Friday Fave: Reindeer Games

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Last weekend, I had the pleasure of leading the music portion of my church’s “Breakfast With Santa” event. This was the second year of my involvement, so I knew better what to expect and what the kids wanted (the chance to get up, dance around, and sing Christmas songs) as well as their parents (happy, occupied children and cute photo ops). I managed to combine all of these things in a ten-minute activity, and it was so much fun that I thought it deserving of “Friday Fave” attention!

Reindeer were the theme of the music room, made evident by the reindeer antlers on my head. Once all the children arrived, were seated, and commented on my headgear, I asked them if they knew who was the most famous reindeer of all. Of course, they all shouted, “Rudolph!” and we went right into the song, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Next I asked if they were aware that Rudolph isn’t Santa’s only reindeer, and told them that I would need 8 volunteers to show them what I meant. This worked out perfectly, because the groups were made up of 10-15 kids, and there were always a few who just wanted to watch. My volunteers came to the front and reached into my bag of tricks:

After all, every reindeer needs a good pair of antlers (the jinglier, the better) and a substitution for hooves (rhythm sticks, of course). I knew the props would be a hit, but I wasn’t quite ready for the excitement they would stir up. And that was fine with me!

The finishing touches were the nametags, which my “reindeer” wore around their necks. I made these by printing the names in a Christmasy font, laminating, and hole-punching so that I could string the sparkly rope through and tie it at the top.
Not all of the kids could read, so before the song, I pointed to each “reindeer” and read his/her name aloud. Then I told them to listen carefully, because when their name was called during the song, I wanted them to fly away just as the lyrics instruct.

The song that I used for this activity is one of my own, The Other Eight Reindeer. Both the kids and parents got a real kick out of it, and you should have seen those cameras flashing as each child “flew away” when it was his/her turn.

After the song, I asked the children to return to their seats for the next song, Up on the Housetop. They all clicked their “hooves” and sang along, still wearing their antlers (I’m telling you, it was a chore getting them off their heads and back into my bag). At the end of the song, it was time for the group to move on to the next station. I repeated this activity eight times that morning, and had a nice long nap when I got home :)

Ways to Spend Holiday Break

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

There’s a certain electricity in the air, now that the holiday season is upon us and winter is creeping in. Today in Springfield, that air is freezing cold, gusting, and carrying snow showers, but electric nonetheless. Most kids are counting down the days until their much-anticipated holiday break, and truth be told, so are many of us educators! Those two weeks are a wonderful time to relax, recharge our batteries, and prepare for the coming winter months. It’s the perfect amount of time, in my opinion, because usually by the end of the break, I’m ready to get back to my students and into the swing of things.

I’ve been hearing all about the fun things my students have planned over the holidays, which inspired me to write a song on this topic. The song can be used as a conversation starter, and a base for coming up with new and fun ideas that will keep kids busy during their time off. This is bound to please parents, who sometimes struggle to keep their children occupied and out of trouble for two weeks!

This time of the year, when winter is here,
And the schools are closed across the nation.
There’s so much you can do,
Why don’t we name just a few,
Ways to spend our holiday vacation.

If it snows, you can go outside,
Hop on a sled, and take a ride.
Put on your ice skates and take
A trip around the lake.
What a way to spend your holiday break.

CHORUS

If you’re tired, you can sleep in late,
Or get up early if you’re feeling great.
There are nights to stay awake,
And naps to take.
What a way to spend your holiday break.

CHORUS

If you’re bored, you can read a book,
Watch TV or learn to cook.
Maybe even help bake
A chocolate cake.
What a way to spend your holiday break.

CHORUS

What are your plans for winter vacation (if you’re lucky enough to have one)? Will you go out of town, or stay close to home? I’m looking forward to being home, spending time with my family, and maybe even getting ahead on some projects I have in the works. Oh, and I can’t forget the parties, food, and presents (giving and receiving). After all, what would the holidays be without those things?

Ten Twinking Trees

by | Listen & Learn Music

Good morning everybody. It’s Monday, and we’re only a few days away from Christmas! It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Today is my last day of school before a two-week break, but don’t worry, I’ll still be updating my blog as usual. I have a full day of classes, a dentist appointment, and a graduation ceremony to sing, so let’s get to it. Today’s song is called “Ten Twinkling Trees” and here it is:

Ten twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it’s not made of pine,
Let’s look at the other nine.

Nine twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it’s trunk’s not straight,
Let’s look at the other eight.

Eight twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it doesn’t point to heaven,
Let’s look at the other seven.

Seven twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for there’s too much to fix,
Let’s look at the other six.

Six twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it didn’t thrive,
Let’s look at the other five.

Five twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?

Not this one here, for it came from a store,
Let’s look at the other four.

Four twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it’s too big for me,
Let’s look at the other three.

Three twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for its branches are few,
Let’s look at the other two.

Two twinkling trees, standing strong and tall,
Which twinkling tree is the best of all?
Not this one here, for it’s brighter than the sun,
Let’s look at the other one.

One twinkling tree, standing strong and tall,
It surely must be the best of all.
With branches full, and sized just right,
I’ll take it home and trim it tonight.

My own Christmas tree is trimmed and most of my presents are wrapped and waiting beneath it, though I still have a few last-minute items to add. These next couple of days will be hectic, but I love this time of year!

Friday Fave: James Taylor at Christmas

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Today is Friday! For many of you who work or teach in a school, this is probably your last day before the holiday break. If that’s you, hooray! My school has one more day in session (Monday) before a two-week break, and as much as I love it here, I have to say that the vacation will be nice.

I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: I love Christmas music. And when it comes to the sounds of the season, I’m not biased at all – I will listen to anything the all-Christmas radio stations play. But of course I do have my favorites…the aforementioned Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait, Bette Midler’s Cool Yule, Christmas With the Rat Pack, and today’s featured Friday Fave, James Taylor at Christmas.

James Taylor is a music legend, and one of my very favorites any day of the year. “Your Smiling Face” makes my heart happy every time I hear it, as do most of his songs (except “Fire and Rain”, which makes me a little teary). So when I discovered his Christmas CD a couple years ago, I just had to add it to my collection. It’s soulful, jazzy, and just plain good…the kind of music that makes you want to curl up in a cozy chair in front of the fire with a big mug of hot chocolate.

My go-to track (which I included on a compilation holiday CD I made for all my students this year) is “Go Tell it On the Mountain”. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy every time I hear it, and I love the gospel choir that accompanies him. To listen to a sample of this song and all the others, go here.

That’s all, folks. Today is a double-post day, so stay tuned for another song that will be sure to get your kids talking…about Christmas!

The Other Eight Reindeer

by | Uncategorized

Good Wednesday morning! I hope you’re all surviving the elements out there…mine include ice, snow, and more ice, not to mention freezing cold temperatures. ‘Tis the season for snow days, shoveling, and lots and lots of lesson cancellations :(

Today’s topic is reindeer. We all know and love Rudolph, because after all, he is the most famous reindeer of all. I sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” with my students last year more times than I care to count, so this year I decided to change things up a bit.

The result was “The Other Eight Reindeer”, an ode to Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. This song confuses everyone upon first listen, because I purposely wrote the first line to sound like the original “Rudolph” song. Most people get a kick out of it, though!

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer lights the way,
Rudolph leads the pack when Santa flies his sleigh,
But Rudolph’s not the only one, he needs a little help to get the big job done,
What I’m talking about is clear: the other eight reindeer.

Next in line is Dasher, Dasher, fly away,
Now there are seven more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Dancer, Dancer, fly away,
Now there are six more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Prancer, Prancer, fly away,
Now there are five more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Vixen, Vixen, fly away,
Now there are four more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Comet, Comet, fly away,
Now there are three more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Cupid, Cupid, fly away,
Now there are two more, helping guide the sleigh.
Next in line is Donner, Donner, fly away,
Now there is one more, helping guide the sleigh.
Last in line is Blitzen, Blizten, fly away,
Now there are no more, helping guide the sleigh.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer lights the way,
Rudolph leads the pack when Santa flies his sleigh,
But Rudolph’s not the only one, he needs a little help to get this big job done,
What I’m talking about is clear: the other eight reindeer.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen,
Reindeer. The other eight reindeer.
The other eight reindeer.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer needs some help.

I hope you and your students enjoy this tune just as much as we have. Oh, and it’s ok to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” every once in a while, too!