What a fantastic September we’ve had at Bangers & Smash with sessions in all but one of our regular nurseries – either in person or via Zoom – as well as a wonderful new role for Kitty as music teacher at School Outdoors Dulwich, one of only 20 full-time forest schools in the UK!
We kicked off our School Outdoors Dulwich sessions with a series of songs and activities based on the theme of Autumn.
Children and staff enjoyed:
warming up with a finger rhyme, Five Little Leaves
thinking about the different sounds we hear in the forest – pattering rain, rubbing leaves, crashing thunder – and making up our own verses to the tune of Frère Jacques
listening to a rainstick and thunder drum
finding leaves and listening to the sound they make when we rub them together
singing Going On A Picnic by Raffi and parading around banging plastic spoons on paper plates
collecting conkers and singing Bangers & Smash original, Can You See The Conkers?
making junk shakers from conkers and acorns and comparing the sounds they make
shaking our shakers to Hey There, Shaky, Shaky by The Wiggles
looking at a soft toy squirrel and making up our own words to Bangers & Smash original, I’m In The Mood For A Song!
thinking about which animals might live in the forest and dancing to Sleeping Bunnies
Bangers & Smash also delivered online sessions on the theme of Autumn to ‘The Elephants’, a fabulous group of mums and daughters who have been singing with Kitty since the start of lockdown!
Regular Bangers & Smash nurseries
Regular Bangers & Smash nurseries spent September learning about Europe.
Children and staff enjoyed:
looking at a map of the world and identifying Europe
singing the Seven Continents Song and rapping a special Europe-themed call and response section written by Kitty
thinking about how we might travel to Europe and looking at a toy boat, aeroplane and helicopter
listening to a train whistle and copying the sound it makes (whoo whoo!)
singing I Love To Sail In My Big Red Boat (Fly In My Aeroplane / Ride On My Big Red Train / Fly In My Helicopter)
learning songs from four European countries:
Frère Jacques (France)
Giro Tondo (Italy)
As Pombinhas Da Catrina (Portugal)
Row Your Boat (UK)
looking at pictures of savoury and sweet foods from France, Italy, Portugal and the UK and singing our own version of Do You Like?
dancing to:
accordion music from France
Angelina by Louis Prima (Italy)
Trip To The Doryman Set by Richard Wood (UK)
Why not book your own Bangers & Smash music session?
With Covid-19 still very much a concern, Bangers & Smash are working with families, nurseries and childcare settings to provide music sessions that reflect their needs.
For some, this has meant continuing to deliver music via Zoom while for others, we’ve created bespoke risk assessments that allow us to teach safely in person.
We’d love to help out with your music offering so if you’re a parent, carer, childcare provider or arts setting and would like to discuss setting up one or more music sessions – either in person or via Zoom – please get in touch here!