When the Warm Wind Blows

This is a less competitive version of "Musical Chairs" Children bring chairs to a circle. Game leader removes his/her chair and stands in the middle of the circle. The game leader thinks of a characteristic of the group that many share and says something like, "If you like..... (ice cream, sunny days, the playground, etc..you get the idea) change chairs when the warm wind blows." Everyone who likes ...... gets up and finds a new chair. The leader also tries to find a chair. The person left standing (there is one too few chairs, remember), is the new leader and thinks of a new characteristic to continue the game "When the warm wind blows."

This game is lots of fun and helps children get to know each other. You might want to talk about how children should move "when the warm wind blows" like walk, be polite and thoughtful, and talk about how to resolve the problem of two children reaching the same chair at the same time. This will solve many problems before they arise! Have fun! 


Problem Solving at Circle Time

Take an issue like not playing with certain children then we go around the circle and each child gets to voice an idea about how to solve that problem. If two children are in disagreement about something, I make sure that both kids have a chance to tell their side and then I ask them what should have happened or what else could you do. I make two or three suggestions and the kids decide which is best for them. I have also used my story time. We will get to a problem in the book (Berenstein Bears are great for this) and the kids talk about what happened and how it might be solved. We can then see what happens in the book.


Hula Hoop

It is a great team building activity and good for talking about what helps and what doesn't when working together.

Hula Hoop -Everyone stands in a circle holding hands. Have two people break hands and put their hands through a hula hoop and rejoin hands again. The hoop must be passed the whole way around the circle without breaking hands. Sometimes it goes over and sometimes under...doesn't matter. It is also fun to time the first try without telling the kids. Tell them at the end after discussing what helped and what made it difficult. Then try to "beat" the first "time"...The kids in my third grade class kept the time and tried to continually improve over the course of the year. Fun!!!!

 
 
Morning Greeting Song

Good-Morning to you
Good-Morning to you
We're all in our places
With bright smiling faces
Oh here we are together, together, together
Oh here we are together
All sitting in our room

 
 
The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
Cause your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends.
The more we get together, the happier we'll be. 


I Can Read Colors

Orange is an orange; yellow is the sun; brown is a bear; and purple
is a plum; red is an apple; green is a tree; black
is an old man's hat;
I can read, listen to me! 


I Like to Eat

I like to eat, I like to eat Apples and Bananas.

(Repeat using a different vowel sound on Apples and Bananas, i.e. Ipples and Baninis, epples and baneenees.) 



BOOM CHICKA BOOM

Leader: I said boom chicka boom
Everyone repeats: Boom chicka boom
Leader: I said boom chicka boom
Everyone repeats: Boom chicka boom

Leader: I said boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom.

Everyone repeats: I said boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom.

Leader: Uh-huh

Everyone repeats: Uh-huh

Leaders: Oh, yeah.

Everyone repeats: Oh, yeah.

Leader: One more time.

Everyone repeats: One more time.

(Keep a steady beat; pat knees or clap. Leader starts chant, echoed by the hole group. As each verse is repeated, try a different way to say it: whisper, shout, baby voice, daddy voice, hold your nose, etc.) 



We're So Glad

All: We're so glad to have you, we're so glad to have you.

We're so glad to have you, _______________.

Child: Thank you class, thank you class.

(continue using each child's name)
 
 
 
Be My Friend

Sung to "Mary had a little lamb"

Will you come and play with me, play with me, play with me?

Will you come and play with me? Please be my friend. 



Where Is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin, where is Thumbkin?

Here I am, here I am (bring thumbs up from behind back)

How are you today sir? Very well I thank you.

Run away, run away. (Put thumbs behind back one at a time.)

(continue, using rest of fingers: pointer, tall person, ring person, pinkie) 



Colors

Sung to "Farmer in the Dell"

Oh, Mary is wearing blue; Oh, Mary is wearing blue.

High ho the derry oh, Mary is wearing blue.

(Continue using children's names and other colors.) 



Here I Am

Sung to "Where is Thumbkin?"

Teachers: Where is _______________? (Child's name)

Where is _______________? (Child's name)

Child: Here I am, Here I am. (Child stands) 



Hello Everybody!

Hello, everybody, it's so nice to be here.

My name is ______________ and I bring you good cheer.

We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna feel happy.

And all you have to do is repeat after me.

Put your hands on your head; put your hands on your knees;

Put your hands on your belly; put your hands on your lap. 



Friends, Friends, 1, 2, 3

All my friends are here with me.

You're my friend, you're my friend, you're my friend, you're my friend. Friends, friends, 1, 2, 3

All my friends are here with me.

Friends, friends, 1, 2, 3. If you're finished cleaning up come sit with me.

John's my friend, Susan's my friends, Samantha's my friend, Jamal's my friend.

Friends, friends, 1, 2, 3. If you're finished cleaning up come sit with me. 



And One and Two

And..................1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8.

(Children clap hands on the numbers, stopping on 8. First time they do it slowly; second time do it quickly. Change motions with each verse.) 



Willaby, Wallaby

Willaby, wallaby woo........................an elephant sat on you.

Willaby, wallaby wee.........................an elephant sat on me.

Willaby, wallaby wustin...................an elephant sat on Justin.

Willaby, Wallaby Wamela...............an elephant sat on Pamela. 



I'll Plant a Little Seed

Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.

Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.

Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.

Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow! 



The Color Song

______________(child's name) has blue jeans, blue jeans, blue jeans

______________(child's name) has blue jeans on today.

(go around circle, describing an article of clothing for each child.) 



5 Little Monkeys

5 little monkeys swinging in a tree,

Teasing Mr. Alligator, "you can't catch me, you can't catch me!"

Along comes Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be

And he SNAPS that monkey right out of that tree!

(repeat down to no more monkeys.) 



Open Shut Them

Open, shut them, open, shut them; give a little clap, clap, clap.

Open, shut them, open, shut them; lay them in your lap, lap, lap.

Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them; right up to your chin.

Open wide your little mouth, but, do not let them in. 



MMMMM-MMMMMM Box

I wish I had a _______ box to put my _________in.

I'd put him/her in and mmm-mmm-mmm, then s/he'd hop right out!

(sit on floor, child in lap. Tuck arms around child, give child big hug on mmm-mmm-mmm; open arms as child hops out.) 



Who Ate the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?

Who ate the cookies from the cookie jar?
 
(leader) ________ ate the cookies from the cookie jar.
 
(designate a child to select) Who Me!
 
(child) Yes You!
 
(group) Couldn’t Be!
 
(child) Then Who!
 
(group) The “accused” child selects the next child. 



Roll That Red Ball

Roll that red ball down to town,

Roll that red ball down to town,

Roll that red ball down to town,

So early in the morning. 



Two Little Hands

(All Standing)

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap,

Two little feet go tap, tap, tap,

Two little hands go thump, thump, thump (fists against floor)

Two little feet go jump, jump, jump,

One little body turns around,

One little child sits quietly down.

Sung to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" 



5 Little Monkeys

5 little monkeys jumping on the bed.

One fell off and bumped his head.

Momma called the doctor and the doctor said,

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

(repeat to one monkey and change the ending the last time to "That's what you get for jumping on the bed!")




Welcome (dance)

Look who came to school today (child's name x2)

Look who came to school today our friend (child's name)

Oh lalalalalala lalalalala lalalalalala lalalalala YA

*continue until all children have had a turn

When you're singing the lala's, have the child jump/dance

in the middle of the circle. They love it. I add a beat by clapping, either really fast or really slow.



Good Day Everybody

Good day everybody

Good day, Good day, Good day

Let's smile everybody

Let's smile everybody

Let's chase those frowns away

Shake hands everybody

Shake hands everybody
Lets chase those frowns away



Good Morning Song

Good Morning ____(child's name)_______

Good Morning ___________

Good Morning ___________

We're glad you're here today.

Clap with each syllable, go through every child's name. Some days we say Buenos Dias in place of "Good Morning"



Good Morning Songs

Directions: Good Morning (Childs first and Last name) how are you?

(The child replies I'm Fine) Repeat 2 times

How are you this special day

We're so glad you came to play

Good morning

( child's name) how are you?

I'm fine

(child replies)

Repeat for every child



Good Morning Song

(name) is here today, (name) is here today!

We all clap together because (name) is here today!

Good morning (name)!

***repeat for each child!!



Let's Say Hello

Let's say hello together

let's say hello together

let's say hello together

I'm glad you came today

let's say hello to all the boy's

let's say hello to all the girls

let's say hello to everyone Jim glad you came today

Or you could put the child's name in place of boys and girls



Morning Song

(Child's Name Twice) Jump up and down

Turn all around

Act like a clown (Child's Name Twice)

Jump up and down

Now sit Right

Back Down!




Good Morning Song (clapping song)

Directions: Clap your hands with me,

it's time to say "Hello!".

Clap your hands with me,

it's time to say "Hello!"

Clap your hands with me,

it's time to say "Hello!"

We're so glad you're here!

We're glad ________is here,

and we're glad_________is here,

and we're glad _________is here (say everyone).

We're so glad you're here!



Tiddley Tiddley

Tiddley Tiddley Bumble Bee

Won't You Say Your Name For Me (Child says name).

Go to each child and have them say or you

say if they can't until each child is called.



Hello Today

(Child's name) came to school today,

school today, school today,

(child's name) came to school today.

HELLO (child's name)



Welcome Here

Tune : "Mulberry Bush"

(Child's name) is here today

(Child's name) is here today

We'll all clap our hands and say

(Child's name) is here today

Clap hands rhythmically while singing the song. Wave hands and say hello to the child in the song after singing each time.

This week I am focusing on languages because children who are still developing language skills can learn multiple languages easier than adults and older children. An easy language for infants and older to learn is ASL. The language helps them improve hand eye coordination and fine motor skills through the hand shapes and motions. It is also is a great language for visual learners. This video can easily be used during a nursery rhymes or language unit, or simply at home.

NOTE: This video is not recorded in proper ASL Grammar, but in English Grammar to match the nursery rhyme and the words to make it easier to connect the written words to the ones that are signed.