CONNECT - song and dance for children: September 2018

*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!

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

CONNECT - song and dance for children

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

My Little Body

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Come On Everybody