CONNECT - song and dance for children

*STONES HILL SONGS* is a growing resource of original songs for young children, self-published by experienced music teacher/ occupational therapist/ songwriter LIZ CAMPBELL. The goal is to stimulate real-time body-and-voice musical experience in classrooms. Demo-style presentation is simple and easy for teachers to look-listen-copy. They are not suitable as fancy backing tracks! SUBSCRIBE, "LIKE" and SHARE with other interested teachers. Let the SONG and DANCE continue!

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

My Little Body

*from STONES HILL SONGS*

🎶 This song from the Stones Hill collection for children is essentially about body image. We do our youngsters the world of good by helping them to appreciate, affirm, respect and enjoy their bodies. (This naturally leads to the same attitude towards others). We can sing with them: "I love my body - it's a very fine body (for me!)". Good learning and living flows place from a secure vantage.

This song is more than just identifying and naming body parts; it's a song that gives space for connection with the finer sensations that all bodies offer when we stop and look. As children learn to notice what's going on inside themselves, so they develop a healthy body image.

As with all the songs, it can be sung unaccompanied at your own tempo. It's a good idea to have a repeated move to return to gently for the chorus - perhaps a wrap-around hug with a little sway. The verses jump about the body, and a suggestion is to just hold or dance whichever part is being named at the time. This happy and easy-to-sing-along song helps children become comfortable and at home in their own skins. What a gift, to be able to say - this is me, and I am more than OK in myself!

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Come On Everybody

STONES HILL SONGS

*Come on everybody *

🎶 This is an easy to sing, expandable song to use first up in a group to get things going. The words can be endlessly and creatively changed to adapt to the moment - "Come on everybody, let's walk together, let's fly together, let's swim together, let's shake together...." whatever takes your fancy. It's quite fun to juxtapose 2 similar moves and notice the difference - how is flying different from the swimming motion? Or experiment with 2 completely opposite moves such as stamping and tip-toeing. A good way to end the song is to "sit together" and "pat together". This will naturally quieten them down for the next activity, sitting and patting themselves gently (pat all over legs, arms, torso - very simple tactile stimulation).

Songs that activate whole body moves in children are like gold; it is a most nourishing activity that you can do with them, feeding into a host of positive developmental spin-offs while having a load of fun and letting off steam. You will also be able to pick out the children who may have sensory or motor processing problems, as a first step towards any remedial intervention.

This song, like many of the others, does not need a backing track accompaniment. Use a small hand drum or tambourine, or whatever rhythmic shaker you can find. It's not about performance as much as participation in the moment. You lead the way, the children will follow!

View the other songs listed in the archives - forward to teachers and parents to spread the

song-and-dance! Please acknowledge source and composer if piece is used for public performance - copyright Liz Campbell, Stones Hill songs. Feedback would also be appreciated - how the song works for you, how you may have used it: liz.jessam@gmail.com

Sunday, August 26, 2018

All join hands and make a circle

STONES HILL SONGS

*All join hands and make a circle*

🎶 Circle dances are the oldest form of dance in the book, for good reason. A circle is inclusive, it's a natural equalizer, all ages alongside each other. It fosters a sense of belonging and builds community. Those who are a bit slower are carried along by the group, so no-one is left out.

This is a simple circle dance which can be repeated several times over until the sequential moves are mastered in flowing order. Rather than just watching the moves being performed on a screen, these songs allow the children to participate in the process and be part of the music-making. That is when connections are made.

One little thumb

STONES HILL SONGS

*One little thumb went out one day *

🎶 This simple song works well in big groups with limited space for moving; it keeps youngsters involved with their fingers, playing with maths and moves! The simple tune

is easy to sing unaccompanied, and the 'la la la' bit in the middle is the oldest most natural chant sung by children the world over in various games and songs. Make up your own combinations of fingers that go out-walkabout and meet up with others. It teaches social skills - meet and greet politely, even better, warmly with a hug.

As the fingers do the walking, greeting, hugging and playing together, it involves a lot of fine motor co-ordination, along with imagination. Both desirable elements to cultivate in young bodies! For the chant bit, we often place fingertips together and do 'spider press-ups', a most satisfying move for children to accomplish. Also play with the voice - youngsters love singing with a 'baby voice', or use a gruff, deeper voice for a tall finger.

The recording is in F# major, so the music below (in Gmajor) will not sound too bright if used with the YouTube song!

Come on and dance like a clown

STONES HILL SONGS

*Come on and jump *

🎶 This lively action song has much to offer: the quality of any movement changes when performed like a clown. A clown walk is quite different from our 'normal' walk. This introduces a new element as it opens up other possible creative ways of moving.

Exaggerate the circus fanfare theme- drum rolls, dramatic pauses, slow entries to create anticipation! Play with the timing. This teaches children to be alert to nuance and effect. Contrast the slow with the bright, lively, energetic moves, and they will love the sudden FREEZE which hits the middle: learning to STOP is as important as learning to GO. Freeze-statue games and songs abound for children for this reason. I love to stretch it a loooong time and leave them guessing, even pretend to go off and drink tea, have a yawn, check the watch - they will stand stock still for as long as you want and learn the art of watching and waiting! The funny sign like an upside-down eye in the music below means PAUSE - all these bits can be drawn out as much as you want.

I was walking along

*from STONES HILL SONGS*

🎶 Most of my songs have been body-centered action songs for children, coming from, I suppose, my background as occupational therapist with motor development in mind. This particular song takes us on a gentle imaginary walk and dance with different animals. The children will enjoy acting the animal, and then all ends well as child and animal dance together - their own partner dance.

Any opportunity to act is welcome; several children can act at once and divide up into partner dances. This takes the pressure off those who may be performance-shy and favours participation before performance. The babble of nonsense words in between are intended to be just that: making up new words, playing with sounds and syllables- the more ridiculous the better - are great for speech development. And a good laugh, not to be taken too seriously.

Many remember nonsense rhymes from their childhood days, things like:
roonie poonie ping-pong parly
walla-walla-waxy itchy poo (always brought us down!)
nickerbocker-nackerbocker chinese choo
are-eye-ricka-rye roo.. (swing right back to the start again!)

So Many Things My Body Can Do

*from STONES HILL SONGS*

Song and dance: 🎶 2 essential joyous elements that are a natural part of a healthy child's life. Here is a song that can be used in classrooms or at home while you play with your child. Singing and dancing is just another way to connect the dots in the growing brain, body and more. It gives space to explore and play with our infinite possibilities in the form of shapes and moves that we can do with our body. It connects imagination to actual movement, allowing for individual expression and interpretation. Action songs give children the experience of being IN their bodies. As they notice how certain movements feel, they develop a keen spatial awareness and proprioception.

This particular song has a gentle flow that allows one to merge one movement into the next, a bit like waves rolling in and off the shore. There is no stop-start element to it. If you allow, the movements will take you up and down off the floor, something that children do naturally, and something that keeps us adults younger! You might find yourself repeating the same sequence each time the refrain comes around, perhaps swaying gently side to side while rolling the arms in front. Enjoy, play with your child! 🎶🎶