Open with: You’ll Sing A Song by Ella Jenkins (Song on: Raffi’s “The Corner Grocery Store”)
You’ll sing a song and I’ll sing a song
And we’ll sing a song together.
You’ll sing a song and I’ll sing a song
In warm or wintry weather.
Continue with: clap your hands, stomp your feet, dance a jig, flap your arms, etc.
To settle the crowd, close with: sit right down
Speaking of old ladies: Prop/Song: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Song on “Peter, Paul, and Mommy, Too”
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wiggled and jiggled and tiggled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why…
…bird / How absurd to swallow a bird…
…cat / Imagine that -- to swallow a cat!
…dog / What a hog, to swallow a dog!…
…goat / She opened her throat and in walked that goat…
…cow / I don't know how she swallowed a cow…
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse--(pause) (spoken) She's dead, of course!
Lyrics by Raffi, Tune: "Baa Baa Black Sheep" Song on Raffi's album "The Corner Grocery Store"
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for your sweater and one for your rug,
And one for your blanket to keep you warm and snug.
(repeat first two lines)
Cluck, Cluck, Red Hen, have you any eggs?
Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs.
One for your breakfast and one for your lunch,
Come back tomorrow, I'll have another bunch.
(repeat first two lines)
Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, have you milk for me?
Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be.
Churn it into butter, make it into cheese,
Freeze it into ice-cream or drink it if you please.
(repeat first two lines)
Buzz, Buzz, Busy Bee, is your honey sweet?
Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat.
Honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,
Honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make.
(repeat first two lines)
Action Song: The Squishy-Squooshy Sung to: “The Hokey-Pokey”
Pretend that you are a pig and there is a big mud puddle in front of you. Oooo-ooo glorious mud!
You put your in.
You take your out.
You put your in and you moosh it all about.
You do the squishy-squooshy and you turn your self around.
That’s what it’s all about!
1) left hoof 2) right hoof 3) pig foot 4) piggy snout 5) pig belly 6) curly tail
7) whole piggy self
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
Continue, changing the vowel sounds:
I like to Ate, Ate, Ate Aypples and BANAYNAYS (2x)
I like to Ete, Ete, Ete Eepples and BENEENEES (2x)
I like to Ite, Ite, Ite Iiples and BININIS (2x)
I like to ote, ote, ote opples and BINOENOES (2x)
I like to ute, ute, ute uuples and BINUUNUUS (2x)
But I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas!
Song: "I Am A Pizza" (tune on Linda Arnold's "Peppermint Wings" (echo & response song -- you sing then audience repeats line) If you don't have the album, feel free to give me a call and I'll sing it for you.)
I am a pizza … (audience echo) I am a pizza (place flannel “tomato/cheese pizza” on board)
With extra cheese… with extra cheese
From tomatoes… From tomatoes…
Sauce is squeezed… Sauce is squeezed…
Onions and Mushrooms… Onions and Mushrooms… (add flannel onions/mushrooms)
Oregano…Oregano.
I am a pizza … I am a pizza
Ready to go!
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Pepperoni… Pepperoni… (add flannel “pepperoni”)
No Anchovies… No Anchovies…
Or phony balogna… Or phony balogna…
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Order by phone… Order by phone… (flannel phone receiver or just use hand motion)
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Please take me home.
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Peppers on the top… Peppers on the top… (add flannel “peppers”)
Out of the oven… Out of the oven…
And into a box… And into a box… (cover with square flannel “pizza box” )
Into the car… Into the car…
Upside down… Upside down… (groan)
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Dropped on the ground.
I was a pizza… I was a pizza…
I was the BEST… I was the BEST…
I was a pizza… I was a pizza…
NOW I’M A MESS! (flip over “pizza box” to reveal a flannel “scrambled up pizza”!)
Singable Book: What a Wonderful World illustrated by Ashley Bryan – celebrating the wonderful world we live in and the plants, animals, and people of so many colors we share it with…
Close with: Sing (Everyone joins hands in a circle – on the La, La’s – join hands in a circle and bring everyone to the center and then out again. –then repeat the whole song…louder and stronger!)
Song by Joe Raposo,-- on “Sesame Street Platinum”
(Start singing quietly:)
Sing, Sing a song --
Sing out loud --
Sing out strong --
Sing of good things, not bad --
Sing of happy, not sad --
Sing, Sing a song --
Make it simple to last your whole life long --
Don't worry that it’s not good enough --
For anyone else to hear --
Just Sing, Sing a song!
La, La, La, La, La
La, La, La, La, La
La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
Bob and Otto – Robert & Nick Bruel (Otto the worm is saddened when his friend Bob the caterpillar becomes a butterfly until Bob reassures him that his role in digging through the earth is critical in this story which beautifully combines earth science and the power of friendship.)
Waiting for Wings -- Lois Ehlert (different sized pages and beautiful collage illustrations reinforce the butterfly life cycle. A musical version is on the Scholastic DVD Singalong Stories, great to act out with scarves).
Art idea: have the children make nature collages inspired by the books "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Waiting for Wings"
Bob and Otto – Robert & Nick Bruel (Otto the worm is saddened when his friend Bob the caterpillar becomes a butterfly until Bob reassures him that his role in digging through the earth is critical in this story which beautifully combines earth science and the power of friendship.) Booktalked: Bubba & Trixie – Lisa Campbell Ernst – (An adventuresome ladybug with a damaged wing who cannot fly befriends an apprehensive caterpillar and helps him learn to enjoy life and be happy with what he is and what he becomes.)
DVD: Waiting for Wings -- Lois Ehlert A musical version is on the Scholastic DVD Singalong Stories, we acted out with scarves).
Did some of the art projects featured here. https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/art-science-flutterby-butterfly.html
Additional art idea: have the children make nature collages inspired by the books "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Waiting for Wings"
5/28/2025 Clarence Dillon Library
I Love Our Earth - Bill Martin Jr. - photographic celebration (or could use Mother Earth - Nancy Luenn instead)
Song (action) This is the way... tune "Mulberry Bush": This is the way we plant a seed, plant a seed, plant a seed. This is the way we plant a seed so early in the morning...This is the way the sun will shine... This is the way the rain will fall...This is the way the seed will grow... This is the way the flower will bloom...
Song: And the Green Grass Grew all Around (flannel) – lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.
The Great Kapok Tree - Lynne Cherry -- The many different animals that live in a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.
Action Book: Earth Dance by Joanne Ryder
Didn't get in time:
Singable book: What a Wonderful World - Ashley Bryan E Thiele
Mother Earth - Nancy Luenn Gorgeous watercolors accompany this extended metaphorical exploration of our planet (could use instead of I Love Our Earth
This pretty Planet
skipped Sign Language Song: “Walk the World Now Children”
Craft – construction & tissue paper collages – trees, earth, environmental, spring scenes
Optional: music from Tom Chapin’s album This Pretty Planet as kids make crafts
