Thanks so much for watching my video and heading over to Listen & Learn Music! I’m excited to share “The Toolbox Song” with you because it truly is one of the most effective tools in my musical toolbox (pun totally intended).
My students and clients request this song time and time again, and I am always happy to oblige, because it allows me to work on so many goals at the same time.
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Jingle Joe
Happy Tuesday! It’s another gray day, but it’s always sunny inside the walls of the Hope Institute :) I have been burning CDs and preparing materials for May all morning, so I thought I’d take a break and do a little blogging.
Yesterday as I was brainstorming new song ideas, a character popped into my head. His name happened to be Jingle Joe, and he plays the tambourine. So I opened up a new Word document, and immediately, the lyrics to “Jingle Joe” came pouring out of my fingers. The melody came just as quickly, and this is the result:
Jingle Joe is a guy I know,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was green, and he had a tambourine,
And he taught me how to play.
He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my hand,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my hand,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.
Jingle Stu, well I know him too,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was red, and this is what he said:
I have a tambourine and I’m gonna play.
He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my thigh,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my thigh,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.
I think next month we’ll dust off the old tambourines and jam to this tune. Maybe I’ll even add a few verses…I think Joe and Stu need some female counterparts :) Well it’s time to get back to work – so long for now!
Counting Time: Umbrellas
Rain, rain, go away! I’ve been singing that tune an awful lot this month, which means I’ve also spent a good amount of time counting umbrellas with my students. Of course I’d rather be counting things like suns, sunglasses, and flowers, but I’m just happy to be through with snowflakes, jackets, and mittens. I’ll take what I can get!
Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little umbrellas, 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 umbrellas?
Ten little umbrellas,
All lined up in a row.
I think I probably have ten umbrellas between my car, house, and office at school. You’ll never know when you’ll need one next!
Friday Fave: Warm Weather Has Arrived!
Finally…and I think it’s here to stay. We are in for two 80-degree days, and then a string of 70s, which is more than okay with me! It feels so good to be able to go outside without a jacket. And in honor of the beautiful warm weather, here is my “Warm Day” song, which I’ve been waiting to share for a couple weeks now:
Well it’s not too cold and it’s not too hot,
It’s warm, it’s warm.
Don’t need a coat, won’t sweat a lot,
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
It’s warm outside, right in between
Spring is here, the trees are green
And so today we’ll play outside
Hop on our bikes, and take a ride
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
Well it’s not too cold and it’s not too hot,
It’s warm, it’s warm.
Don’t need a coat, won’t sweat a lot,
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s
Warm, not hot, not cold, just right.
Enjoy the day, it’s shining bright.
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
I can’t wait to get out and ride my bike, walk our soon-to-arrive puppy, and just enjoy the spring. Unfortunately, I won’t have much time to do so this weekend, however. Tomorrow is my dad’s 50th birthday, which we’ll be celebrating in the afternoon. Then tomorrow evening, I am singing in a gala fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center. Church Mice, a music group for little ones I lead, begins its spring session on Sunday afternoon, and then the weekend will be over! Have a great weekend yourselves – hopefully it will be more relaxing than mine :)
The Digit Dance
Memorizing a string of numbers can be challenging, but it is absolutely necessary for each and every child to know his/her home phone number. And what is the best way to learn? Why, with a song, of course! “Digit Dance” makes this task a little more fun…I used a made-up phone number for the first half of the song, so just replace that with the child’s number when you put this tune to use.
I have a little boogie that I do,
When I share my phone number with you.
There are seven numbers that you need to know,
So I’ll say them nice and slow:
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
Do the digit dance, do the digit dance,
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
Do the digit dance, do the digit dance,
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
Memorize your number and don’t forget,
Not to share it with the people you just met.
You can tell it to your teacher or friend,
Now I’ll say it once again:
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
Do the digit dance, do the digit dance,
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
Do the digit dance, do the digit dance,
_ _ _-_ _ _ _
A great way to adapt this song is to use sign language when listing the phone number. That way, non-hearing students can still benefit, and everyone can work on signing skills at the same time. You could also play a game using this song, where you take turns pointing to a student, and that student fills in his/her own phone number.
Happy Easter!
I hope you all are enjoying your Easter Sunday. Mine started with a beautiful church service, which included a great sermon and lots of music. On the way home, my mom and I were discussing how Easter celebrations have changed over the years, now that my brother and I are adults and we have no other children in our family.
No more Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies, or egg hunts, though hopefully that will change once Zach and I have kids of our own…far, far down the road! Until then, I’m content with church and a delicious meal :)
Speaking of delicious meals, I better get going! But I just wanted to stop by and wish you all a happy Easter, and leave you with this cute little tune about Easter eggs.
I take an egg
All shiny white
And then I dip
It out of sight.
I leave it there
Within the cup
Then after a minute
I pick it up.
And oh!
It’s a lovely
Shade of green!
The prettiest Easter egg
I’ve ever seen.
CHORUS
And oh!
It’s a lovely
Shade of blue!
What a perfect color
For me and you!
CHORUS
And oh!
It’s a lovely
Shade of pink!
The best Easter Egg
of all, I think!
Counting Time: Bunnies
Easter is on its way, which means we’ve been singing about all things related. Bunnies are an especially hot topic, and that is what we’re counting today. Here we go!
Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little bunnies 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 bunnies?
Ten little bunnies.
All lined up in a row!
What songs or activities do you use around Easter? I know that at many schools, celebrating certain holidays is not allowed…good thing there are plenty of spring songs out there if this is the case! I have a great book I’ll share with you tomorrow, so make sure you stop by and check it out. Have a fantastic day!
April Fool’s Day!
It’s only 8:30 am, and I’ve already been pranked…by my principal! He sent out an email telling us to come to a faculty meeting at 8:00 am, and then when we got there, we found that there was no meeting, only delicious muffins :) I’ll take a prank like that any day of the year.
And in honor of the first day of April, here is the newest song of the month:
April, it’s April,
For thirty days it’s here,
April, it’s April,
The fourth month of the year.
April Fools is on day one,
Jokes and pranks are so much fun,
Play a trick on one of your friends,
Before this day ends,
April, it’s April,
For thirty days it’s here,
April, it’s April,
The fourth month of the year.
April 22nd is Earth Day,
Let’s keep our planet clean,
Recycle and plant some trees,
And make the whole earth green,
April, it’s April,
For thirty days it’s here,
April, it’s April,
The fourth month of the year.
Spring is here the whole month long,
And flowers start to bloom,
When April showers are over,
The sun shines in our room,
April, it’s April,
For thirty days it’s here,
April, it’s April,
The fourth month of the year.
I have a busy but exciting month ahead of me. I’ll be celebrating both my mom and dad’s 50th birthdays, next week is spring break, and then the following week, Zach and I are off to San Diego! I can’t wait. But for now, enjoy your April Fool’s Day and if you play a prank on somebody, make it a nice one!
Spring Snow
When the forecast called for snow this weekend, I laughed it off. After all, it’s spring…right? It rained all day long on Saturday, and by late evening the temperature had dropped considerably. Maybe the weatherman was right after all?
Sure enough, when I woke up early on Sunday morning, I looked outside to see approximately four inches of snow covering the ground. So in honor of Illinois’ freak spring snowfall, I’d like to share my snowy day song (one that I thought I wouldn’t have to think about for at least eight more months).
Snowflakes, snowflakes, float to the ground.
Here they come without a sound.
Big and small, down they fall,
It’s a snowy, snowy day.
See the ground, all covered in white,
Can you feel the cold air’s bite?
Making snowmen, snow angels too,
Snow is falling, yes it’s true.
Snowflakes, snowflakes, float to the ground.
Here they come without a sound.
Big and small, down they fall,
It’s a snowy, snowy day.
Make a snowball with your hands,
Toss it up and see where it lands.
Soft and powdery, white as glue,
Snow is falling, yes it’s true.
Luckily, most of the snow has melted and the high today is 60 degrees. My spring break starts next Monday, so I’m crossing my fingers in the hopes that this weekend was meant to balance out a perfect week of sunshine and 70 degree temps. I have other weather songs, ones about warm weather and fun in the sun, that I’d really like to get to. Have a great Monday, everyone :)
Eat Your Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Growing up, I despised breakfast. I didn’t like eating in the morning, and I could hardly stand most breakfast foods. It wasn’t until high school that I willingly ate breakfast, which usually consisted of a granola bar and Capri Sun during my first-hour latin class. Now I’ll eat just about any breakfast food (though I am very particular about my eggs), and it is a required meal if I want to have a productive morning.
I know I wasn’t the only kid in the world who wasn’t a breakfast eater. You probably know a few, yourself…or maybe a kid who doesn’t like to eat lunch or dinner. Children can be very picky when it comes to mealtime, which is what today’s song is all about.
Eat you breakfast lunch and dinner.
And you’re sure to be a winner.
These three meals keep your body strong,
Morning, noon, and night – the whole day long.
Breakfast comes first, it’s how we start the day.
Have it before school or goin’ outside to play.
Eggs and bacon, pancakes too,
Orange juice and milk are good for you.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day.
Lunch comes next, it gives us energy.
For learning, or running, or climbing up a tree.
A sandwich, crackers with some cheese.
And a juice box if you please,
Lunch is the second meal of the day.
Dinner is last, it’s what we eat at night.
When our day is through, let’s have a bite
Of chicken and a vegetable,
Dessert if you are not too full,
Dinner is the third meal of the day.
Eat you breakfast lunch and dinner.
And you’re sure to be a winner.
These three meals keep your body strong,
Morning, noon, and night – the whole day long.
You can always replace the foods I included with whatever your child likes to eat – it’s okay if it doesn’t rhyme! Speaking of breakfast, lunch and dinner, I need to plan my grocery list for the rest of the week. Have a great Tuesday!
Friday Fave: The First Day of Spring!
I must start this Friday post with an apology – I’ve been a bad blogger this week :( But I promise I have a good excuse; I have been moving all week, and that has used up almost all of my energy. Actually, there’s no “almost” about it…I am completely drained, both mentally and physically. But today is a very important day, and I just couldn’t stay away any longer.
SPRING!! Raise your hand if you have been counting down the days until its arrival (my hand is high in the air). Even though it’s pretty chilly outside this morning, the sun is shining and the promise of consistent warm weather is palpable. Most exciting of all is that I finally get to sing my “spring” song, which goes like this:
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone, let’s go outside, it is spring!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers grow, no more snow, it is spring!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm days, sun’s rays, spring is here!
In more moving news (I know, you’re probably sick of hearing about it by now), we spent our first night in the new house last night! Most of the boxes are unpacked, and our new furniture will be arriving today along with direcTV. It is finally beginning to feel like our home. I will try to post some pictures this weekend, so until then, happy Friday and happy Spring!