I’m always looking for ways to address multiple objectives through a particular song or activity, especially where instruments are involved. Very rarely do I include a song in a music therapy session or class solely for the purpose of playing an instrument.

Since many of the instruments in my collection happen to be multi-colored — including shakers, tambourines, handbells, drums, and more — color identification is a great objective to be paired with playing. I wrote this particular song with shakers in mind, but you could use any instruments you might have and change the colors in the song accordingly.

Color me happy,
With the colors of the rainbow.
Color me happy by playing along,
Color me happy,
With the colors of the rainbow.
They’re all right here in this song.

Happiness is green,
Show me if you have green.
G-R-E-E-N, is the color I see,
And that is happiness to me.

{Blue, Purple, Yellow, Red}

You colored me happy,
With the colors of the rainbow.
You colored me happy by playing along.
You colored me happy,
With the colors of the rainbow,
The colors here in this song.

I like that this song is sort of mellow, unlike most of my other instrument songs. It would be a nice addition to my collection of shaker songs, which just happens to be the “Must-Have of the Month” (found in the left sidebar).

How might you incorporate this song into a lesson plan or music therapy session? And do you have any favorite songs about colors? (I know the classroom next to me does: they listen to Sing & Read: Colors by Frog Street Press every single day at 12:15. I have the entire CD memorized.) Please share yours in the comments!