A lovely group today - a few of the moms and nannies discovered that their little ones were all born in the same week, and had a great time making friends and getting to know each other. Later on, a baby tried to climb my leg, and a four-year-old brought me her shoe just to make sure I saw it. Good times all around.
Here's what we had on our agenda:
Opening Song: Clap Along With Me (from Wee Sing for Baby)
Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers
Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big
Song: Los Pollitos by Elizabeth Mitchell (from You Are My Little Bird)
I have been singing this song non-stop whenever I'm not at work, to the point that I'm sure my boyfriend is sick of it, and/or ready to perform it for an audience. So many of the nannies who attend my story time are native Spanish speakers, so I wanted to make sure I had it down before I shared it with them. It didn't go quite as well as I would have liked, because remembering the Spanish and doing the hand motions is tricky, but it will get better as I do it more in front of a group.
Also, the Elizabeth Mitchell version has different lyrics than the ones I found in a quick Google search. Even the liner notes for her album, which I also found online, are not correct. Here is what they should be:
Los pollitos dicen,
pío, pío, pío,
cuando tienen hambre,
cuando tienen frío.
La gallina busca
el maíz y el trigo,
les da la comida
y les presta abrigo.
Bajo sus dos alas
se están quietecitos,
y hasta el otro día
duermen los pollitos.
pío, pío, pío,
cuando tienen hambre,
cuando tienen frío.
La gallina busca
el maíz y el trigo,
les da la comida
y les presta abrigo.
Bajo sus dos alas
se están quietecitos,
y hasta el otro día
duermen los pollitos.
And here is the English version, which follows the Spanish:
All the little chicks say
pío, pío, pío,
When they are hungry
When they are cold
Mama chicken looks for corn and some wheat
To give them dinner
To give them heat
Underneath her wings,
her chicks she'll keep
Until the morning,
little chickies sleep.Book: Bird, Fly High by Petr Horacek (2005)
A little bird hops, hops, hops, flaps, flaps, flaps, and cheeps, cheeps cheeps. Just the right amount of text for babies, and perfectly bright and colorful illustrations. I don't like it as much as Horacek's Butterfly, Butterfly, but it worked well.
Song: Chickadee by Lisa Monet (from My Best Friend)
I knew this song as a kid, but it wasn't until I found it on iTunes the other night that I remembered it. The Latin rhythm and catchy tune had everyone in the room singing and flapping their arms.
Song: I'm a Little Teapot
Song: Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes (from Wee Sing for Baby)
I am amazed every week at the number of kids who pat their heads when they hear the opening chords of this song.
Book: Hola, Jalapeno! by Amy Wilson Sanger (2002)
Quesadillas, tamales, and guacamole make your mouth water on the unique and colorful pages of this celebration of Mexican food for babies and toddlers! My tongue tripped over some of the Spanish, but most of it's pretty simple, and the back cover offers a pronunciation guide. I especially love "Senorita Quesadilla's" dripping cheese, and the ending, where we're too full to take another bite!
Song: One, Two, I Love You (Numbers Are Our Friends)
Song: Where is Thumbkin?
Song: Old MacDonald (a cappella sing-along with puppets)
Song: ABCD Medley by The Laurie Berkner Band (from Whaddaya Think of That?)
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
I'm starting to realize that more rhymes and fewer books and songs works best, but I don't have enough rhymes memorized to actually make that happen yet. I'll have to work on that this summer!
