Spring is here and the bees are buzzing.  Step outside your back door and listen to the sounds of
“Nature’s Music”.  There are sounds outside that sound just like musical instruments.  Thunder is a timpani,  snakes rattle like a maraca, the wind whistles, humming birds hum and birds are singing.  Can you name any others?  Buzz around the room to Ms. Maureen’s “Busy Bees Buzzing By”.  Enjoy dancing to “Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack” as ducks are on the move doing the duck dance. Or create the rhythm of the rain using two paper plates as they clatter together to “The Drip Drop Song”.    Spring is in the air and there is lots of music everywhere so enjoy singing songs and celebrating the outdoors.  Ms. Maureen

Children are on the move during the month of March when they dance under the limbo stick.  Decorate an old broom stick with bright colored electrical tape. Choose one of the children to hold the decorated  limbo stick with an adult holding the other end. Play a recording of the song “The Limbo Rock” or use the song “I like to Move It, Move It” from the movie Madagascar,  ”The Ants Go Marching One by One” or “When The Saints Go Marching In”.   As children move single file under the limbo stick they can waddle like a duck, wiggle like a worm, crawl like a crab, slither like a snake or just march or dance and enjoy being on the move to the music.  Ms. Maureen

Play this game with young children so that they can experience and explore beat and tempo using a wood block and mallet. Ask the children to form a circle then tap a slow and steady beat so the children can slowly move around the circle and  walk to the steady beat being played on the wood block.  Tap a faster beat and ask the children to run in place to the beat.  Continue with different movements creating a skipping sound, galloping sound, bouncing, jumping or tap a quiet beat for children to tip toe slowly around the circle.  Have one of the children play the conductor and have them tap different beats on the wooden block for the other children to move to.  Pass the wooden block and mallet around so each of the children have a chance to be the conductor.  A variation to this game is to play the “Freeze”. When the beat stops children have to stop and freeze in place.

It will be music to the Red Cross or UNICEF when children join together to help the children of Haiti just by giving a little jingle.  Mom’s groups, child care centers, preschool children can all help with the relief effort in Haiti by donating spare change that they can find around the house.  Each child receives a small plastic zip lock bag that they can collect spare change in then return it to school or the mom’s group to make a small donation.  Together they can create one big wonderful jingle of donations that will make a difference benefit the children of Haiti. Kids helping kids.   Just a thought from Ms. Maureen on ways we can help.  Ms. Maureen

A Serious “Note” from Ms. Maureen

As we are all aware the conditions in Haiti are devastating and so much is needed. There are children in desperate need and a way that we can help. So please make your donation today by texting “haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts.

“This is the time to come together, to lend a helping hand

We are one family united, here to help our fellow man.

Pulling resources together there is so much we can do

We can make a difference, it’s up to me and you.

Reaching out to one another, together we can provide

The help that is needed, united, side by side.

By donating our dollars, there’s so much we can do

To help those most in need, to help to pull them through.

Prayers, love, and money, donate what you can

It’s time to come together to help our fellow man.

MConlin ©2010

Remember to text “haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts or just as our past presidents have come together, we can to by donating to the www.clintonbushhaitifund.org  Please make your donation today.  Ms. Maureen

Goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010.  Father time is ticking away so march to the beat in 2010 and enjoy lots of fun movement activities.  Look all around you for “found sounds” that you can tap to the beat and march to the music as you play along to my song “Found Sounds” on the Creative Notes Music CD.  2010 will also be the year I release “Spanish Notes for Little Folks” so stay posted to find out when it will be available on my website.  The CD is filled with bilingual songs about colors, numbers, dancing, the alphabet and more.  Have a wonderful, happy and healthy new year.  I look forward to continuing to bring young children everywhere more songs and ideas to enjoy in 2010.  Ms. Maureen

“Lights are twinkling, bells are ringing, Christmas is in the air, the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping it’s my favorite time of year.” It’s also time to celebrate the season in song so “shake those jingle bells, tap on the drum and sing along for some Christmas fun.” Using jingle bells shake and sing to the tune of Jimmy Crack Corn with these lyrics “Shake those bells and turn around, shake those bells and turn around. Shake those bells and turn around for Christmas time is here”. Shake those bells and jump up high, shake those bells and jump up high, shake those bells and jump up high for Christmas time is here. Strike up Santa’s Music Band and tap along on the drum with the same melody singing, Tap on the drum and have some fun, tap on the drum and have some fun. Tap on the drum and have some fun, Christmas time is here. Happy Holidays, Ms. Maureen

November is the time to celebrate all our feathered friends.  Enjoy “Waddle Waddle Quack Quack” dancing to the left and dancing to the right on my Nature Notes CD available on my website.  It’s also turkey time so join in the fun before the Turkey Runs Away with these lyrics sung to the tune of Farmer in the Dell.   “The turkey ran away, before Thanksgiving day, said they’ll make a meal of me if I decide to stay.  The cranberry ran away, before Thanksgiving day. Said they’ll make a sauce of me if I decide to stay.  The potato ran away, before Thanksgiving day, said they’ll make a mash of me if I decide to stay.  The pickle ran away, before Thanksgiving day, said they’ll make a relish of me if I decide to stay!”   Can you think of any other’s….bread-stuffing, orange- juice, lettuce-salad etc.  Happy Thanksgiving holiday.  Ms. Maureen

Children will go batty as they open up their hands, side by side and put their two thumbs together and flap their fingers to create a hand bat that will flap along to these lyrics to the tune of “Where is Thumbkin”.   1) Bats are flying.  Bats are flying.  All around.  All around.  Bats are flying.  Bats are flying. All around. All around. 2) Bats are sleeping.  Bats are sleeping.  Upside down.  Upside down.  Bats are sleeping.  Bats are sleeping. Not a sound. Not a Sound.   Bats can also be created by using black foam paper to cut out bats adding googoly eyes and moving the foam paper bats to the music.  Ms. Maureen

Here’s a new twist to an old favorite “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly”  After many performances of this song I have come up with some fun lyrics that include using a fly swatter and of course my own version I created of the “little” Old Lady.   Lyrics are “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. Who knows why she swallowed the fly? Because it was on the pie and she forgot to say, Shoo fly don’t bother me, shoo fly don’t bother me.  Shoo fly don’t bother me.  I belong to somebody”.

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow, how, oh how did she swallow the cow?  She swallowed the cow to get the horse, of course, of course she swallowed the horse!  She swallowed the horse to get the goat, down her throat she swallowed the goat!  She swallowed the goat to get the dog, what a hog, she swallowed the dog.  She swallowed the dog to get the cat, imagine that she swallowed the cat.  She swallowed the cat to get the bird, oh my word, she swallowed the bird!  She swallowed the bird to get the spider…..(this part sung to itsy bitsy spider tune) The itsy bitsy spider went up the old ladies chin, she opened her mouth and the spider he slipped in!  There was an old lady who swallowed the spider that wiggled and jiggled and giggled insider her.  She swallowed the spider to get the fly,  we all know why she swallowed the fly……Because it was on the pie, oh my, oh my, and she forgot to say “Shoo fly, don’t bother me, shoo fly don’t bother me.  Shoo fly don’t bother me.  I belong to somebody!  Have fun and create some of your own verses and songs to go along with the Little Old Lady Theme.  Ms. Maureen