Celebrating Harvest and Black History Month with Bangers & Smash

This Autumn, we’ve been celebrating Harvest and Black History Month at Bangers & Smash!

Thanks to Purple Jay for these gorgeous Hallowe’en pumpkins!

In August and September, Kitty ran harvest-themed music sessions at regular Bangers & Smash nurseries, Under the Willow, School Outdoors Dulwich and Crystal Nurseries, as well as welcoming new nursery, Purple Jay (formerly Mother Goose Greendale) on board.

She also presented two family singing and junk-instrument-making events – Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Harvest Celebration – at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses in Herne Hill.

Regular Bangers & Smash nurseries

Children and staff enjoyed:

  • looking at a cartoon picture of a farm and singing Old Macdonald Had A Farm

  • adding in a tractor, plough and combine harvester

  • pretending to drive a tractor and plough – complete with sounds and actions

  • looking at a picture of some farmers and identifying the fruits and vegetables they are holding

  • talking about cereal crops and looking at pictures of wheat, oats and barley

  • singing and dancing to Oats And Beans And Barley Grow

  • stroking a kidney bean and finding words to describe it:

    • smooth

    • hard

    • brown

    • red

    • shiny

  • taking it in turns to shake a kidney bean shaker and jump up and down to Jumping Bean

  • singing The Farmer Ploughs His Meadow and taking it in turns to be a farmer planting, watering, harvesting and cooking his kidney beans

  • singing and dancing to Nzama, Nzama – a Malawian song about beans cooking in a pot

  • telling the story of a farmer ploughing his field and harvesting his corn through sounds and actions

  • talking about scarecrows and singing Dingle, Dangle Scarecrow

  • singing and moving to Big Red Combine Harvester (the children absolutely loved this song and are still singing it now!)

Black History Month

Moving into October, Kitty asked staff of African and Caribbean heritage if they would like to share songs and stories in celebration of Black History Month.

Huge thanks to Nkechi, Abina, Abi, Gay-Ann, Malone, Kemi, Mahado, Trishana, Carol, Peaches, Edna and Ade for the following:

  • Dis Long Time Gal, Linstead Market and Brown Girl In The Ring from Jamaica

  • We Ki O Mo, Bata Mia Dun Koko Ka and Labe Igi Orombo from Nigeria (in the Yoruba language)

  • O Kereke and Onye Gabwe Wu Iya from Nigeria (in the Igbo language)

  • Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) by Shakira

Check out Kitty and some of the teachers at Young & Smart Nursery after an absolutely riotous whole school Black History Month celebration (and thanks to Marie for bringing Kitty this fabulous dress from Cote D’Ivoire)!

Kitty Pidduck presents…

Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses

Kitty presented sold out family singing and junk-instrument-making events, Teddy Bears’ Picnic and Harvest Celebration, at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses on 30 August and 23 October.

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC

With snacks foraged from BPCG’s Edible Garden and lots of picnic-themed songs and activities, this family music and craft session celebrated picnics, teddies and outdoor fun!

Foraging for picnic snacks

Making a Teddy Bear drum

HARVEST CELEBRATION

As well as singing and dancing to songs about ploughing, planting and growing, children collected leaves, flowers, berries and seed pods and used them to make scarecrow selfies and junk shakers.

Scarecrow selfie

Junk shaker

CAROLS IN THE WILDLIFE GARDEN

And finally, Kitty and Sarah will present a Christmas wreath-making and singing session, Carols in the Wildlife Garden, for families and members of the local community at Mother Goose Wildlife Garden on Saturday 9 December.

Hosted by artist, Hannah Littlejones, this free event is open to everyone so do come along and bring your little ones!