Free Download: “Little Red Apples”
This is one of many counting songs I’ve written, which focuses on counting both up to 5 and down from 5. I created simple apple visual aides (using red construction paper and then laminating) which my students can then manipulate as we count.
Click here to download the mp3 and lyrics/chords.
P.S. If you want access to my entire collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music, consider joining me over at Listen & Learn Plus!
Ten Little Candy Canes
It’s counting time again! You probably have lots of these peppermint treats around the house or in your classroom, so go ahead and use them as a teaching tool while you sing this counting song with your students.
Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little candy canes in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Again!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
How many candy canes?
Ten little candy canes,
All lined up in a row.
Before I sign off, I’d like to ask for some feedback from you: what are your favorite Christmas songs to sing with your child or students? I’m especially interested in hearing about unique and original songs, even if they are simple as can be. Sometimes keeping it simple is best, especially when it comes to kids!
Friday Fave: The Carpenters at Christmas
The Carpenters may have been before my time, but I have fully embraced their music thanks to my dad, a big fan himself. As I mentioned last week, one of my holiday traditions is listening to the album A Christmas Portrait, which the Carpenters released in 1978. I first heard the album as a freshman in high school, and I remember borrowing my dad’s copy of the CD and practically wearing it out that year. Now I have my own copy, and it remains my very favorite Christmas music ever.
This is one of the few CDs I can listen to over and over and never get bored…in fact, it’s been in my car CD player for the past three weeks. Richard’s arrangements are lush and beautiful, and Karen’s voice is stunning, really. Though I enjoy every song on the album, my favorite is “Sleigh Ride”.
Close runners-up are “Christmas Waltz”, “It’s Christmas Time” and “Merry Christmas, Darling”. You can listen to snippets of all the songs here, courtesy of Amazon. And the next time you hear one of these songs while you’re shopping at the mall or in your car listening to Christmas radio, think of me :)
That does it for this week’s Friday Fave. I have a busy but fun weekend to look forward to, which includes leading music activities at my church’s Breakfast with Santa and singing at the birthday party of one of my favorite three-year-olds, Samantha. Have a great weekend!
The Colors of the Season
I love this time of year. Everyone is in a good mood, and there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air, which makes even the extremely cold temperatures tolerable. When I was younger, my family used to drive around different neighborhoods and admire the Christmas lights and decorations, and I still enjoy doing so to this day.
There’s no doubt an abundance of red and green in your home, at the mall, in your workplace, and all around your city, and that is what today’s song is about.
Red and green are the colors of the season,
Red and green are the colors all around,
Red and green are the colors of the things we see,
All over the town.
We’ll start with red, R-E-D,
Red is the color of the things we see.
Like candy canes and berries and Santa’s clothes,
Poinsettias and drums and big red bows.
Red and green are the colors of the season,
Red and green are the colors all around,
Red and green are the colors of the things we see,
All over the town.
Next is green, G-R-E-E-N,
We see this color again and again.
Like Christmas trees and wreaths and mistletoe,
Wrapping paper, ornaments, and lights aglow.
Red and green are the colors of the season,
Red and green are the colors all around,
Red and green are the colors of the things we see,
All over the town.
You can make this song interactive by asking your students to identify objects in the classroom that are red and green, which – I can tell you from experience – kids love. Another idea: make pictures of each item in the song and have the children name them during the verses. Or insert your own red and green items to make the song unique.
The Last Month of the Year is December
There was no question when I woke up this morning that it was December. All I had to do was see the thin layer of snow on the ground, and my suspicions were later confirmed when I ventured outside and was covered in the white stuff myself. December is here, ladies and gentlemen, and winter is not far behind!
So to kick off this twelfth month, here is a song all about these festive thirty-one days. Enjoy!
The last month of the year is December
It is number twelve, this we know
There are thirty one days and then the year is new
In December there’s so much for us to do.
The last month of the year is December
The air is cold and it may even snow
We’ll start to see all sorts of decorations
In all the different places that we go.
CHORUS
The last month of the year is December
There are many holidays to celebrate.
Some of my friends have Hannukah and Kwanzaa
Learning about traditions is so great.
CHORUS
The last month of the year is December
And our friends and family will soon arrive.
There’ll be trees and lights and cookies and some presents
‘Cause Christmas comes on day twenty-five.
CHORUS
The last month of the year is December
New Year’s Eve is on day thirty-one
We’ll stay up late and count down to midnight
Oh, isn’t December lots of fun!
Today begins a brand new batch of seasonal songs at school and in my students’ homes. I can’t wait to share them all with you over the next few weeks. But for now, enjoy the first day of December and if your weather is anything like mine, be careful out there!
It’s Holiday Time
The holiday season is officially here! I skipped the crowds at the mall on Black Friday and instead spent the morning dragging the decorations out of the basement and putting up the Christmas tree with the help of my wonderful husband. Now that my house is full of holiday cheer, I decided that it’s time to spread a little bit of it here at Listen & Learn. After all, December begins tomorrow!
It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.
It’s time for giving,
Helping others and being kind.
It’s time for sharing,
Which will make you feel good inside.
It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.
It’s time for music,
Come on and ring your bell.
It’s time for carols,
Silent Night and The First Noel.
It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.
It’s time for parties,
Spending time with your family and friends.
It’s time for celebration,
Hope the laughter never ends.
It’s holiday time, so here is a rhyme,
For us all to sing together.
Spreading joy and good cheer,
This time of the year,
No matter how cold the weather.
I have lots of traditions to uphold in the coming weeks. Some of these include watching “White Christmas” about six dozen times, making homemade chex mix with my dad, singing along to the Carpenters’ “Christmas Portrait” album, and much more. What are your holiday traditions?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Before Thanksgiving Day officially begins in my house, I wanted to take a second to share a few of the things that I am thankful for this year.
1. My Family
I am so lucky to have such a loving family on both my husband’s side and mine; they never stop supporting me in everything I do, and they truly are my biggest fans.
2. Music
I feel so blessed to have music in my life, and to be able to share it with others. The fact that I get to be musical all day long and get paid for it is just icing on the cake.
3. My Home
Zach and have lived in our house for nearly three years now, and sometimes I just look around and think, “wow, we’ve got it pretty good.” I never take that for granted.
4. You
No, really! I started this blog on a whim, never thinking that people would actually read it. Now I get emails from you, letting me know how you are able to adapt and use my songs in your classroom or with your students, and I truly appreciate each and every one of them. The fact that this has become an educational resource thrills me to no end, and I owe that to each and every reader. So thank you!
I hope that you enjoy your Thanksgiving Day just as much as I know I will. See you back here soon!
Thanksgiving Eve
It’s almost here! If you’re like me, you’re probably looking forward to a few days off so that you can relax, spend time with family, and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. I have one more song to share with you that I think really captures the spirit of Thanksgiving in a fun, cheerful, and kid-friendly way.
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.
Let’s think about the pilgrims,
Who settled long ago.
They started this tradition
The one that we all know as
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.
We’ll all eat lots of turkey,
Mashed potatoes, green beans too
End with a slice of pumpkin pie
And then when we are through, we’ll sing
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
The day that we give thanks
For the food that’s on our plates and friends with whom we celebrate
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
We sing this joyful song
For all the good things that we have to last the whole year long.
What are your plans for Turkey Day? Mine include LOTS of eating – first with my family, and then with my husband Zach’s family. But hey, I’m not complaining :) I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving! I’ll be dropping in over the weekend to give a little preview of what is to come in December…hope to see you then!
Ten Fat Turkeys
I know we’ve already counted turkeys this month, but I just had to tell you about this book that I’ve been reading (well, singing) with my students. You may already know it; it’s called Ten Fat Turkeys and it’s just as silly as the other book I recommended, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.
This story is a new student favorite, which is good enough for me! I especially enjoy the pictures, which are colorful and goofy. Be sure to add this to your bookshelf for next year. I have one more Thanksgiving song for you, so make sure to stop by and take a listen tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying this short week, and gearing up for the official start of the holiday season. I sure am!
Ten Little Scarecrows
Surprise! Here I am, blogging away from Connecticut in the midst of wedding excitement. In just a few hours, Rob and Shannon will tie the knot, and I’m lucky enough to provide the soundtrack (well, the vocals, at least) to the ceremony. But I couldn’t forget about all my faithful readers, so I stopped in to share a counting song with you. This time it’s Scarecrows, which aren’t exactly Thanksgiving-related, but hey, it’s still fall!
Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little scarecrows in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow!
One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Again!
One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
How many scarecrows?
Ten little scarecrows!
All lined up in a row.
Be sure to stay tuned for the last few Thanksgiving songs I’ve been waiting to share with you! Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday :)
Friday Fave: Songs for Teaching
I have some really exciting news that I’ve been bursting to share with you, and I thought there was no better time to do so than today, as my Friday Fave. A while back, I told you all about Songs for Teaching and my opportunity to make my songs available on their website.
Now, just a few short weeks later, you can visit Songs for Teaching and not only listen to my songs, but download them as well. I currently have six collections available: Months, Weather, Healthy Habits, Fall, Rhythms, and Manners.
And while you’re there, be sure to check out all of the other great artists and their songs. There are so many different styles to choose from.
I’m spending the weekend in Connecticut, but I just might have to take a break from the wedding festivities to post another Thanksgiving song since time is running out. No promises, but check back tomorrow just in case!