Summer Reading #4: Fishy Tails

Wheee--it's the fourth installment of my summer reading ideas for the Tails and Tales theme!

The summer reading program is focusing on animals (tails) and stories (tales) this year.  Well, I've got plenty of both types of flannel boards that fit the bill--but I thought it would be fun to add some new songs and movement activities to the mix.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be adding new videos of these new songs to my YouTube channel.  I'll also post them right here on the blog. 

This week I thought I'd put my ocean friends set to good use.  These fishy fellows have been used in several videos already...

But those tails....  We need to sing about the tails!  Of course fishy vocabulary (gills, fins, swim, dive...) abounds in this one, and so do color words and motions and rhyming.  Ah, kids' songs--I love 'em :)

Here are the fish:

Here's the Fishy Tails video:

and here are the lyrics:

Fishy Tails ©Wendy Gerbi

To the tune of Gray Squirrel. 

Blue fish, blue fish, swish your fishy tail! (swish your tail!)

Blue fish, blue fish, swish your fishy tail! (swish it again!)

Use your gills to get some air (raise your arms a bit from your side as you take a breath)

Flap your fins—steer here and there (flap your hands like fins and move about)

Blue fish, blue fish, swish your fishy tail! (swish it!)

Purple whale, purple whale, slap your whaley tail! (slap hands like a big tail!)

Purple whale, purple whale, slap your whaley tail! (again!)

Swim up high to breathe your air (pantomime swimming to surface)

Use your tail—steer here and there (swim around)

Purple whale, purple whale, slap your whaley tail!

Great white shark, great white shark, swish your sharky tail! ( swish your big tail!)

Great white shark, great white shark, swish your sharky tail! (again!)

Lurk around and hunt some fish (dorsal hand/fin up, sharky look)

Give your tail a great big swish!

Great white shark, great white shark, swish your sharky tail!

Tuna fish, tuna fish, swish your tuna tail!

Tuna fish, tuna fish, swish your tuna tail!

Swim so fast and dive so deep

Swim, swim, swim—you never sleep!

Tuna fish, tuna fish, swish your tuna tail!

Summer Reading #3: Paddle, Paddle, Quack :)

Here we are--#3 in the summer reading series!

The summer reading program is focusing on animals (tails) and stories (tales) this year.  Well, I've got plenty of both types of flannel boards that fit the bill--but I thought it would be fun to add some new songs and movement activities to the mix.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be adding new videos of these new songs to my YouTube channel.  I'll also post them right here on the blog.

This time, I've got my Five Little Ducks set again.  I have sung the Five Little Ducks 857 trillion times over the years, and I don't really get tired of it.  There are always ways to mix things up by adding fun voices and names to the ducks, or having them hide in funny places when they go over the hills and far away...  

But this time, we're going all out brand new.  The ducks will be used more as visuals while we get up and act out the song.  Kids who don't want to join in might be happy to just do the motions with their hands.  And of course, observers are always welcome--they just might need to get out of the way for the waddling feet and wiggling tails of their neighbors in this active song!

Here are the ducks:

Here is the video:

And here are the lyrics: 

Paddle, Paddle, Quack!  ©Wendy Gerbi

Spread out your felt ducks on the board and talk a bit about all the parts of the duck you see.  Have the kids test out their own feet, tails, wings, and bills.  Invite them to stand up and be the ducks!   Get active and flap your wings, paddle your feet, dip your bills, etc!

(This one is sung to the tune of All the Fish are Swimming in the Water)

The little ducks’ feet are paddling in the water,

Paddling in the water, paddling in the water.

The little ducks’ feet are paddling in the water…

Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle…QUACK!

 

Their little orange bills are dipping in the water,

Dipping in the water, dipping in the water.

Their little orange bills are dipping in the water…

Dip, dip, dip, dip, dip, dip…QUACK!

 

Their little feathered tails are wiggling in the water,

Wiggling in the water, wiggling in the water.

Their little feathered tails are wiggling in the water…

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle…QUACK!

 

Their little yellow wings are flapping in the water,

Flapping in the water, flapping in the water.

Their little yellow wings are flapping in the water…

Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap, flap…QUACK!

 

The tired little ducks are snuggling with their papa,

Snuggling with their papa, snuggling with their papa…

The tired little duck are snuggling with their papa…

Snuggle, snuggle, snuggle, snuggle, snuggle, snuggle, SNORE!

 

Summer Reading #2: Dinosaur Tails

Here's the second installment of my ideas for the summer reading program this year.  The focus is on animals (tails) and stories (tales).  I decided to create new lyrics for some of the felt sets I've used year after year, to mix things up a little and put those tried and true sets to brand new use! 

Each week I'll post a new video on my YouTube channel, and right here on the blog, too. 

Without further ado:  Dinosaur Tails!

Here are the felt cuties:

Here's the video (please excuse the audio in some of the more active parts!):

And here are the lyrics:

Dinosaur Tails ©Wendy Gerbi

Dinosaurs used their tails for all sorts of things.  This fingerplay/rhyme helps kids become aware of some of the reasons dinosaurs had tails, and it’s also great for rhyme, rhythm and other early language skills.  I find it extra fun to let the kids stand up and act out some parts of the rhyme, and then stomp back to their places when you’re through 😊

One enormous dinosaur— (hold up one finger)

MUCH bigger than a table! (arms wide)

Some dinos needed tails like this (swish your tail😉)

to keep them nice and stable. (arms out to balance)

…along comes another one, and now…

Two enormous dinosaurs (two fingers up)

having lots of fun. (party hands 😊)

Some dinos used tails like this (swish your tail)

to help them quickly run! (run in place)

…along comes another one, and now…

Three enormous dinosaurs (3 fingers up)

hunting in the night. (tip toe sneak)

Some dinos used tails like this (swish your tail)

to help them in a fight. (roar!)

…along comes another one, and now…

Four enormous dinosaurs (4 fingers up)

running all around. (run in place)

Some dinos used tails like this (swish your tail)

to keep them safe and sound. (hug yourself)

…along comes another one, and now…

Five enormous dinosaurs— (5 fingers up)

they all lived in the past. (wiggle those fingers)

Some dinos used tails like this (swish your tail)

to help them swim so fast! (fast swimming motion)

But wait, there's more!  You can make your own dino set with the pattern:

Summer Reading #1: The Little Yellow Duck

Here's the first installment of my summer reading ideas for the Tails and Tales theme!

The summer reading program is focusing on animals (tails) and stories (tales) this year.  Well, I've got plenty of both types of flannel boards that fit the bill--but I thought it would be fun to add some new songs and movement activities to the mix.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be adding new videos of these new songs to my YouTube channel.  I'll also post them right here on the blog.

So we've got ducks this week, and lots of movement!  We're using the ducks as a visual to help identify the parts before we get moving :)  This song hits on a little math (numbers and color naming), some opposite words (up and down), some good old ducky vocabulary (waddle, bill, tail, etc.) and gets the kids active at the same time.  Win, win, win! Quack, quack, quack!

Here's a close up of the ducks in question:

Here's the video of the new song:

And here are the lyrics:

The Little Yellow Duck ©Wendy Gerbi

An action song (to the tune of The Grand Old Duke of York)

 

Oh, the little yellow duck, (stand with arms like wings)

she has two orange feet (waddle your feet)

She flaps her wings, and she wiggles her tail (do that!)

And she catches bugs to eat! (flap your hands like a bill)

And she quacks her bill right up, (quack your bill hands up)

And she wiggles her tail right down, (wiggle your tail toward ground)

She flaps her wings and waddles her feet (do it!)

And then she sits right down!  (Sit down!)

(Please do this song over and over until you are out of breath and your quadriceps hurt.  It's just the way you should do it ;) ) 

Five Magical Unicorns

Have I posted about my unicorns here yet?  I can't remember!  But here they are, starring in a simple little counting and color rhyme.  

I like this rhyme because it includes some nice unicorn-related vocabulary words--like prance and trot and all those good unicorn movement words :)

Here are the unicorns:

And here's the video of the Five Magical Unicorns rhyme:

Oh, and if you're looking for more unicorny stuff to add to your day, here's my Pinterest board that might spark some ideas :)

(Oh!  And you can make your own unicorns using my pattern, available below!)