's name).
At this point, the child chooses what he wants to be, it can be anything at all. I will use "Johnny", and "Mommy" to demonstrate the next part.
Johnny is Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,
Johnny is Mommy, who is .....? (next child)
Continue until all the children have had a turn, then choose yourself. For the last verse say ...
How is everyone? ... Children respond "FINE!!!"
Let the children choose what they want to be. If a new student really doesn't know what to do, you might suggest something such as "Mommy". The kids need be creative on their own. It is amazing how creative they can be. I have heard everything from "Mommy", to "Raptar", "Power Ranger", and "Anakin Skywalker"! Have fun, and be an example by being creative yourself!
I am not sure exactly how this goes, but the kids love it! So we improvise :o). Use a singsong voice, so it is sortof a song/chant. (Does that make sense?) Slap legs along with the beat.
Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme, there were three bears.
A mama and a papa and a wee bear, all together went walking in the woods.
"Someone's been eatin' my porridge," said the papa bear,
(fold arms, deep voice) Said the papa bear.
"Someone's been eatin' my porridge," said the mama bear,
(hands on hips, high voice) Said the mama bear.
(make this part more fun) "Hey mama she bear,"
said the little wee bear,
(distressed, slap legs) "Someone has broken my chair!"
"Someone's been sittin' in my chair," said the papa bear,
said the papa bear.
"Someone's been sittin' in my chair," said the mama bear,
said the mama bear.
"Hey mama she bear," said the little wee bear,
"Someone has broken my chair!"
"Someone's been sleepin' in my bed," said the papa bear,
said the papa bear.
"Someone's been sleepin' in my bed," said the mama bear,
said the mama bear.
"Hey mama she bear," said the little wee bear,
"Someone has broken my chair!"
Goldilocks woke up, and broke up the party!
(slap legs and really emphasize the words)
"BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE," said the papa bear,
said the papa bear.
"BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE, BYE," said the mama bear,
said the mama bear.
"Hey mama she bear," said the little wee bear,
"Someone has broken my chair!"
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Most of you know this familiar song. My toddlers like to sing it, and we open and close our hands (high and low) to simulate stars twinkling. At the "diamond in the sky" part, we form a diamond shape with our fingers.
The tune is the same as "A,B,C".
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Traffic Light
This is a slight variation of the "Little Star" song. We also "twinkle" our fingers, by opening and closing, but when we come the the "Stop", "Go", and "Wait" parts, we do the hand motions of stop, go and wait, and then point our finger for "even if you're late."
To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Twinkle, twinkle traffic light,
Standing on the corner bright.
Red means stop, Green means go,
Yellow means wait, even if you're late.
Twinkle, twinkle traffic light,
Standing on the corner bright.
since 9/16/99
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