Shape Focus

Music/Movement: 
Sing shape song or songs that have shape connections (or same number of sides, etc.)
Draw shapes in air with finger

Form shapes with body (yoga)

Move body in the motion of the shape.
Walk the shape on the ground (follow line)
Shape Dance Circle (put shapes in the middle and pick one out or have kids stand up and dance if they have a certain shape)

Books:
Look, Look, Look
Mouse Shapes
Line that bent into a shape...??

Activities
shape stories (felt, paper)- create the shape characters and tell a story with them
pattern blocks/tangrams
make patterns of shapes (train, bead bracelet, drawing, etc.)
geo board (to create shapes with rubber bands)
Draw shapes (help children listen--shape and color--then create picture)
Shapes scavenger hunt
Look for shapes in famous art pieces

paint with shapes cut of sponges or foam

Use shape bean bags or pieces to pass around a circle or catch with

Those Bones Song

Those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
They help me move and shake!

The foot bone con-nected to the (pause) leg-bone,
The leg bone connected to the (') knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the (') thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the (') back bone,
The back bone connected to the (') neck bone
The neck bone connected to the (') head bone
They help me move and shake!

Those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
those bones, those bones,
those skeleton bones.
They help me move and shake!

The head-bone connected to the neck-bone,
the neck-bone connected to the back-bone
The backbone connected to the thigh-bone
the thighbone connected to the kee-bone
the kneebone connected to the leg bone
the leg bone connected to the foot bone
They help me move and shake!

A-E-I-O-U Song

I made up a simple vowel song for three reasons

1. learn the vowels as being open sounds (unlike consonants which block air flow)
2. get familiar with a basic scale (going from one note up to the next and the next, etc.)
3. This is specifically sung in pentatonic scale, which is a good start for kids because you can play the notes all over the place without feeling like you are playing a wrong note. It build confidence in musical expression. A simple piano version of pentatonic scale is just playing the black notes. Try it....it's pretty. And may sound Asian, since I've heard they use it. (I do this key: d,e,g,a,b)

Come and sing a song
(d,e,g,a,b) - up the scale
Come and join along
(d,e,g,a,b)
Sing so openly
(d,e,g,a,b)
The vowel song
(b,a,g,e,d) - backwards down the scale

A-E-I-O-U
(d,e,g,a,b)
A-E-I-O-U
(d,e,g,a,b)
A-E-I-O-U
(d,e,g,a,b)
and sometimes Y
(b,a,g,e,d)

Shapes Song

Shapes Song

(Tune: 'Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush')

This is a (square) as you can see.

It has (4 sides all the same).

This is a (square) as you can see.

Now draw it in the air with me!

Other verses:

Rectangle: 2 short sides and 2 long

Circle:  goes around without an end

Triangle: 3 corners and 3 sides

Oval: goes around, but is squished in

-----
Or a Shape Poem:

Shape Monster, Shape Monster
Munch, Munch, Munch...
How about a _________
For your lunch?

(choose different shapes that the child has to draw)
Then put them together into a shape monster.

All Gods Critters Got a Place in the Choir

All God's critters got a place in the choir

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws

Or anything they got. (Everyone make a noise with their instrument)

Listen to the bass, it's the one on the bottom

Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus

Moans and groans with a big to-do

The old cow just goes MOOOOO

The dog and the cat pick up the middle

While the honey bee hums and the cricket fiddles

The donkey brays and the pony neighs

And the old coyote howls

All God's critters got a place in the choir

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws

Or anything they got. (Everyone make a noise with their instrument)

Listen to the top where the little birds sing

On the melody with the high note ringing

The hoot owl hollars over everything

And the jaybird disagrees

Singin' in the night-time, singin' in the day

Little duck quacks, and he's on his way

The possum ain't got much to say

And the porcupine talks to himself

All God's critters got a place in the choir

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws

Or anything they got. (Everyone make a noise with their instrument)

It's a simple song of livin' sung everywhere

By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear

Grumpy alligator and the hawks above

Sly raccoon and the turtle dove.

All God's critters got a place in the choir

Some sing low, some sing higher

Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

And some just clap their hands, or paws

Or anything they got. (Everyone make a noise with their instrument)

Original song By bill staines

Bluebird, Bluebird

Bluebird, bluebird, in and out my window.

Bluebird, bluebird, in and out my window.

Bluebird, bluebird, in and out my window.

Oh, Johnny I'm so tired.

Take a little girl and tap her on the shoulder

Take a little girl and tap her on the shoulder

Take a little girl and tap her on the shoulder

Oh, Johnny I'm so tired. 

---

Blue bird blue bird is a circle game. The children stand in a circle holding hands high up in arches (to form the "windows" in the song). One kid is the "Blue Bird" who flies in and out of the arches or "windows". During the second verse, the "bird" chooses a partner by patting him/her on the shoulder. The second child then follows holding the 1st child's shoulders while they pass through the "windows". Then game continues on until all the children make a chain and there are only 2 children left forming an arch (or "window"). They then become the first two bluebirds in the next round.

This song was originally posted at:

http://bussongs.com/songs/blue-bird-blue-bird.php

Green Grass Grows

There was a tree

(There once was a tree)

In a hole in the ground

(In a hole in the ground)

The prettiest little tree

(The prettiest little tree)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

Now on the tree 

(Now on this tree)

There was a branch 

(There was a branch)

The prettiest little branch 

(The prettiest little branch)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the branch on the tree, 

And the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

Now on this branch 

(Now on this branch)

There was a nest 

(There was a nest)

The prettiest little nest 

(The prettiest little nest)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the nest on the branch, 

And the branch on the tree, 

and the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

Now in this nest 

(Now in this nest)

There was an egg 

(There was an egg)

The prettiest little egg 

(The prettiest little egg)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the egg in the nest, 

And the nest on the branch, 

And the branch on the tree, 

and the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

Now in this egg 

(Now in this egg)

There was a bird 

(There was a bird)

The prettiest little bird 

(The prettiest little bird)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the bird in the egg, 

And the egg in the nest, 

And the nest on the branch, 

And the branch on the tree, 

and the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

Now on this bird 

(Now in this bird)

There was a feather 

(There was a feather)

The prettiest little feather 

(The prettiest little feather)

That you ever did see

(That you ever did see)

Oh, the feather on the bird, 

And the bird in the nest, 

And the nest on the leaf, 

And the leaf on the twig, 

And the twig on the bough, 

And the bough on the branch, 

And the branch on the limb,

And the limb on the tree, 

and the tree in a hole

And the hole in the ground

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

(Repeat last sentence)

And the green grass grew all around, all around

And the green grass grew all around

....fly away little birdy!

---

We like singing this and pretending we are a tree, the arm our branch and using our hands to show the nest, egg and bird. Then the bird hands fly away at the end. But it is a good visual connection for the kids to help them remember the order of the song.