Back in the Swing of Things

To print, click on the picture, then right click and select "Copy."
Paste it into a Word document as many times as you need it!

Is anyone else glad that school is starting again?!  I think New Year's Day is really the first day of school, cuz that's when all my resolutions begin.  All of the "as soon as school starts..." excuses come due, and it's time to refocus and get back in the swing of things.  Bed time, reading time, 3 meals a day at normal meal times (am I the only one who looks at the clock at 3:00 and realizes that no one has had lunch?), you know how it is.  School.  Routines.  Rock.

In singing time, it would be fun to use the "swing of things" theme with monkeys swinging on vines or in a tree.  Draw a tree on the board, or just limbs with leaves.  Think Picasso, not Michaelangelo, here.  Cut out some monkeys (use the graphics here if you want) and place them in the tree, and don't forget to write the names of your review songs on the back!

If you want to have a little more fun with it, on the back of the monkeys you could write down a "back to routine" thing - some fun and some not so fun.  Examples of not so fun:  8:00 bedtime, homework, walking to school/riding the bus, waking up early.  Examples of fun:  recess, new school clothes, seeing your friends, field trips.  If they draw a fun one, everyone cheers and sings a program song in a fairly lively manner.  If they draw a not so fun one, everyone boos and sings in a more subdued manner.  Not necessarily depressed, of course, cuz that's not the message we want to send!  Just think loud and soft.  Staccato and legato.  That sort of thing.

Of course you could also use this theme to encourage "program perfect" singing.  Put all of the monkeys on one side of the tree, and bananas for each monkey on the other side of the tree.  On the back of each monkey, put a program song.  In order for the monkey to get the banana, they have to sing the song "program perfect."  This is a great way to see which songs need the most help, and which ones you can relegate to opening and closing songs for the next few weeks.  You can also use this activity for a couple of weeks in a row, so if you plan it right, you won't have to do anything on Labor Day weekend!!

Any other ideas on how to "swing" singing time?  Share!  Share!

To print, click on the picture, then right click and select "Copy."
Paste it into a Word document as many times as you need it!

Pin It Now!