SILLY WAYS TO SING & STRENGTHEN LANGUAGE SKILLS

Traveling this Holiday Season? Or just want to keep a toddler awake on the way home from the grocery store? Or need to keep children entertained while waiting for an appointment? Here are a few fun music games for kids of all ages that teach while they entertain.

FINGERPLAYS

Fingerplays have so many benefits for children. They are great in helping build language skills, increasing attention span, encouraging creative thinking, and developing manual as well as mental dexterity.

Here is a great fall fingerplay that you can use to get started. You have probably heard this one but watch what you can do with it!

Way up in the Apple Tree

Two red apples smiled at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came the apples – (bite) um,um good!

Now the fun part comes when you and your children get creative. You can change the color of the apple this way.

Way up in the Apple Tree

Two green apples frowned at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came the apple – OHHHHH that was sour!!!! (make silly sour face)

—

Way up in the Apple Tree

Two brown apples growled at me (GRRRRR!!!!)

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came the apple – (bite) EWWWWWWWW! That was YUCKY!!!!

—

Way up in the banana tree

Two yellow bananas smiled at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came the banana – WAIT – come back here little monkey (that monkey just took my banana!)

—

Way up in the doughnut tree

Two chocolate doughnuts laughed at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came the doughnuts (bite) Hahaha! They taste funny!!

The important part is to just be silly and go with whatever suggestions your child may have. Even older children get a kick out of being silly. Fingerplays are also a good way to teach colors, animals, fruits, numbers, etc to preschool-age children. Repetition is one of the best ways for kids to learn these simple concetps.

 Be Weird Al & Write your own!

Another fun music game is to take the tune of a song and create your own song by changing the words.

For example take the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”.

The leaves on the trees go swish, swish, swish…swish, swish, swish…swish, swish, swish

The leaves on the trees go swish, swish, swish…All through the town

The leaves on the trees turn orange and red….orange and red…orange and red

The leaves on the trees turn orange and red…All through the town

The leaves on the trees start falling down…falling down…falling down

The leaves on the trees start falling down…all through the town

The boys and girls help rake the leaves…rake the leaves…rake the leaves

The boys and girls help rake the leaves…All through the town.

or even take the tune for “Row, Row, Row the Boat”

 Clap, clap, clap your hands

Slowly as you can

Clap, clap, clap your hands

Slowly as you can.

Then talk about opposites. What is the opposite of slow? (FAST)

Clap, clap, clap our hands

As fast as you can

Clap, clap ,clap your hands

As fast as you can.

So many concepts can be taught by song! With older children take their ideas and have fun! The sillier the better!!!

This Article was written for Growing Up in the Valley by Melody Makers, Roanoke VA