Horsey, Horsey

Horsey, horsey, don't you stop.

Just let your feet go clippety clop.

The tail goes swish and the wheels go 'round,

Giddy up, giddy up, we're homeward bound.

Frere Jacques

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,

Brother John, Brother John?

Morning Bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing

Ding, ding, dong, ding ding dong.

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,

Dormez vous? Dormez vous?

Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines

Ding, ding dong, ding ding, dong.

Musical instruments: Shaker Hokey Pokey

You shake your egg up, you shake your egg down
You shake your egg up, and you shake it all around
You do the hokey pokey, and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!
(more verses can include: left/right, front/back, etc.)

-From the blog Storytime Katie

Musical Instruments: Shake it Baby

Shake it, shake it baby
Shake it , shake it mama
Shake it , shake it baby
Shake it, shake it mama
Shake it to the East, shake it to the West
Shake it to the North, shake it to the South
Shake it to the East, shake it to the West
Shake it to the North, shake it to the South
Shake it, shake it baby
Shake it , shake it mama

Developmental Tip: Syllables

Language and Literacy- Phonological Awareness and Alphabetic Knowledge

Helping children hear the smaller sounds in words, the syllables, by clapping them out is one way to develop their phonological awareness.  Children can hear the syllables more easily than each sound in words.

From the book: The Early Literacy Kit by Betsy Diamant-Cohen

We're Going to Kentucky

We're going to Kentucky, We're going to the fair,
We'll see a senorita with flowers in her hair
Oh, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it if you can.
Shake it like a milk shake, and drop it in the can.

Pop, Pop, Pop

Pop, pop, pop! Pour the corn into the pot.
Pop, pop, pop! Take and Shake it until it's hot!
Pop, pop, pop! Lift the lid- what have you got?
Popcorn!

Colored Scarves Activities

Wind, oh wind, oh wind, I say.
What are you blowing away today? (sway scarves around)
Scarves, oh scarves, oh scarves, I say.
I am blowing the scarves away. (hold up scarf and blow, let fall to the ground)

Scrunch up scarf like it is a washcloth:

This is the way we wash our necks, wash our necks, wash our necks
This is the way we wash our necks early in the morning.
(follow with different body parts)

Ring Your Bells, Ring Your Bells

To the tune of jingle bells:

Ring your bells, ring your bells, ring your bells today.
Oh, what fun it is to ring, ring your bells today, ay!
Ring your bells, ring your bells, ring your bells today.
Oh what fun it is to ring, to ring your bells today!

Marching to the Drum

Now we are going to march around the circle together and when it is time to stop, each child will have a chance to hit "stop" on the drum.

We're marching to the drum; we're marching to the drum.
Hi-ho the derry-o we're marching to the drum.
We're marching around the room; we're marching around the room.
Hi-ho the derry-o we're marching around the room.
We're marching to the drum, we're marching to the drum.
Hi-ho the derry-o we're marching to the drum
and the drum says STOP! (go around the circle and give each child a chance to hit the drum)

As each child hits the drum reward them with a positive word

* Can use the variations of running, creeping, tiptoeing,

Rum Pum Pum Drum Sequence

From "Mother Goose on the Loose"

Start by hitting drum or tambourine and saying:

Rum pum pum, this is my drum.  Rum pum pum, this is my drum.
My name is ____________, whats your name?

I'm now going to come around the circle, and I'd like each child to tap out their name on the drum, using syllables.  If your child is too young to do it alone take their hand and direct it so they may tap our their own name.  This is a great way to introduce phonics!

Walk around circle encouraging children to tap out their name.  Repeat each child's name and say good morning.

Musical Instruments: We Ring our Bells Together

We ring our bells together,
We ring our bells together,
We ring our bells together because it's fun to do.

Ring them up high, (alter voice in a high pitch)
Ring them down low,(alter voice in a low pitch)
Ring them in the middle,

We ring our bells together because it's fun to do.