Musical Mondays-Let’s make some Music!

Life is busy and fast paced.  Your weekend was probably jam packed with events and errands.  Now it is Monday morning and you might not have any activities planned for your daycare children.  No problem.  You can always fall back on, Musical Mondays!  Including a music class into your Monday morning circle time is a nice way to ease back into the week.  Music time is a great solution when you have no prep time and no materials on hand.

You will need to put together a music bag that you can pull out and bring to circle time.  Include instruments that the children can play themselves and a few books of children’s songs. It’s nice to have enough shakers, bells or wooden sticks so that everyone can follow a rhythm at the same time.  You can buy instruments together in a package or make your own.  Shakers are the least expensive and easiest to make. Simply find small containers of the same size (plastic eggs or film canisters) and fill them with beans or rice.  I would suggest taping the containers closed if you have curious little fingers in your group.

Once you have put together your music bag, you can be ready to lead a music circle time in one minute.  The most important part of music is participation for young children.  They just want to play an instrument and sing along!  Start by teaching your daycare children simple songs that you already now.  Songs that you sang as a child that have repetitive lyrics. Songs that involve moving their whole bodies.

Here are a few to get you started.

If You’re Happy and You Know It.

If you’re happy and you know it,
Clap your hands
(Clap hands twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Clap your hands
(Clap hands twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it,
Clap your hands.
(Clap hands twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Tap your toe
(Tap toes twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Tap your toe
(Tap toes twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it,
Tap your toe.
(Tap toes twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Nod your head
(Nod head)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Nod your head
(Nod head)

If you’re happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it,
Nod your head.
(Nod head)

Repeat first verse again or have the children think up some new verses to add.

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All through the town.
(Roll hands over each other)

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish,
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
All through the town.
(Put arms together in front of you and ‘swish’ like windshield wipers)

The door on the bus goes open and shut,
Open and shut, open and shut,
The door on the bus goes open and shut,
All through the town.
(Cover eyes with hands on ‘shut’ and uncover them on ‘open’)

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep,
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
All through the town.
(Pretend to honk horn)

The gas on the bus goes glug, glug, glug
Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug, glug,
The gas on the bus goes glug, glug, glug,
All through the town.
(Pretend to fill tank using pointer finger as gas nozzle)

The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink,
Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink, clink,
The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink,
All through the town.
(Pretend to put money into cash box on bus)

The baby on the bus says, wah, wah, wah!
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!
The baby on the bus says, wah, wah, wah!
All through the town.
(Fisted hands in front of eyes and rub them like baby crying)

The people on the bus say, shh, shh, shh,
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh,
The people on the bus say, shh, shh, shh,
All through the town.
(Put pointer finger to mouth to ‘shhh’)

The mommy on the bus says, “I love you,
I love you, I love you”
The daddy on the bus says, “I love you, too”
All through the town.
(Point to self on ‘I’,right hand over heart on ‘love’, and point to other on ‘you’)

Five Little Froggies

Five little froggies sat on a shore
(Children crouch in a row like frogs)

One went for a swim, then there were four
(First frog leaps and swims off)

Four little froggies
(Children crouch in a row like frogs)

Looked out to sea
(Children put hand at brow and look out to sea)

One went swimming, and then there were three
(Second frog leaps and swims off)

Three little froggies said “What can we do?”
(Children crouch, and repeat)

One jumped in the water, then there were two
(Third frog leaps and swims off)

Two little froggies sat in the sun
(Children crouch)

One swam off, and then there was one
(Fourth frog leaps and swims off)

One little froggie said “This is no fun!”
(Child crouches and repeats)

He dived in the water, and then there were none!

Sleeping Bunnies

See the little bunnies sleeping (children pretend to sleep)
Till its nearly noon
Come and let us gently wake them
With a merry tune
They’re so still, Are they ill?
No, they’re just resting.
Shhhhhhhhhhh.
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop. (children hop around)
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop.
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop,
Hop and stop.

Further animals can be added in this fashion;
See the froggies sleeping… jumping
See the puppies sleeping…barking
kitties…meowing
elephants…walking
kangaroos…hopping
butterflies…fluttering
fishes…swimming
birds… flying
etc.

Repeat the same songs every Monday until the children know all the words and can sing along.  We, as caregivers, get bored and want to add new songs.  However, these songs are brand new for the children and they need time to learn them.  If you keep repeating the same songs, the children will have a chance to anticipate the next song.  They will delight in knowing the words and being able to sing along.  Watch their faces and see them light up once they know a song completely and can lead the group with a strong confident singing voice.

The children will enjoy trying out new instruments each week.  Sometimes this can get tricky because everyone wants the same instrument and it’s hard to wait for your turn if you are sitting right beside the instrument you want.  One solution to this common obstacle is to lead a marching band. Line the children up.  Hand each child an instrument then lead the group around in a circle.  You can sing, lead the beat or simply let them make noise as they march around your house. Once they have completed one loop around the house, switch up the instruments and have them march around again. Young children have an easier time understanding how long their turn is when it is linked with a visual boundary (such as one circle around the kitchen table).

Musical Mondays, a simple and merry way to start the week!