What Are You Doing Noon Year's Eve?

No, that wasn't a typo! Saturday I'll be at the Tacoma Library main branch for the first ever Noon Year's Eve event! Kids will make a party hat, sing and dance our way around the world as we welcome the new year, and count down to the ball drop at noon. All this, and still be able to make it home for a nap or other activities. Join me for this very special end of the year fun!!- and Happy New Year to you and your families!
See the link below my photo for more info:
http://evanced.tacomapubliclibrary.org/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=3234

Tuesday Tip! Getting Ready for the (sometimes) Dreaded Holiday School Program!

Here it is......... that time of year again... When thousands of preschool teachers across the land are dreading the annual "Holiday Program." So here are some tips and thoughts to help you get through it- not that you need it. Parents will love whatever you do!

1. I think so many teachers get stressed out because there will be "adults" present. It's one thing to sing in front of children. It's another to sing in front of adults! So remember that parents will be totally focused on their children, and will be covered in that magic parent fairy dust that makes us ga-ga over our own little angels (and that's as it should be- we're designed that way!).
2.Don't over-rehearse! Children are spontaneous, and the best thing to do is choose a simple song and sing it as few times as you have to for them to learn it.
3. Simple props can make all the difference! A pair of reindeer antlers, a paper star or crown give children comfort and look sooooooooo adorable in the inevitable videos!
4. In regards to number 3, remember SIMPLE prop! Don't get stressed spending all of your time making elaborate props for the chidlren's minute of glory. You need time to rest up and put up your feet for a while!
5. Finally, remember that some children don't do well with the stress of suddenly being "on stage," often in a room they aren't familiar with. Let parents know ahead of time that it's okay for them to join their child during the presentation. It's no fun to see a crying child reaching for his or her parent, and although these little performances are great and offer many mini lessons for children, the ultimate goal should be the comfort level of the child. So communicate this with the parents before the program, and make sure they know their presence with their child is welcome.

Of course, don't forget my website has lots of simple songs for the holidays (all winter holidays, not just Christmas!) that work great for performances. Click on link to see a playlist of free downloadable holiday songs http://www.nancymusic.com/playlists.htm

Now go out there and deck the halls with songs!

Tuesday Tip: Just Sing!

Singing with your child is one of the most important things you can do as a parent or caregiver.. It builds relationships, early literacy, and will literally help to grow our baby's brain. But as our lives are invaded by more and more sound, simple singing is easier said than done! Whether it's the radio, television, computers and tablets, cell phone, or even a room full of noisy toys, it's understandably increasingly difficult to find the space in which to insert your own voice! One of the tips I give young parents in my workshops who are not in the habit of singing, is to have specific times of the day that are built into your schedule. To take this a step further, I have suggested songs everybody knows. Of course you can sing anything you like, but here's a good and simple starting place....


1. In the car: The Wheels on the Bus
2. While changing a diaper: ABC song
3. While making dinner, a snack, or other meal:: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
4. While going for a walk or even walking to the car: If You’re Happy and You Know It!
5. At bedtime: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

I talk to more and more parents who say they never sing with their children, so taking baby steps (no pun intended) may be the best plan.Singing is free, portable, and can instantly put everyone in a good mood. So just sing!

Tuesday Tip! Halloween (or harvest) Fun

Here's a quick and easy variation on my Four Little Paper Dolls song of the month. This is one of the most popular songs I do, and I use it year-round with different shapes and words. To hear and read about the original, click on this link. http://www.nancymusic.com/SOM/2009/four-little-paper-dolls.htm. . 

Follow all the instructions for the paper dolls song, but instead of paper dolls, cut a pumpkin shape out of folded orange paper. You can draw different faces on each of the four linked pumpkins with a black marker. And Voila! A brand new song! Now you will sing,, "Four little jack-o-lanterns in a row..." These will be so fast and easy to make, you can make one for each child if you are a preschool teacher. Kids who are old enough to handle scissors can cut out and decorate their own. And of course the possibilities are endless for decorating with stickers, or glitter. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm going to do this today with my grandson! He just turned 3 and is very proud of his cutting skills! 

Note! If you don't celebrate Halloween, you can just make and sing "Four Little Pumpkins in a row..."

Tuesday Tip! Arachnid Fun

"I'm just hangin' out waiting for flies!"










This is a great variation on my Arachnid Song (free song of the month for October, 2009. Here's a link to it. http://www.nancymusic.com/SOM/2009/arachnid-round.htm
I wrote this song as a round, but of course that doesn't work well with young children. So last year I tried something different, and it's been a real hit! Read the directions below, then go listen to the melody on my website. Sing each line of the song twice, having children echo you each time. Use a separate motion for each line, as noted below.

1.Arachnid (echo) Arachnid (echo)  slap thighs in rhythm
2.I'm a spider (echo) I'm a spider (echo) alternate claw hands on thighs, moving higher than slaps
3. I am not an insect (echo) I am not an insect (echo) nod head "no" while sliding open hands back and forth in front of body

Now... repeat the whole thing in a whisper, then one last time very loudly.
End by repeating "I am not an insect 3 times, getting softer and softer, and doing all 3 motions, ending with hands resting on thighs.

Young 3 year-olds are able to do this version because there is so much repetition, and the movements are simple. Older children love it because it takes on the feeling of a camp song

I like to read and sing Raffi's Spider on the Floor (available at most libraries), and do the limbo with my Limbo Under the  Spider's Web (another song of the month). The link is here:http://www.nancymusic.com/Limboplay.htm At this link, in addition to the song, you'll see links to other educational websites with information and activities about spiders.

Happy Arachnid-ing!

Tuesday Tip! Special Teacher Resources

If you're reading this blog, you hopefully know I have over 100 free songs for you to download from my website under "Songs of the Month." And you're downloading them every month, right? But you may not know that on my workshops page, there are even more songs you can download, as well as my entire workshop booklet with tons of information and activities. So if you're a teacher or daycare provider, go to my workshop page and take advantage of this free resource. Here's a link to the page on my website.

http://www.nancymusic.com/workshop.htm

Tuesday Tip! Use Your Voices... all of them!

New parents and teachers can sometimes be intimidated about singing or even reading aloud to children. So here's a tip that will insure you're an instant hit! Nothing tickles children's funny bones more than hearing you change your voice. They don't get to hear adults do this normally, and it's just so weird to them! So when you're reading about a mouse, make your voice very tiny. When you're singing about an itsy bitsy spider, make your voice...well, itsy bitsy! A Dinosaur song? Well, you get the idea. Exaggerate words not only when it makes sense, but randomly. Why infants and children alike find this so amusing is one of life's little mysteries.

Here's a similar idea...

Take a familiar song and sing it with the children in different voices.

Some children will have no trouble making suggestions (happy mad, sad, silly), but some children will need your help with ideas. This works best with short songs, like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. You can also do this with a short poem or finger play. And don't forget to get your whole face involved ( a little fake crying always draws giggles, too!). The more drama the better! So just have fun with it!

These ideas work well not only in the classroom or while you're reading to your child, but when you're stuck in traffic or changing a diaper, or any other situation where you need a distraction. Everyone will be in a better mood and you'll be building those very "special" memories together!

Tuesday Tip! Fun With Old Macdonald

Want to have some fun with Old McDonald's Farm? Here's something I did with my kids when they were little, and continue to do in my concerts...

Put a bunch of your children's stuffed animals in an old pillow case and sing the song... When you get to "and on his farm he had a...," poke your head in the bag and make a sound for one of the animals. Have your child guess the animal, then bring it out and finish the song. It doesn't matter if the "animals" are animals at all. Could be trucks or other toys, or animals. The challenge is coming up with a sound! Children love this because of the element of surprise.

Now I have a pillow case-sized bag. decorated with a barn and animals. Very fancy! It's filled with farm animal puppets, so there is much drama and lots of giggles. This song always coaxes the most reluctant singers to participate, and therein lies its magic. But whether you use an old pillow case or make a fancy bag, your children will love to sing this favorite song over and over with its contents as they wonder at its contents!

This idea is great for teachers, librarians, and parents. Some songs never get old!

Tuesday Tip! Books that Sing

"Books that Sing" are picture books based on familiar songs, like Old Macdonald's Farm, Five Little Ducks, or The Itsy Bitsy Spider, to name a few. There are hundreds of them, and new ones being added all the time. The styles of illustrations are quite varied, which makes them appropriate for a variety of ages. Below are a few of my favorites, but the best thing to do is visit your local library and ask your children's librarian to help you find some of his or her favorites.

Why do they work? Children already know the melody, and will immediately sing along! They LOVE to look at the illustrations, and these books work magic on a restless child or group of children. I always have at least a half a dozen newer ones from the library as well as my own collection, which I use at school visits.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Old MacDonald’s Farm, by Jessica Souhami (out of print, but can be found)

A Hunting We Will Go, by John Langstaff

If You’re Happy and You Know It, by David A. Carter

What Shall We Do When We All Go Out? illustrated by Shari Halpern

The Itsy Bitsy Spider, by Iza Trapani (many other story song books by this author)

The Farmer In the Dell, illustrated by Kathy Parkinson

Go Tell Aunt Rhody, illustrated by Aliki (many others by this illustrator)

There are also a lot of original songs in this format, and they either have the melody in the back, or include a CD of the song. My new favorite of these (which means the children's favorite!), is We All Go Travellin' By, a sing-along with Fred Penner, by Sheena Roberts and Siobhan Bell. You can find it on Amazon.com.

If you have some favorite titles, please share them on this blog!

Tuesday Tip! My Favorite Resource Website

If you are a parent or teacher, and don't know about www.Enchantedlearning.com, you MUST go there! It's my favorite site for just about any learning materials to use with children of all ages. Although it's free, there is an optional membership of $20 for an individual teacher or family, or $125 for entire school. I highly recommend you purchase the membership so we can ensure this amazing site continues to exist.But agian, you don't have to subscribe.This website has just about anything you might need, from maps and diagrams, to crafts, animal facts and printouts,games, flags, science,little printable books- you name it! When I create my songs of the month I often try to find relevant websites that will expand the topic of the song. When I do a search, Enchantedlearning.com ALWAYS comes up first. I don't even look anywhere else anymore. If you poke around the site for five minutes, you'll be sold! Hope this tip makes your school year more fun and productive!

Tuesday Tip! Creating Your Circle Time Space

Here are 3 simple tips to make your circle space welcoming and functional for a variety of activities!

1. Allow enough space! I can't tell you how many classrooms I have performed in that didn't have enough wiggle room for kids! We sometimes cram kids into a small space where they can't help but bump into each other while doing simple movement songs, and wonder why we spend so much time reminding them to stay in their own "personal space."

2.Make sure you're not sitting in front of a window, as glare can make it hard for kids to see you. And watch that sun! If your circle space gets sun, have window coverings available so kids don't wilt!

3. Having an area carpet, either circular or rectangular helps children find a place more quickly. And again, make sure it's large enough to allow elbow room!

Stay tuned for my next blog article for a more detailed discussion of circle time space...and have a great school year!

Tuesday Tip! Back to School Songs

Okay, I know the sun JUST came out here in the Great Northwest, but I also know you teachers and librarians are busy little bees (oh yes, the bees are finally here, too!) getting ready for the beginning of school again. And nothing says welcome like a good song!

So here's my tip:

Go to my website and download all of the past September songs of the month.My songs are organized by category, by year and month, by playlist, and alphabetically, so just choose the "by month and year" list. Most of the past September songs are great for back to school topics. And the same goes for the rest of your school year. For example, download all past December, or October, or April songs, and you'll have seasonal collections to take you through the year. All have either printable activities or movement of some kind. And don't forget- ALL MATERIALS ARE TOTALLY FREE TO DOWNLOAD!They are there simple to make our job easier, cheaper, and more fun!No password needed and no signup. So you can practically grab them on your way out the door when you're not sure what you're going to do that day!

And one more tip for September- download the playlist of classroom management songs. Some of them are not September songs, so you'll want them at the beginning of the school year. Link to my website songs of the month: http://nancymusic.com/SOMArchive.htm

Tuesday Tip! Apple and an Ant extras

Here's a great tip for one of my most popular songs for building early literacy. Apple and an Ant is one of my songs of the month, and you can download the mp3, and and print out pages with pictures, words, and letters to use with the song. But the real tip a link to my very good friend, Jim Thomas's wiki site. Jim has really used this song! He has posted pages for the entire alphabet, as well as entire versions in Spanish and for Australian audiences! This song works because it is simple, singable, and VERY repetitive- key for building early literacy. While you're at Jim's Wiki site, spend some time looking around. He has posted a huge amount of free information.

Link to Jim's Wiki site: http://toddlericon.pbworks.com/w/page/22320114/FrontPage
link to my website for the original Apple and an Ant song: http://www.nancymusic.com/Apple_antplay.htm

Free Children's Songs for Teachers, Librarians, and Childcare Providers

Let's get to the free stuff first! My website, www.Nancymusic.com has over 120 free songs you can download to support early literacy, child development, and good old musical fun! You don't need a password or sign up- it's totally free. You may reproduce and copy these materials for any use except for profit. I have been posting a free song of the month for 11 years, so there's a lot to choose from! All songs are available all the time. In addition to the mp3 files you can burn to a CD, you can print out the sheet music and guitar chords, lyrics, activities, and any prop patterns for the songs. Find songs by month, or by category of use (movement, seasonal, languages, etc.). The main focus of my music is supporting early literacy, so I'll be writing much more about that in upcoming blogs. I'll also give you ideas about creative ways to use these songs for fun and learning. The possibilities are endless! As a parent you can download songs and make CD's to give as party favors ( I have a play list for that).Teachers and librarians who use these songs can let parents know so they can download them at home and share the same songs (repetition builds memory in young brains!). I'm always looking for ideas for my song of the month, so let me know if you have one! In the meantime, have fun and go download! http://nancymusic.com/SongMonth.htm