April 22nd, 2014

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Today in music class we sang songs about the Earth, Reducing, Re-using and Re-cycling and also butterflies! I brought children my lucky bamboo plant and we discussed plants, oxygen, and the importance of trees. We also played a fun "hug a tree" game where children got to take turns being the tree, and a fun "hide the Earth" circle game using a small blue bouncy ball that looked just like our planet. While listening to "Clean Up Our World", the kids passed the ball around and when the music stopped, they hid it. One friend was the "seeker" and tried to figure out who was hiding the bouncy ball! The kids absolutely loved this game!

Older students also brainstormed ideas on how we could take care of the Earth, and this is what they came up with:

• Clean up trash
• Keep the Earth healthy
• Do something outside
• Tidy up our play yard
• Don't throw trash in the Earth's Water
• Recycle at home
• Don't let animals eat trash

Pretty great ideas!

The infants playing their "recycle" instruments! =)

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD:

1.) What can you do to keep the Earth healthy?

2) Tell me about the butterfly in music class today!

3) Do you know how plants help the earth?

Week of April 23rd, 2012

Today in music we had such a fun time dancing with scarves and also reading "Earthsong" (check out the book here on Amazon.com) in honor of this last weekend's Earth Day!

Did you know Joyful Noise is hosting a fundraiser right now that is raising money for endangered species through WWF and ROAR (Animal Planet) as well? Check it out on our fundraising page!

There were many giggles in class as we started our day out with a classic game of Peekaboo with a fun song. No, not even the four year olds were too old or mature to resist the pure joy of popping out from underneath a scarf with a "Ta-da!"

We also explored fast and slow tempos and movements using two Disney tunes: "When you wish upon a star" and "Zippity-do-Dah". We alternated these two songs (moving with our scarves accordingly) and also "froze" when the music stopped.

Additionally, we explored pitch in moving and singing up and down with our scarves, and our older children even practiced "writing" the first letter of their name in the air!

All in all, some great large motor fun and music concepts were explored, and I would highly suggest moving with scarves at home...it's a fun and inexpensive way for your child to express themselves with music and movement! :)