Stepping Stones Nursery Musicianship Activity Ideas
19th May 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.
Cobbler Cobbler - PULSE DEVELOPMENT - (audio file attached)
**Please note please start at a highish but comfortable pitch (not higher than the
audio file) before singing the song sing “ready, steady off we go” on your starting
pitch (note).
Leader: Sing the song so the children can remember it. Sing it again and ask them
to tap their knees in time with the song (this is the pulse). The diagram below
shows the “heartbeats” of the song the pulse happens on every “heartbeat”.
Activity 1: This week we used shoes on our hands to tap the pulse – you can ask
the children if they can think of any other ways to use their shoes to make tapping
sounds.
Note: Please encourage children to find the pulse – you may find some children
use a faster pulse this is ok adjust your speed of singing to suit their speed. Some
children may struggle with finding the pulse (I call this a “heartbeat” because it is
steady although sometimes after we run it might be faster and when we are
relaxed – sleeping – it will be slower).
If any children are confident to sing on their own then please encourage that.
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 – do the children remember it? What is it about? What is
the number of the engine? Say the rhyme again and ask them to copy you tapping
their on their knees – you can tell them this is the pulse. Feel free to change
Chicago to Wakefield or Stanley or any other place name!
Activity 1: Play trains! Make one train first and say rhyme – if there are two leaders
make two 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.
Listen, Listen here I come – PULSE DEVELOPMENT (audio file attached)
Note: It is not easy for children to walk and tap pulse at the same time – it takes
practise!
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 play their pretend drum whilst singing the song.
Two fingers of one hand tapping the palm of the other hand.
Activity 2: Play the circle game. A child is chosen to use the drum (you can play
this with a drum/ tambourine or with pretend drum) and walks around the outside
or inside of the circle. Where they stop at the end of the rhyme then that child
should be next to have a turn.
Other songs covered today:
Hot Cross Buns – DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL REST (the gap in the song) (audio
file attached)
Activity: choose an action to fit in the gap – this is what we call the “rest” – clap,
stamp, jump, kick – be careful of spinning or anything that doesn’t encourage a
pulse beat (if this doesn’t make sense I will explain next time!).
Doggie, Doggie – DEVELOPMENT SOLO SINGING (audio file attached)
I will cover this song again next time. It is a question and answer song.
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!
Keep Singing! Melanie