jungle bells
where can i find Jungle Bells CD?
where can i find Jungle Bells CD?
Jingle Bells, not allowed? Bah, humbug! I say NO! Let it snow! Let’s all have the opportunity to enjoy this song about snow and a horse drawn sleigh! Jingle Bells is a wonderful sleigh song written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh” in the autumn of 1857. It was written as a winter song, inspired by the annual one horse open sleigh races in Massachusetts, on Salem and Pleasant Streets between Medford Square and Malden Square. Others say it was actually written to be sung for Thanksgiving and became popular at parties, people would jingle the ice in their glasses as they sang.
Over the past several years, I or one of my teachers have been told by one of our schools (we teach at many different schools, preschool and elementary) that they don’t “do” Jingle Bells since it’s a Christmas song. I think this is something we need to change!Why wouldn’t this song about a fun ride through the snow be one to be enjoyed by ALL populations, all settings, all winter long? I deliberately put it in lessons in January/February, explaining this is one of our favorite snow songs. Jingle Bells is for all schools, Jewish, Montessori, Christian, Public, etc. I hope we can enjoy this song all winter long without being told not to sing it because Christmas is not allowed! Maybe they think there’s a Christmas tree or a Santa on the Sleigh? I show the picture of my family with a horse and sleigh on a winter trip to show the meaning of the lyrics.
Here’s many of my favorite activities to do with this song and many other songs using jingle bells, early childhood and elementary ages.
Here’s Jingle Bell options for several different age groups:
Toddlers, Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten: Shake Those Bells Cocoa the horse presenting bell songs
Grade 1 – 3 Jingle Bell Dance
Grade 3 – 5 Jingle Bell Passing Game
Recorder Workshop Teaching Jingle Bells Recorder Jingle Bell Hand out and very fun SMARTBoard visuals
Also in Music Box Downloads:
Time for Holidays means Time in the Kitchen! Including new spices! All Around the Kitchen pack now has interactive PowerPoint!
Here’s a look at a few of the NEW slides in our PowerPoint Visuals included with the recording, student hand out and teaching tips.
Here’s a video playlist to introduce the song to your students, one showing vocal improvisation and one from a concert setting.
NEW this week, Recorder Tapas (Small Bites)! The EASIEST, MOST FUN WAY EVER to teach Jingle Bells and 3 other Holiday Hits on Recorder (or use Melody/Orff instruments). Music Rhapsody Members, this is included in Module 2 of Recorder Rookies!
Here’s a video of Lynn on the ski slope, teaching Jingle Bells!
Happy Music Making!
Our puppet friends are ready to lead festive lessons! Pitch matching holiday treats, playing jingle bells, leading the sleigh ride, going over the river and through the woods, and the special guest to hear if the concert songs are ready!
Here’s Cocoa the Horse with Lynn for reminders of their favorites.
And don’t forget Donnie the Donkey can also lead and eat treats!
Loudly sings the donkey on Thanksgiving Day, if you do not feed him, this is what he’ll say “Hee-Haw, hee-haw, hee-haw hee haw hee haw!
Books and puppets mentioned are in the shop, use this coupon code HOLIDAYTEACHERS for 10% off. Music Rhapsody Members, this gives you an additional 10% off your year round discounts.
Immerse yourself in singing, moving, playing and creating early childhood and elementary lessons from an active Orff approach.
Enjoy our amazing location! Just fly into LAX and it’s a 20-25 minute cab ride down the coast to our beautiful beach hotel. You will have all you need and want right there!
Also at SMU in Dallas, TX – June 13-15! Click here to be the first to know when registration opens. Online training is also available anytime!
Happy music making,
Lynn
Holiday Singalong – Choosing songs for maximum participation of youngest to oldest
Looking for that emotional connection with your audience and students? Consider a singalong! When looking for an easy multi-generational song to end your holiday program, here’s a few things to consider.
Here’s some lyrics from the easiest choices
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine,
Let it shine!
FELIZ NAVIDAD (Sing-A-Long Lyrics)
Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad.
Prospero ano y Felicidad.
(Repeat)
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas (3 times)
From the bottom of my heart.
Repeat first section
IT’S A SMALL WORLD/Jingle Bells
Children:
It’s a world of laughter, A world of tears
It’s a world of hopes, And a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That it’s time we’re aware
It’s a small world after all.
Children and Audience
It’s a small world after all (3 times)
It’s a small, small world
Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way
Oh what fun, it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh HEY!
(Repeat Jingle bells)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
And a happy new year!
Deck the Halls
Kids: Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Audience and Kids: Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la (Kids add silly movement)
(continue same form below)
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
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Baby/Toddler Music Classes: I was asked about many questions about baby and toddler music so thought I would give my recommendations for teachers who are new to working with Early Childhood, specifically Baby/Toddler Ages.
Shake Those Bells
The Snail and the Mouse
The Grand Old Duke of York
Ladybug Song
Little Red Wagon
Hickory Dickory Dock
There’s also free downloads of the printed music and lyrics, click on Songs (or use the SEARCH feature)
This and lots more in Music Box videos (use the search feature for this category, use baby, toddler, babies, toddlers and see lots of class activities so you see what to expect from these ages.
Early Childhood Holiday Concert
I have many requests for assistance with holiday shows from my own teaching staff, from preschools and elementary schools, as well as Music Rhapsody and Music Box members. Last week, one of our school’s director had a request. “Lynn, can you help us plan a holiday program that is from our Music Rhapsody curriculum? We love the weekly activities your teacher has introduced from the lesson plans. We want the parents to see what the children do in their music classes.” For me, this is An Early Childhood Holiday Concert DREAM COME TRUE! Let’s not just get in the new school year lesson groove and then shut it all down to work on nothing but holiday songs (often the songs they want are too difficult, too long or out of range for young children).
I am sharing the songs we selected from 3 different age levels of Music Rhapsody’s Module 2 lesson plan levels used by this school.
If you are reading this and not yet a member, I’d love to have you learn more about the online training and membership benefits and join our special group of Music Educators who love an ACTIVE approach!
Ev’ry Morning All Classes sing our Hello Song.
Since our classes typically sit for this song, in the lessons the month before the concert, we will be standing up (We use masking tape on the floor to keep us in straight lines.) Clap hands (going from low to high for each note as the melody goes up) on “oh child-ren” and then stamp one foot, then the other on “oh yea” which goes high to low on G to low C. We can pat the beat the rest of the time. Added verse: “Time for a concert, time for a concert, have a new song to sing…”
(See lynnkleinersmusicbox.com, SEARCH for Ev’ry Morning When I Wake Up, and find it FREE in Music Box Downloads, Hello/Goodbye Songs.
Kids Make Music, wearing little clown collars
Little Clown/He’s Dancin’ All Around/Down Down…..Repeat the set of these, then end with Little Clown. A fantastic little holiday story can be added here, “The Toymaker’s Clowns.” Use the SEARCH feature in lynnkleinersmusicbox.com to find the detailed script with music as well as a video of a performance by some precious little music makers! (In Music Box, Click “Got Questions, Ask Lynn” if you need my help finding anything!)
Big Kids Classes, (class #1) with shakers. Farmer Brown’s Cow use the shaker as a “microphone” during the verses (be sure to use the Farmer Brown Visuals to help remember the words and show what verse you are singing)
Big Kids Classes, (class #2) with jingle bells. Now My Bells are Up/Jingle Bells Where are You/Jingle Bells Chorus (repeat the set) If this is going well, we will add Five Little Jingle Bells. Ukulele to accompany.
Young Musicians with hand drums –
Shoo Turkey Hand taps the drum on “Yes Ma’am” and “So So” For the second section, we swish on drum for “shoo turkey.” A few solos will show how we work on pitch matching for “yes ma’am.” Music Rhapsody’s Turkey Puppet will make a special appearance during the repeat of the song. We will use the instrumental version of the song (repeated) from the Farm Songs CD.
Angel Band (will give them the option of adding a homemade garland halo using the rainbow mallet) – A section: Tap the drums on the numbers, B Section: Free play, C section shows playing the steady beat during “Wasn’t that a Band….” We will have a short demonstration of soloists, each taking a number. For example: Soloist 1 “There was one,” Soloist 2 “There were two” Soloist 3 “There were 3.” Etc.
We will end our concert with all classes singing this year’s goodbye song.
Goodbye Song, the students should be practicing this standing as well, showing the sad face after the first long phrase ends with “music time is done,” and then they shout (“YEA”) and one arm up after “we had lots of fun!”. Next, they sing “he would weep, if his symphony put you to sleep, Papa Haydn wrote this song, not too short and not too long.” This, and all our “orchestral” goodbye songs come from Kids Can Listen, Kids Can Move.
For information to get started, go to online or live training, and membership and weekly lesson plans, and get ready to change the way you think and do music with your students!
A few props can add so much to your Holiday Concert. Whether its inviting parents to the classroom for some songs or having the kids up on stage, adding just one “theme” item will bump up the “Ah, so precious” factor. It will make for some adorable photos too! Here’s a few ideas:
Check out this video to see the sweet props and costumes used for our “Toy Maker’s Clowns” (This video is only available in Music Box) The “Toy Maker’s Clowns” script can be found for FREE in Music Box Downloads.
You can search for songs and props in the SEARCH feature in Music Box. If you don’t find what you need, just click “Ask Lynn!“
See you in the box!
Lynn
I have a variety of materials I use for holiday concerts as well as holiday lessons. The SEARCH feature in Music Box will allow you to find specific topics and age groups, watch videos of learning the materials, practicing them and performing them at the show. It makes our holiday concerts look more festive when the children all wear their halos (made out of garland) for Angel Band (and mp3), or hold their sparkle stars while moving them to the direction of the melody of our Star Medley (and the mp3!) or shaking their jingle bells to our bell medley. Many ideas are in music box. Just search for Holiday lessons and you will see videos and downloads for music, lyrics and teaching process.
One recording I enjoy using as it gets closer to the holidays is Take a Potato, this is from the delightful Chanukah CD by the talented singing group, The Shirettes. Check it out in Music box music downloads! This is one of our favorite for playing the 3 beats on the repeated words on gathering drum or hand drums. The complete CD is also for sale through the Music Rhapsody Store.
The Chubby Little Snowman is now available with very fun Smart Board Visuals. Remember Music Box friends, the SEARCH feature is your friend! It will help you to find specific topics for suggestions for all age groups.
Search Holiday materials and you will find plenty! But if you need something just click Ask Lynn Questions on the home page.
Dear Music Box Friends,
It was so great to see so many of you at the San Diego Orff workshop last week! I love seeing all of the new members in Music Box! We are so glad to have you join us. You are awesome.
I’m very excited about seeing many of you at the Atlanta Orff Chapter on Saturday and I promise, you will have some brand new ideas. In addition, our Music Box Newsletter Editor Extraordinaire, Eric Young, will be with us!
Before I share a few new ideas for winter/holiday lessons and concerts, here is another reminder of my favorite Halloween and Thanksgiving activities with puppets, props and instruments:
There’s lots of talk about holiday/winter concerts going on so I thought I would contribute further to our Forum in Music Box on this fun topic. There are new ideas for Orff, singing and moving for ages 2-8, perfect for holiday concerts.
Check out my adorable first graders having fun with Jingle Bells, accompanied by JUNGLE BELLS. This holiday CD is also great for sound shapes, gathering drum exploration time and movement activities such as this one!
Happy Music Making,
Dear Music Box Friends,
It is time to jingle all the way through the holidays and the winter months with these jingle bell favorites. There is bell ringing for every age group.
For a little history on the most popular bell song, that has been mislabeled at some schools as a Christmas song, check out this Jingle Bells blog. TIP! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the blog to see some links for awesome videos and resources for jingle bell activities for both early childhood and elementary.
Free to Music Box Members!
A video workshop how to teach Jingle Bells to beginning recorder players AND the SMARTBoard Visuals and student handout. I’ll show you why we have a blast in recorder class on our “ski runs.”
NEW to purchase in Music Box Downloads! SMARTBoard Visuals for Recorder Rookies Set 2 and 3.These can be used for lessons 7-12 and 13-18. If your lessons are shorter than 50-55 minutes, you will get many more weeks of lessons since this recorder curriculum is jam packed with singing, moving, playing and creating fun!
Can we add your district’s music supervisor or principal to our list to inform them about professional development opportunities for you and your fellow teachers? Many school districts are paying for their teachers to train online and we have an increase in school districts paying for their teachers to come to the live training in the summer. Many have scheduled workshops during the school year. We are happy to contact your district’s music supervisor, principal, or in-service coordinator to get you more training and resources. Please fill out the short survey below.
Happy Music Making,
I love seasonal activities. Students learn a lot more than music and are so excited about the lesson. Winter stories will warm up the music room with movement, instruments and singing. These are the annual ones that I enjoy during the winter months:
Froggy Gets Dressed Did YOU forget to put something on? If you don’t have this lesson plan, you can find it in DOWNLOADS, under the category, “Stories with Music”. Don’t our 4 and-5 year olds just laugh hysterically over the word “underwear”? Too funny!
Another in the Downloads category, “Stories with Music” for the winter is Snowy Day. Hopefully you have Kids Can Listen, Kids Can Move so have the recording of Forgotten Dreams, a beautiful piece by Leroy Anderson.
The Little Penguins Tale, is a precious story book for winter. Detailed lesson plans for these three stories are available in in Music Box Downloads, click Stories with Music. Options for Orff, movement, singing and more. http://www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com/store
Here’s a few favorites from the book and CD In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music:
http://simplymusicrhapsody.com/product/in-all-kinds-of-weather-kids-make-music-teachers-book/
Five Little Jingle Bells (a delightful sleighing song featuring our favorite horse puppet, Cocoa) https://www.musicrhapsody.com/Horse/
Warm Wendall – make the felts from the back of the book or dress up and act it out yourself. Great for unpitched percussion.
Five Little Snowman, Snow (Yuki) – There is an Orff accompaniment for both of these songs The counting felt set from www.musicrhapsody.com (use your MB coupon if you order) has snowmen so I use the felt board when we do the Orff part to show the snowmen melt and see what verse we are singing next. (I use this set for so many songs!) https://musicrhapsody.com/product/beginner-s-counting-set/
Go to Music Box Videos and be inspired to go ice skating using paper plates or get the cotton balls and parachute and be prepared for a big snow fall. www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com
Lots more winter fun, don’t forget to use the SEARCH function to see some inspiring winter lesson ideas.
I love seasonal activities. Students learn a lot more than music and are so excited about the lesson. Winter stories will warm up the music room with movement, instruments and singing. These are the annual ones that I enjoy during the winter months:
Froggy Gets Dressed Did YOU forget to put something on? If you don’t have this lesson plan, you can find it in DOWNLOADS, under the category, “Stories with Music”. Don’t our 4 and-5 year olds just laugh hysterically over the word “underwear”? Too funny!
Another in the Downloads category, “Stories with Music” for the winter is Snowy Day. Hopefully you have Kids Can Listen, Kids Can Move so have the recording of Forgotten Dreams, a beautiful piece by Leroy Anderson.
The Little Penguins Tale, is a precious story book for winter. Detailed lesson plans for these three stories are available in in Music Box Downloads, click Stories with Music. Options for Orff, movement, singing and more. http://www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com/store
Here’s a few favorites from the book and CD In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music:
http://simplymusicrhapsody.com/product/in-all-kinds-of-weather-kids-make-music-teachers-book/
Five Little Jingle Bells (a delightful sleighing song featuring our favorite horse puppet, Cocoa) https://www.musicrhapsody.com/Horse/
Warm Wendall – make the felts from the back of the book or dress up and act it out yourself. Great for unpitched percussion.
Five Little Snowman, Snow (Yuki) – There is an Orff accompaniment for both of these songs The counting felt set from www.musicrhapsody.com (use your MB coupon if you order) has snowmen so I use the felt board when we do the Orff part to show the snowmen melt and see what verse we are singing next. (I use this set for so many songs!) https://musicrhapsody.com/product/beginner-s-counting-set/
Go to Music Box Videos and be inspired to go ice skating using paper plates or get the cotton balls and parachute and be prepared for a big snow fall. www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com
Lots more winter fun, don’t forget to use the SEARCH function to see some inspiring winter lesson ideas.
I love seasonal activities. Students learn a lot more than music and are so excited about the lesson. Winter stories will warm up the music room with movement, instruments and singing. These are the annual ones that I enjoy during the winter months:
Froggy Gets Dressed Did YOU forget to put something on? If you don’t have this lesson plan, you can find it in DOWNLOADS, under the category, “Stories with Music”. Don’t our 4 and-5 year olds just laugh hysterically over the word “underwear”? Too funny!
Another in the Downloads category, “Stories with Music” for the winter is Snowy Day. Hopefully you have Kids Can Listen, Kids Can Move so have the recording of Forgotten Dreams, a beautiful piece by Leroy Anderson.
The Little Penguins Tale, is a precious story book for winter. Detailed lesson plans for these three stories are available in in Music Box Downloads, click Stories with Music. Options for Orff, movement, singing and more. http://www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com/store
Here’s a few favorites from the book and CD In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music:
http://simplymusicrhapsody.com/product/in-all-kinds-of-weather-kids-make-music-teachers-book/
Five Little Jingle Bells (a delightful sleighing song featuring our favorite horse puppet, Cocoa) https://www.musicrhapsody.com/Horse/
Warm Wendall – make the felts from the back of the book or dress up and act it out yourself. Great for unpitched percussion.
Five Little Snowman, Snow (Yuki) – There is an Orff accompaniment for both of these songs The counting felt set from www.musicrhapsody.com (use your MB coupon if you order) has snowmen so I use the felt board when we do the Orff part to show the snowmen melt and see what verse we are singing next. (I use this set for so many songs!) https://musicrhapsody.com/product/beginner-s-counting-set/
Go to Music Box Videos and be inspired to go ice skating using paper plates or get the cotton balls and parachute and be prepared for a big snow fall. www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com
Lots more winter fun, don’t forget to use the SEARCH function to see some inspiring winter lesson ideas.
For the complete story, music and video of a performance, go to www.lynnkleinersmusicbox.com to DOWNLOADS and VIDEOS. Orff instruments can easily accompany this story, even Music Rhapsody’s one octave colored glockenspiels would be great for a glissando when the clowns pop up. Children can also easily play from high C to low C, one note at a time, when they go down. A bordun can be played on a lower Orff instrument for an easy accompaniment to the Little Clown song, playing the biggest C and G on the beat. Jingle Bells can accompany when the clowns dance. For the performance on the video, I played a keyboard on a vibraphone setting for the bell like quality, like a celeste, for the little clown. The children knew both songs very well before they ever heard the story since Little Clown and “And He Dances” are ones we use for our pitch matching in our weekly music classes.
The classroom teachers were very supportive in organizing the making of the elf hats and clown collars as well as the toymaker’s costume. The children loved presenting the story to the parents. Because it is so short, it is very age appropriate. If a longer version is desired, have the clowns pop up with other kinds of faces such as scared, angry, surprised, etc. You can have a great discussion with the kids on emotions in telling the story. The more the chidlren exagerate their faces, the more entertaining for the audience.
Several Music Rhapsody teachers are presenting this story for their holiday performance. One of our teachers is making the collars out of over sized coffee filters. I hope they will share some tips of how they introduced this to their classes. I’m so happy we were able to share Elizabeth’s school performance with Music Box members!
Recorder Rookies
I love to make lesson plans fun with stories, like Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, from my Recorder Rookies lesson plan 7-9. Here’s a short clip of my students, sharing the story with their families.
You Tube: Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears
Holiday Programs
For Jingle Bells with the older students, check out my recorder workshop for teaching “Jingle Bells!” For members, here are the visuals I love to use and the music for this lesson.
For the younger ones, it’s time to put our beloved Little Clown and He Dances in a story for the holiday program!Here is the FREE download in Music Box this week: Download. And enjoy the Pre-K Toymaker Performance!