Discount School Supply NAEYC Booth Features “Sharin’ with Sharron”

Hi all! It’s been a while since I last posted. Time sure flies when you’re having fun! The past few months have found me conducting staff trainings and presenting keynotes and workshops at many fall early childhood conferences in Tennessee, Nebraska, Georgia, New Jersey, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I think it’s the best job in the world as I travel around the country sharing fun and engaging curriculum activities and resources. Why not join me in Los Angeles, CA, November 2-4, at the 2016 National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference in the Discount School Supply Exhibit Booth. I will be presenting several mini-workshops titled, “GIGGLES & WIGGLES! MUSIC, MOVEMENT & CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN,” demonstrating a variety of techniques and props for sharing music, movement, rhythm instruments, finger plays, stories, puppets, and playful learning activities. Have fun, get inspired, and take back to your classroom lots of new ideas to make group time more active and enjoyable for the children and you!

 
As a preschool teacher of twenty plus years, I conducted Circle Time twice daily. I’ve learned from experience what works and doesn’t work. The children have taught me well! As a child development college instructor, I taught music and movement curriculum classes. I am the co-author of the book, Circle Time Activities for Young Children and have also produced a DVD of Circle Time.

I keep learning new activities from other teachers, musicians, and librarians and enjoy sharing them. Many of those activities have become classic favorites. Every teacher needs to hit their “refresh button”, so make sure to join me in the Discount School Supply booth. During your short time with me—

1. Learn how to provide Instant Activity with Music
2. Sing Songs & Finger Plays
3. Reenact Stories & Nursery Rhymes
4. Discover “Books That Move You”
5. Participate in Cooperative Group Games
6. Play with Simple Equipment and Loose Materials

Here’s a sample of some the activities you will participate in…

Shake Your Hands Up High
(Tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low)

 A good action song to wake up the body and the brain! Stand up and follow what the words tell you to do.

Shake your hands up high,
Stomp your feet down low,
Rub your tummy in the middle,
And around you go.
Tap your knees in the front,
Tap your heels in the back,
Put your hands together and clap, clap, clap!

Sing it again, but do it a little bit faster. Then sing it one more time even faster!

Here is an Alligator
Animal Finger Play

Here is an alligator, (Right hand forms alligator)
Sitting on a log, (Right hand on left forearm)
Down in the pool, (Make horizontal circle with arms in front of body)
He spies a little frog. (Put hands around eyes like binoculars)
In goes the alligator, (Diving motion with hands)
Round goes the log, (Circle forearms in front of you)
Splash goes the water, (Hands go up in the air)
Away swims the frog. (Breast stroke swimming motion with hands)

My Hands
Body Part Rhyme

My hands upon my head I place,
On my shoulders, on my face.
At my waist and by my side,
And now behind me they will hide.
Then I will raise them way up high,
And let my fingers fly, fly, fly.
Then clap, clap, clap and one-two-three,
Let’s see how quiet they can be!

Snickelfritz Partners Switch
A Cooperative Game

1. Children find a partner and stand Back to Back.
2. The teacher/game leader calls out a body part and partners react quickly while touching the body part mentioned. For example, the teacher might say, “Hands to Hands.” The partners turn around, face each other, and touch hands to hands.
3. When the teacher says another body part, the partners then put those body parts together (releasing the last touched body part).
4. Other body parts to call out: Shoulder to Shoulder, Knee to Knee, Hip to Hip, Elbow to Elbow, etc.
5. Whenever the teacher/game leader says, “Snickelfritz Partners Switch” all players must hurry and find a new partner. With the new partner, they stand Back To Back ready to listen. Play resumes with the teacher calling out different body parts.
6. Giving the command, “Snickelfritz Partners Switch” frequently gives children a chance to interact with all members in the group as they have to find a different partner every time.
7. There is no right or wrong way to connect body parts to each other. Point out the different ways that partners completed the challenge.
8. A fun way to end the game is to give the command, “Hug to Hug!”