To counteract the cold, dreary weather, we’ve been learning about all things yellow this February at Bangers & Smash!
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
Children at regular Bangers & Smash nurseries have spent the month singing and dancing to:
Yellow Bird – a traditional Haitian song
Banana Banana Banana by the Kew Park Mento Band
Songs about ducks, including:
Six Little Ducks That I Once Knew
Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day
Ducks Like Rain by Raffi
Here’s A Great Big Lion – an original song by Helen McCookerybook
Children have enjoyed thinking about things that are yellow, both generally and in their immediate environments, including:
the sun, moon and stars
lemons, pineapples and bananas
daffodils, buttercups and sunflowers
bees, beehives and honey
clothes, shoes and wellies
shelves, cushions and curtains
blonde hair
sand
As well as using yellow scarves to create wings and fly up into a banana tree during Yellow Bird, children have enjoyed counting plastic ducks in Six Little Ducks That I Once Knew, waddling round in a circle in Ducks Like Rain and taking it in turns to hold a soft toy lion in Here’s A Great Big Lion.
Africa Project at Under the Willow
Meanwhile, at Under the Willow, we’ve continued our 11-week Africa Project with sessions on:
African music
Egypt and the pyramids
The plains of Africa
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash
Children have enjoyed:
Listening and moving to Ssematimba Ne Kikwabanga by Ugandan musician, Albert Ssempeke
Singing a Ghanaian chant, Obwisana, while playing instruments made from natural materials from Drums for Schools’ Nursery Rhythm Kit
Playing (i) a steady pulse and (ii) a simple ostinato (repeating rhythm) on claves while singing Bangers & Smash original, Funky Pharoah
Dancing to traditional Egyptian music
Taking it in turns to hold a soft toy lion while singing Helen McCookerybook’s Here’s A Great Big Lion
Shaking African tree cones (which have a nut inside) and trotting like zebras during Bangers & Smash original, Big, Strong, Stripy Zebras
Short Breaks at Waterman’s Arts Centre
And finally, Kitty’s new multi-arts project for children in the early years with additional needs has continued at Waterman’s Arts Centre with more original songs and stories inspired by nature and wildlife.
Children have enjoyed singing, playing and dancing to live music as well as:
making and playing junk drums
colouring in pictures
decorating gardening aprons with Art Jar
Early years music specialist, storyteller and mandolin player extraordinaire, Steve Grocott!
Kitty is joined by fellow early years music specialist, musician and storyteller, Steve Grocott, and arts psychotherapy student and creative support leader, Aislinn Jeffers, both of whom are helping to create this exciting new education pilot as well as playing in the Short Breaks band!