Butterfly Learning Fun

Originally shared at abcand123learning.com

We are enjoying a lot of butterfly fun at our house right now.  We rescued a monarch from the middle of the road this past week and have been watching a friend raise some monarchs from egg to chrysalis.  Today I want to share some ideas that go along with that beautiful transformation from caterpillar to butterfly that will get you MOVING and enjoying MUSIC too!

 

My kids and I have been hanging out at our local butterfly exhibit.  We can't get enough of them...

It's a miracle every time!

This movie shows the transformation of of a butterfly from an egg to a monarch butterfly.  It's perfect to watch before learning and singing the songs below.

  

 This movie is a song about the life cycle of a butterfly, with pictures.  It's short and easy for young kids to sing.  (Note: usually the "house"a butterfly makes is referred to as a chrysalis and the one a moth makes is a cocoon.) 

 

We made some fun Butterfly Finger Puppets to fly around the room.

 

By using pieces from a glove they are easy to make and slip on little fingers.

  

For directions to make yours, go here.

Here is another song about the butterfly life cycle-no pictures, but the kids would love coloring this one to go with it.  Just cut out each piece and glue to it a popsicle stick and hold it up for each part of the song.

  

I love this way of acting out the life cycle.  You just need a blanket, some butterfly wings, and some "leaves to eat".  This is a wonderful way to incorporate movement into learning.

  

 A Snack Craft! is a fun way to do some hands-on learning.  This gummy worm is the caterpillar and then the kids turn him into a butterfly.  For peanut allergies, substitute marshmallow cream for the peanut butter spread. Directions here.

 

How do you learn about butterflies and the world around you?
I love to hear your ideas!

MORE Bear Hunt Book Fun!

I'm over at abcand123learning.com today to share Music and Movement ideas that bring the book, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, alive! 

These experiences go right along with the other activities I shared in the B is for Bear Hunt post.  If you have little people at your house, you won't want to miss it!

Click here to check out all the fun!

 

Butterfly Learning with Music--come see!

I'm over at abcand123learning.com today to share some ideas of how to learn about the beautiful transformation from caterpillar to butterfly with movement and music.       Come on over and check it out!

Patriotic Geography Learning

Originally shared as a Music and Movement guest post at abcand123learning.com

 With Independence Day coming up, we've been working on learning our country's geography in one of our favorite ways: with music and movement!

I have a four-year-old and she goes around the house singing the names of all 50 states in alphabetical order.  I love the magic that music gives children!

Here is the song she's been singing:

I love how this video shows the shapes of the states.  It helps her to "see" the state she is singing about and now she can point to and name all her states on a map too.

My six-year-old son already knows his states so he's been singing along with this song that is about each state and the order they joined the union:

This song is fun for learning or reviewing the state capitals:

One game we like to play with the US map is the, Map Munching Game AND the"Don't eat the State" games!  This is a really fun way to review and learn new state geography.

Another game we like to play is with an inflated globe.  We call it "Where in the U.S. is....?"  or "Where in the world is....?"

I hope these movement and music ideas make learning even more fun for you too!

Happy Fourth of July!

Patriotic Geography Music Fun!

I'm writing over at abcand123learning.com today to share some fun ideas with music and movement 

to inspire geography learning for {little} people.

 Come on over for some patriotic learning fun! 

 

 
Also, the Farm Rich Giveaway ends tonight! 
Don't forget to enter to win your grocery vouchers!

Cinco de Mayo and Mexico Learning

Originally shared at abcand123learning.com as part of the Music and Movement Series.

One of the things that I love about being a musician and a dancer is that it brings me full circle in what I am learning about. It's one thing to read about a place in a book. But if you really want to get to know a people you've got to listen to their music and language and watch (and try!) the movements of their people's dance. That's where you will find a true reflection of a people's traditions and culture.

I hope that you will enjoy traveling around the world-in the comfort of your own home-to learn about cultures as well as the joy of music and movement and dance with your children and students!

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, today we will be learning about the music and movement in MEXICO!

Mexican dance is done in character shoes (shoe with a heel) for girls, and a cowboy boot for boys.

To get started, watch this video that shoes some of the different styles of Mexican Dance:

In this clip you will learn about the costume that the women wear when they dance.  You can also see the character shoes:

This lets you see some of the dancing up close!  The dance is "percussive" which means that the shoes are not just for dancing in.  They are also to make sounds with.

  You might like to try making sounds with your feet too!

Mariachi music is the style of music that we often think of when we hear Mexican music.

The word mariachi refers to the musicians now commonly seen in restaurants or strolling the streets, dressed in silver studded charro outfits with wide brimmed hats playing a variety of instruments which include violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (a 5 string guitar) and trumpets.

This is a song we often hear in Spanish, the language spoken in much of Mexico with the mariachi style of music.

Mariachi songs speak about machismo, love, betrayal, death, politics, revolutionary heroes and even animals (one particularly famous song is "La Cucaracha").

Mexican dance is also for boys!

Now YOU Try!

Some things you really have to try to appreciate or understand them.

These activities will help you do that!

La Cucaracha song with the words in Spanish.  Try singing along!

Here is a child dancing with her skirt.  Try dancing like her!

Have you heard of the Mexican Hat Dance?  Try dancing it along with these children!

Make your own maracas 

out of your left over plastic eggs from Easter with the instructions: HERE

Link to Mexican flag coloring page: HERE

Link to coloring page of mariachi players: HERE

Try making music with

  Mexican musical instruments with the game HERE

Now you will be all ready for Cinco de Mayo!

Heart-Healthy Learning Games

We've been indoors a LOT this winter.  And that means we have needed a few {little projects} to channel some energy!
So today I'm sharing some Valentine's games have helped us hone some learning skills as well as give us some healthy exercise for our hearts--perfect for a month focused on the heart!

I try to get more than one use out of each game because it's more fun, and so it can be used with more than one age.  Some are variations on the same game too. Hopefully you can find one that's a good fit for you below :)
{this little project} was easy to make because all the pieces on the floor are just white paper plates with red paper hearts glued to them (elmer's).  Then just write the letters on them with a black marker.These are the letters you need to play:V A L E N T I N E, and then H R O.  With those letters you can spell: love, heart, valentine.
Letter Walk: This game is fun to do with music playing.  Music always is good for inspiring movement!  Each person stands on a letter and then moves to from one letter to another letter (walking, skipping, dancing, jumping) until the music stops.  Then each person tells: the letter they are on, and/or what sound it makes, and/or names something that starts with that letter.  This is a great game for preschoolers.  There aren't winners or losers-everyone likes getting a new letter to think about and getting there quick when the music stops.

This Spell-a-Heart game takes the last game to the next level.  This time you tell the group what word you are going to spell.  When the music stops you say the word and ask what letter the word starts with, or give the sound the next letter in the word makes.  Ask the kids who is on that letter.  

The lucky child gets to bring the letter up to help make the word.  Continue until the word is spelled.
The next game is a Spelling Obstacle Course.  Give them the plates (2 teams if there are many kids) and see if they can help you make an obstacle course with a word.  For instance, for the word "love" you would space the letters out on the floor, and when you get to the L you do 4 push-ups to "lower" yourself to the ground, then go to the O and "open" and close your hands doing jumping jacks 7 times, V could be balance on one foot while holding a "vollyball", etc... A timer checks to see how fast they can do it.
When you are done, give each team all the letters and see how many words they can form out of the plates so their hearts can take a rest :)

Have fun keeping those minds and bodies active!

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A {little} travel...come see Scotland!

I'm over at abc123learning.com today to teach about Movement and Music in Scotland.  
Come do a virtual visit around the world with me and learn with us about Scotland!

Talking about France Today

I'm over at ABCand123learning.com today.  

Come on over. I'm writing about Music and Movement in France for kids.