I love a good movement prop, especially one that doubles as an instrument…so when I saw these wrist jingle bells from Bear Paw Creek, I knew I had to have them. Not surprisingly, they’ve been a big hit with my students!
Of course, a new movement prop calls for a new song, and I was immediately inspired to write “Jinglin’ High Five” once I received these beauties. I wanted to play upon the fact that these jingle bells can be worn while also addressing several goals at the same time.
“Jinglin’ High Five”
Goals for this song include:
- counting
- counting backwards
- socialization
- following directions
- discrimination of left and right
I start by asking my students to give a high five to a friend or family member in the group, which leads to a bit of wonderful chaos as everyone runs around giving high fives. Once we start the song, I give specific directives for counting, using the left and right hand, and interacting with others.
The adaptability factor of this song is high, as you can increase or decrease the number to and from which you count depending on the abilities and goals of the individual or group. I also like to facilitate further socialization by instructing participants to give high fives to other group members who I call by name.
It didn’t take long for my little students to realize that wearing these jingle bells on their ankles is just as fun, if not more ;) I can’t help but crack up watching them give high fives with their feet, and I have to give them points for creativity!
Other songs I use along with the wrist jingle bells address color identification and directional awareness. “Flower, Stand Tall” (available as part of my Spring Song Pack) is a good one for both of these objectives.
Have you used movement props/instruments like these, either from Bear Paw Creek or that you’ve made yourself? I’d love to hear how YOU incorporate them into your sessions and classes, and which songs have worked well with them.
You can listen to “Jinglin’ High Five” in its entirety right here. Lyrics, chords, mp3, and instrumental track for this original song are available for download. As is the case for all Listen & Learn Music creations, we invite you to adapt this song as needed to best serve your students and/or clients.
