Song of the Month
Every month the song/dance/activity will change. Many of the songs will be from my Recordings. Please print the page and do the activity with your child. Teachers may print the page to use with their classes. If you have questions, Contact Me.
January 2008
Snowflake, Snowflake
by Carole Stephens ©2004
Listen to the whole song on H.U.M. - Highly Usable Music or hear it here:
I live in the Chicago area – and we've had lots of snow! But even if you live where there is NO snow, it's fun to pretend to make snow indoors! All you need is an inexpensive prop –- a package of tulle circles, which can usually be found in the "wedding department" of a craft store – used for making favors. I've found that children like to suspend the reality even more by having colored "snowflakes" – they're always chosen before the white ones! Purchase all one color so that your don't get the screaming me-me's started: "I wanted blue! I wanted purple!" And you're ready for snow!
The tune is simple – "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" (or the Alphabet Song, Baa Baa Black Sheep – whatever you call it!) Be sure you have enough space for the children to fly their flakes without bumping into each other – they'll be watching the snowflake, not other children!
Be sure to demonstrate the activity BEFORE handing out the snowflakes. Please!
| Lyrics: |
Take a moment for the children to be the wind, |
| Movements: | Hold net circle with both hands as high in front of you as you can. Drop it and watch it float downward. Repeat during first 2 lines. Pick up the snowflake and hold it to your nose. Drop it down to your toes – it's ok to move so that it lands on your feet. Pick up snowflake and repeat first two lines with dropping action. Then tell the child(ren) that "Sometimes the wind comes along and blows the snowflake so that it looks like it's going up, not coming down! Let's be the wind!" Show how to look up, hold snowflake overhead, blow and release! Older children like to try and keep the snowflake airborne. Repeat verse with original movements. Invite the children to bring the snowflakes to a flat surface (table, chair) to stack them carefully to play with another day. If they get crumpled, you can iron the flakes with a medium iron. |
Snowflake, snowflake dance around Age Range: 2 – 7 years old
Purpose: This is a great song for gross-motor skill practice that isn't frenetic, but slow and fluid – yet FUN!!! We practice moving carefully within a group (or in a room if you are at home). Encourage the children to sing while doing the activity.
Book Buddy: I love pairing this activity with "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats - a Caldicott Award winner.
Additional snow songs: After you make it snow, turn yourself into a snowman with "I'm a Little Snowman". Or make different colored snowmen while singing "I Can Make a Snowman". But put on your mittens first, with "The Mitten Song" - all three songs are on the my "H.U.M. - Highly Usable Music" cd.
