Thankfulness and Music

"Thank you for letting me be myself again"  Sly & the Family Stone

It's almost November.  Fall is in full swing.  In the US, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and, as with everything in life, there are songs to go with that.   I'd like to offer a free download of my song "Say 'Thank You'".  It is available for two weeks by going to Say "Thank You" and using code :  Thanks

                                           

With the decorations out already for Christmas, we aren't given the time to have our brains process the idea of thankfulness.  (I tried to buy Thanksgiving materials this week and they were already in the marked down bin with the Halloween stuff, as if the holiday had already occurred.)  It upsets me that we overlook such an important holiday, a holiday that teaches the importance of being thankful.  It must be important because there are hundreds of songs on thankfulness.  Here is a link to a list :

Top 40 Songs about being Thankful

Each year at this time, I get up and do "Tommy Turkey".  Who doesn't like to shake their tailfeathers?  Here are the lyrics :

Tommy Turkey, he loves to dance

He shakes his tail feathers when he has a chance

Tommy Turkey wants to dance with you

So, get up on your feet.  You can do it, too

Shake your tail feathers.  Shake 'em down

Flap your wings and turn around

Gobble.  Gobble. Gobble.  Gobble.  Strut your stuff.

Sit back down.   Tommy says "Enough!"

               

         Tommy Turkey                         Preschoolers shaking tailfeathers

As early childhood teachers, we enjoy exposing our children to life and the many wonderful aspects of it.  Part of that is a familiarity with what is happening around them and that includes the Seasons and the Celebrations.   

           What else is happening in the Fall?  Leaves are 'FALLing'.  You can do the "Autumn Leave Oom Pah Pah".  I have this song available with 10 leaves and 5 so you can adjust according to how long the age level you work with will stay captivated.

Here's what you do :

 Have a child be the tree.  (What child doesn't want to be a tree?)  Choose another to be the wind at the end.  Depending on how many children are in the class, I may assign another child to help the leaves get off the tree.  The other children have leaves and stand behind / around the tree.  The song begins with one leave dancing around the tree.  Another leave swirls off the tree and joins.  This happens until all the leaves are off the tree.  (Teaching - subtraction) At the end, the wind comes and blows all the leaves away. 

Here is a video of teachers learning how to do the song / activity.  

                           Teachers doing Autumn Leave Oom Pah Pah

One more activity to teach what the concept of Thanksgiving is all about is the Sharing Salad. Ask the children what things they are thankful for.  Use stick time to tap out words they may use - family, turkey dinner, cooler weather, fruit.  Have a classroom salad and teach how when we share, there is enough for all.

Ask each child to bring in one baggie with something that would go in a salad (olives, tomatoes, carrots).  You supply a bowl and dressings.  As the children get to class, you tell them "Look.  You brought a bag of raisins.  When we put it in the bowl it adds to what everyone else brought and we have enough to share a salad."

Before eating your salad, sing a song of thankfulness.  They will remember this for the rest of their lives.

Please visit me at www.musicwithmar.com

Or follow my Brain Facts on Facebook.

                 HAPPY THANKSGIVING