I’m putting together my songs and handplays for the forest kindergarten class I will be teaching for Earthroots in the fall. That’s only a few weeks away!
This list includes all the transition songs as well as the opening and closing circle songs and handplays.
Fall Circle Time Sept 2011
Forest Kindergarten
Follow, Follow Me
Follow, follow me
To the ring of the fairies
Follow, follow me,
Where the fairies dance and sing.
Gather with you now
All the magic you can carry,
As we circle ‘round the dancing fairy ring.
Now Look Around
Now look around
We’ve made a ring
By holding hands you see.
Yes, here I am,
And there you are,
Together we are we.
Morning Song from Betty Jones’s A Child’s Seasonal Treasury
Good morning dear earth. (Crouch, touch ground)
Good morning dear sun. (Rise and extend arms to sky)
Good morning dear rocks and the flowers every one. (Crouch and knock fists on ground, then wave fingers and sway hands for flowers)
Good morning dear beasts. (Remain crouching, put hands on head for horns)
And the birds in the trees. (Flap arms while rising to stand)
Good morning to you and good morning to me. (Bow to others twice, then stand upright and cross arms over chest.)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7NwaHTW2M]
Tree Poem
if i were a tree
i’d want to see
a bird with a song
on a branch of me.
i’d want a quick
little squirrel to run
up and down
and around, for fun.
i’d want the cub
of a bear to call,
and a porcupine, big,
and a tree toad, small.
i’d want a katydid
out of sight
on one of my leaves
to sing at night.
and down by my roots
i’d want a mouse
with six little mouselings
in her house.
~ by aileen fisher
Shepard’s Hey
I can whistle, I can sing, (Take 7 steps forward clapping, stop)
I can do most anything! (Clap 7 times)
I can dance and I can play, (Take 7 steps backward clapping, stop)
I can do the shepherd’s hey! (Clap 7 times)
Shepherd’s hey (3 claps to the right of the body and up)
Shepherd’s hey (3 claps to the left of the body and up)
I can (clap under right leg, clap above right leg)
do the (clap under left leg, clap above left leg)
shep (clap behind body)
herd’s (clap front of body)
hey! (clap above of head)
The Squirrel
Whisky, frisky, hippity hop (Twirling hands up)
Up he goes, to the treetop (Clap above head)
Whirly, twirly, round and round (Twirling hands down)
Down he scampers to the ground (Clap the ground)
Furly, curly, what a tail (Hands waving as tail behind)
Tall as a feather, broad as a snail.
Where’s his supper? In the shell. (Hands cupped in front)
Snap, crack, out it fell. (Clap twice and show open hands)
My Horses
My white horses like to step
Peaceful and slow,
Over mountains, through valleys,
So upright they go.
My brown horses merrily
Trot in the sun,
With their silver hoofs beating
The ground as they run.
My black horses gallop
With courage around,
And they throw up their heads
As they hammer the ground.
(Children enact horse movements described, moving in one directon around circle. Repeat in opposite direction.)
Finger Fairies by Betty Jones
Fairies funny, five are we.
Laughing, happy as can be.
HA-HA-HA
HEE-HEE-HEE
HO-HO-HO
WEE-WEE-WEE
And away we go!
Repeat verse using other hand.
The Squirrel Song
Autumn time is busy time for little Mister Squirrel
I see him working in my yard in his coat of soft brown fur.
He holds an acorn in his mouth and digs a hole with his front feet in wintertime
when he is hungry he will dig it up to eat.
And if he has not eaten it when winter turns to spring
A little tree will grow from it so straight and strong and green.
The Back Song
Dot, dot, dot
And a big question mark.
Little spiders crawl up your back
Little spiders crawl down your back
Little spiders crawl up your arms
Little spiders crawl down your arms
Cool breeze, tight squeeze.
Egg on the head and the yolk drips down.
Creepy crawlies, creepy crawlies…
Gotcha.
The Story Song
Anything can happen
In a fairy tale or rhyme
When you say the magic words
Once a upon a time
Handwashing Song
Time to wash our hands,
Time to wash our hands
Welcome, welcome
Welcome to our table
Welcome, welcome
We all join hands together. (We sing this until every one is at the table)
Snack Time Blessing
Earth who gives to us this food.
Sun who makes it ripe and good.
Sun above and earth below,
Our loving thanks to you we show.
Blessings on our meal.
Goodbye Circle
Who will come to my wee ring?
My wee ring
My wee ring
Who will come to my wee ring?
And make it a little bit bigger?
The earth stands firm beneath my feet. The sun shines high above. Here I stand, so straight and strong – all things to know and love
I can turn myself and turn myself and stop me when I will. I can reach high on my tippy toes and hold myself quite still.
Goodbye now, goodbye now.
We leave you now
And off we go
Goodbye now
Goodbye to all of you.
Thank you for coming.
Rainbow Bridge Song
Goodbye, goodbye
Blessings on your way.
May the sun shine bright
In your hearts today.