This Autumn, we’ve been thinking about lions and tigers and bears at Bangers & Smash!
In September, Kitty ran Wizard of Oz-inspired sessions at regular Bangers & Smash nurseries, The Oval Montessori, Crystal Nurseries, Purple Jay Nurseries, Under the Willow and School Outdoors Dulwich.
In October, we celebrated Black History Month with songs and activities from Africa and the Caribbean.
In November and December, it was time to rehearse and perform Christmas shows and concerts for parents and carers.
And last but not least, Bangers & Smash co-founder, Sarah Allen, joined Kitty on Saturday 13 December to present an afternoon of singing and Christmas wreath-making at the Mother Goose Wildlife Garden in Camberwell.
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Children and staff enjoyed:
singing a hello song, Kolele, in the Congolese language
looking at a map of the world and singing Do You Know Your Continents?
placing a toy lion in Africa, a tiger in Asia and a bear in North America
chanting Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! with actions / gradually getting louder / clapping on beats 1, 2 and 3 / playing claves on beats 1, 2, and 3
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
looking at more toy animals (monkey, elephant, crocodile, snake, meerkat etc) and adding them to our chant
taking it in turns to wear a safari hat while singing Pole, Pole, a song about spotting animals in the wild
listening to a story about a sleeping lion then dancing with yellow and orange scarves to The Lion Sleeps Tonight
looking at a tiger puppet and learning two songs about tigers:
‘I’m Ticklish,’ Said The Tiger
Tiger, Tiger, Orange And Black
singing along to Ha, Ha, Thisaway by Raffi (a song about a bear)
singing and dancing to Sleeping Lions, Sleeping Tigers and Sleeping Bears
playing claves to Ssematimba Ne Kikwabanga, a recording of Ugandan musicians by ethnomusicologist, Hugh Tracey
listening to a kidney bean shaker while jumping like beans in a pot to a song from Malawi, Nzama, Nzama
Black History Month
In 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, Abi, Mary, Jennifer, Abina, Kemi, Emma, Usainatu, Tanya, Theresa, Debo, Samelie, Wumi, Hilma, Peaches and Carol for the following:
Ojo N Ro (It Is Raining), Bata Mia Dun Koko Ka and Ori Mi, Ejika, Orunkun, Ese from Nigeria (in the Yoruba language)
Onye Gabwe Wu Iya and Onye Mere Nwa Nebe Akwa from Nigeria (in the Igbo language)
Kofi and Che Che Kule from Ghana
Ah Te Wa from Sierra Leone
Ihorere Munyana from Rwanda
Dis Long Time Gal, Emmanuel Road, Moonshine Tonight, One Love and Three Little Birds from Jamaica
Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot from Montserrat
Mais Que Nada from Brazil
Going Back To My Roots from America
Teachers at Young & Smart Nursery after our whole school Black History Month celebration!
Christmas shows and concerts
In November and December, it was time to rehearse and perform Christmas shows and concerts for parents and carers.
Under the Willow and School Outdoors Dulwich
Staff and children at Under the Willow sang and danced to Christmas songs, including:
Mary’s Boy Child
Mary Had A Baby
Feliz Navidad
Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle
Three Kings Were Riding
Christmas Pudding
When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney
Rockin’ Robin
Little Donkey
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
He’ll Be Coming Down The Chimney
Meanwhile, at School Outdoors Dulwich, staff and children sang Winter-themed festive songs under the Christmas tree, including:
Five Little Leaves
Fire, Fire, Burning Bright
I’m A Little Snowman
Jingle Bells
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Crystal Nurseries
Crystal Nurseries hosted performances of Kitty’s musical play, Christmas At The Toyshop, in all three nurseries.
Goslings Nursery’s performance took place at Hollydale Primary School
Children dressed up as toy soldiers, dancing dolls, monsters, puffer trains, Santas, elves and teddy bears and sang festive songs, including Bangers & Smash originals:
The Toymaker’s Song
See The Soldiers Marching Along
Santa’s Little Helper
They also celebrated the Nativity with a magical fairy-light-lit rendition of Silent Night.
Purple Jay Nurseries
Staff and children at Purple Jay Herne Hill Dulwich and Purple Jay Lambeth sang songs for parents and carers in front of a festive backdrop.
Babies played bells and waved homemade stars while toddlers and preschoolers took it in turns to perform Christmas classics, Christmas Pudding, When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer as well as a new song, Toys On The Christmas Tree (to the tune of This Old Man).
Everyone joined together at the end to sing We Wish You A Merry Christmas and dance to Rockin’ Robin!
A festive backdrop at Purple Jay Lewisham
The Oval Montessori
This year, parents and carers gathered in the nursery garden for Oval Montessori’s first outdoor Christmas concert!
Kitty was joined by Bangers & Smash co-founder, Sarah Allen, on flute and accordion as staff and children performed an array of festive songs, including:
Little Drummer Boy
You Gotta Sing
Crimson Zapatitos
Ring, Ring, Ring The Bells
This Little Light Of Mine
There Was A Little Baby
Little Snowflake
Catch A Falling Star
Jingle Bells
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Afterwards, everyone celebrated with mulled drinks and cinnamon biscuits – a happy end to a fantastic term!
Carols in the Wildlife Garden
And finally, Kitty and Sarah hosted their annual Carols in the Wildlife Garden event on Saturday 13 December.
Sarah and Kitty by the campfire
Families and members of the local community gathered to sing festive songs, make Christmas wreaths with co-host, Marlon Gibbins, and share mulled drinks and mince pies in the Mother Goose Wildlife Garden in Camberwell.
Happy New Year from Bangers & Smash!
We’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year from Bangers & Smash – we look forward to seeing you in 2026!