Children’s musicians Erin Lee and Marci bring us the next of their regular posts with thematic recommendations for kid-friendly music, plus activities to make the songs an interactive experience for the whole family.
Look for Erin Lee and Marci here on the first Monday of each month, or visit their homepage, www.gottaplay.org.
I’ve created links to Amazon for the full albums (click the album image or name), plus links to Amazon MP3 downloads, when available, for those who want only the singles. (Click the song name.) I also have a widget after the jump that will let you preview most of the songs without leaving Mombian.
Summer’s over and we’re all back to school. We’ve met some kids who are thrilled, some who have first-day-of-school jitters, and lots of kids who don’t know WHAT to expect. So whether you are psyched or psyched out, here are some tunes to help you through the first week!
“Back to School
Last year we had the pleasure of meeting Steve and hearing him perform at the Children’s Music Network National Conference. We immediately became fans of his wacky sense of humor and his kid’s eye view of the world around him. This song shows off both those qualities. The narrator is not thrilled to be back in the classroom:
This year’s gonna be wicked hard — that’s what all the kids said
And I heard that my teacher has got horns on her head!
Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending and fabulous 50’s doo wop back up vocals to sing along with. Perfect for singing in the car en route to school!
“When I’m Five” (The Not-Its, We Are the Not-Its [Not available through Amazon; see their Web site for alternate ways to purchase.])
This kindie-rock group from Seattle takes a totally different approach — their confident, savvy narrator is clearly thrilled to be turning five and finally getting to go to school:
Some say Kindergarten’s hard but I know
I’ll get it down
Once I figure out the flow
That includes recess, making friends, super cool teachers and a whole day of delights to look forward to. Great for anyone who’s starting Kindergarten and isn’t sure what to expect!
And our Back to School song?
“September March
Get the song off the iPod and into life: The narrator in this song has some serious first-day-of-school jitters. Talk about what might happen to the narrator once they arrive at school that day. What could you do to make yourself feel better when you are nervous? What could you do to make things easier for someone else who’s nervous in a new situation? What could you say to them to make them feel better? Brainstorm some ideas, then act out scenes based on what you’ve discussed. For example, a child who’s nervous about coming to a new school can be approached by another student who is friendly and welcoming!
For more activities, check out the “More Fun Stuff” page at our website: www.gottaplay.org.