Estes: Music and Movement

Exciting news! On Saturday, November 8th, I am starting a new class singing with the families in my neighborhood. I am very excited to start getting to know the children I see at my grocery store, library and parks. If you live in or near Rogers Park, you should come sing with us!

Estes: Music and Movement will be a class for children six years old and younger. It is a family class, bring all of your children (there are sibling discounts offered).

Each class we will use simple rhythm instruments, puppets, American Sign Language, and all kinds of props. We will sing, dance, play and get to know each other. Some classes we will play with scarves, parachutes, balls and bubbles.
Each class will focus on a different topic. This week we will sing about colors and shapes, and next week we will sing about bugs.

Space is limited. Sign up here to join us.

See you this weekend!
Happy Singing!

More exciting news and more new classes coming in 2015!

Fall Songs

Fall is always a little bitter sweet. Gone are the days of sprinklers and sweaty days at the park, but the days of boots, tea and beautiful changing leaves are here. It is time to sing about apples, pumpkins and leaves!

Four Seasons
(Tune: Frere Jacques)

Summer, Winter, (Summer, Winter)
Spring and Fall (Spring and Fall)
These are the four seasons, (These are the four seasons)
We know them all. (We know them all.)

Found an Apple
(Tune: Clementine)

Found an apple. Found an apple.
Found an apple in a tree.
So I picked it and I shared it,
Half for you and half for me.

I'm an Apple Tree
(Tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low)

I'm an apple tree.
I'm a big, strong apple tree.
I have got five apples growing off of me.
When the fall winds blow,
Shakes my branches to and fro,
An apple falls from me.

Count how many apples are left and sing the song until there are no more left. This song is a song I use with my silly glove, but you could make a felt board apple tree with five apples too.

I'm a Little Pumpkin
(Tune: I'm a Little Tea Pot)

I'm a little pumpkin, orange and round.
The cutest squash that you ever have found.
I grow on a vine that is leafy and green.
Straight from the farm in time for Halloween.

Autumn Leaves
(Tune: London Bridges)

Autumn leaves turn orange and brown,
Orange and brown, orange and brown.
Autumn leaves turn orange and brown,
And then they fall down.

Autumn leaves are falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down,
To the ground.

This song is fun with a parachute or a giant scarf. I put fall colored leaves on it and we shake them off. I found a bag of leaves at the Dollar Tree, but you could cut some out of paper or felt.

Happy Singing.

Fun with Scarves

I am always in the hunt for songs to use with props: parachutes, peepers, balls, or scarves. When I am looking for songs, I am looking for simple songs that the children (parents and teachers) can pick up quickly. I am looking for songs that explore simple concepts and give clear instructions. I am also looking for songs that are just fun!

Here are a few songs that have been tested in many music classes. These are some of my favorite song to use with movement scarves.

We Wave Our Scarves Together
Tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain

We wave our scarves together.
We wave our scarves together.
We wave our scarves together,
At music class today!
We wave them way up high!
We wave them way down low!
We wave our scarves together,
At music class today!

Other verses:
We shake our scarves together.
We spin our scarves together.
We wear our scarves together.

Peek-A-Boo!
Tune: Clementine

Peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo!
Peek-a-boo! Where are you?
Peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo!
Peek-a-boo! Where are you?

Peek-a-boo is the simplest activity to do with a scarf. Children of all ages like it. I use sheer scarves in my classes. Because the scarves are sheer, the children can see though them. This reassures the child that the adults are staying right where they are, making the game feel more secure, but also sillier.

These beautiful, easy-to-wash scarves are from West Music. They are perfect for Peek-A-Book or making helicopters and butterflies

Helicopter
Tune: Frère Jacques

Helicopter. Helicopter.
Way up high. Way up high.
See the blades are spinning. See the blades are spinning.
In the sky. In the sky.

Helicopter Movements:

Spin the scarf over your head.

If you are doing this song with older kids, it is fun to walk/run around the room with your helicopters and "land" at the end.

The movement in We Wave Our Scarves Together follow the lyrics of the song. Wave your scarves slowly, big sweeping movements. Wave them high on "wave them way up high" and wave them low on "wave them way down low."

"We wear our scarves together" is a silly one. It always comes about because a child has put the scarf on their head for peek-a-boo. For "wear them way up high," wear them as a hat. For "wear them way down low," let them be shoes.

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Using Your Imagination

Scarves are a good way to use your imagination. In WeeGroove classes, we often use our scarves to explore the life cycle of a butterfly or make the propellers of a helicopter.

Flutter, Flutter
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle

Caterpillar munch, munch, munch.
Find some leaves and eat a bunch.
Wiggle fast and wiggle slow.
Build a cocoon and grow, grow, grow.
Caterpillar munch, munch, munch.
Find some leaves and eat a bunch.

Flutter, Flutter butterfly.
Flying high up in the sky.
Soaring up! Soaring down!
Soaring around and around and around!
Flutter, Flutter butterfly.
Flying high up in the sky.

Flutter, Flutter Movements:

"Caterpillar munch, munch munch"
Wiggle your scarf on the ground like a caterpillar.

"Build a cocoon and grow, grow, grow."
The bunch it up in your hand like a cocoon.

"Flutter, Flutter butterfly"
Grab the scarf in the middle, so it has two wings. Fly your butterfly up, down and in a circle.

The Wheels on the Bus in another good one to use scarves with. Scarves make fun wheels, windshield wipers and crying babies.

Scarves can also be used in a free-dance. Encourage the children to get creative and explore waving their scarves high, low and around and around.

How do you use scarves in your home or classroom?

Happy Singing.

Wake Up! It's Time for Music!

Fall music classes are in full swing at CocoonCare, Sod Room and the East Bank Club. Next week classes start at Little Beas Cafe. I am excited to get you and your child singing and moving this Fall.

Here are a few tips to make the most out of your child's music and movement class:

How to Succeed in a Children's Music Class

Here is my newest song to get your bodies moving and ready for class. I love this song, because it is easy to sing it about any part of your body.

Wake Up!
(Tune: Buffalo Gals)

I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap.
Clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap.
I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap,
At music class today!

Then I go around the circle and ask the children what we should wake up. Here are a few other ideas:

I wake up my toes with a tap, tap, tap.
I wake up my head with a shake, shake, shake.
I wake up my knees with a wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
I wake up my hips with a bounce, bounce, bounce.
I wake up my back with a twist, twist, twist.
I wake up my nose with a beep, beep, beep.

It isn't too late to join a WeeGroove class near you. Check out my Parent-Child classes page to find one.

Mondays at 4:00

Tuesdays st 10:00

Fridays at 11:30

Happy Singing!