Stepping Stones Day Nursery Musicianship Activity Ideas

June 9th 2015

Singing Hello’s - – PITCH DEVELOPMENT - (audio file attached)

Longer version: Leader sings “Hello (name of child)” to each child. Leader sings first then everyone copies.

Shorter version: leader sings “Hello Everyone” and the children copy.

Note: As you sing place your hands on your head for a high pitch and shoulders for a lower pitch. This teaches the children unconsciously that they are singing two pitches one high and one lower. It doesn’t matter if they do not copy as long as they are seeing it.

** We will be developing this so the children feel confident to sing on their own so encourage this whenever you feel a child is happy to have a go – they can sing hello to another child or the leader.

Signals Game – DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL LISTENING SKILLS

Stand Up

Sit Down

Come and make a circle

Sleep Baby Sleep

Sit up quietly

Come and make a line

*use these signals during the day!

Doggie, Doggie – DEVELOPMENT SOLO SINGING & PITCH MATCHING (audio file attached)

Leader: Sing the song with dog and cat puppets (if you don’t have them make some!). Ask individual children if they would like to sing the dog or cat parts (the answers) – everyone else sings the questions whilst patting the pulse on their knees in time with the song.

Engine Engine Number Nine – PULSE DEVELOPMENT

Note: This is a rhyme in our speaking voices – we will be covering the difference between singing and speaking voices later but please feel free to discuss this with the children

Engine, Engine number nine

Going down ( Chicago ) line

If the train should leave the track

Will I get my money back?

Yes, No, Maybe So

Leader : Say the rhyme and ask them to copy you tapping their on their knees – you can tell them this is the pulse (the pulse is a song’s heartbeat it doesn’t change). Feel free to change “Chicago” to Wakefield or Stanley or any other place or made-up name!

Activity 1: Play trains! “Come and make a circle”. In a circle move around one way making sure the children are stepping in time (this can be very difficult so make sure you are stepping to the pulse and make it obvious). At the end of the rhyme encourage everyone to stop at the same time. Repeat in the other direction. Make several trains.Trains go together at the same time then trains go one after each other. Encourage the children to start and stop at the right times. Once they have done this a few times encourage each child can become the “train driver” and move to the front to lead the train (I usually let the child at the back move to the front and so on)

When the children are confident they can all be trains – just don’t bump into each other!

Remember to say “Ready steady off we go” at the speed you want them to go – children may also choose to say this too if they are the driver.

Bell Horses – PULSE DEVELOPMENT & Anticipation of song ending (audio file attached)

Note: Not only does this activity develop pulse but also listening and anticipating the ending of the song. Children must not run until the end of the song.

Interesting fact: The name “Bell Horse” was given to the lead horse at festive occasions like May Day, who was dressed with bells. In New Zealand they were known as race horses and bells were given to the winners instead of trophies. The song was used to start children’s races.

Leader : Sing the song for the children to hear whilst tapping the pulse on your knees. Encourage everyone to start and stop singing and tapping at the same time by using “ready, steady off we go” on the starting pitch.

Activity 1: Ask the children to stand at one end of the room and shake their bells in time with the song (you don’t have to use bells the children can tap their legs). Tell them at the end of the song they are going to race (just like the Bell Horses used to) to the other side of the room – they should wait until the end of the song!

Music Land – Development feel for crochet and quavers

Leader: sing “come and make a circle”. Sing the first verse (here we are in music land) to the children.

Activity: Sing again whilst walking around in a circle. Stand still and walk on the spot as you sing “mummy bear verse 2” make sure you walk steady and to the pulse (this is feeling the crochets). Sing verse 1 again as you walk round. Stop and sing verse 3 whilst running (twice as fast as “mummy bear” – this is feeling the quavers)

Keep Singing! Melanie