Index Cards

I found some index cards in Office Depot the other day cut the size of playing cards.  I plan on using them for all kinds of games.  Here is a link I found at Amazon

Dental Health

Dental Health Songs

Brush Your Teeth Sung to "Jingle Bells"

Brush your teeth, Brush your teeth (swish hands)

Give your teeth a treat  (Clap hands)

Brush up and down and all around  (Point up, down and around)

To keep them clean and neat.  (Clap hands)

Brush them once, Brush them twice  (Hold up fingers)

Brush three times a day  (Hold up fingers)

Brush up and down and all around  (Point up, down and around)

Keep cavities away.  (Clap hands)

My Toothbrush   Sung to "Jimmy Crack Corn"

I have a little toothbrush

I hold it very tight

I brush my teeth each morning

And then again at night

I go brush, brush, brush

And rinse, rinse, rinse

And then when they're clean

I'll blow you a kiss

Brush, brush, brush

Rinse, rinse, rinse

Brush, brush, brush

Rinse, rinse, rinse

Brush, brush, brush

Rinse, rinse, rinse

And then when they're clean

I'll blow you a kiss

The Toothbrush Song  Sung to "Row, Row, Row your Boat"

Pat to the beat

Brush, brush, brush your teeth

Brush them everyday

We put toothpaste on our brush 

To help stop tooth decay.

Swish hands to the beat

Floss, floss, floss your teeth

Floss them everyday

Using the string to clean between

Keeps the plaque away.

Clap hands to the beat

Clean, clean, clean your teeth

Clean them everyday

Your teeth will sparkle for years to come

In the most beautiful way.

I Had A Loose Tooth Sung to "Little White Duck"

I had a loose tooth

A wiggly, jiggly loose tooth

I had a loose tooth, hanging by a thread

So I pulled my loose tooth

This wiggly , jiggly loose tooth

And put it 'neath the pillow

When I went up to bed.

The fairies took my loose tooth

My wiggly, jiggly loose tooth

So now I have a nickel and a hole in my head.

High Score Hoops

This week is "High Score Hoops."  We are naming notes and shooting baskets in an attempt to have the highest score of the week.  The game needs the following items:
• Basketball hoop or trash can

• Ball
• Staff cards or Chord Cards
• Keyboard

1. First I have the students take a staff card and find the note on the piano and play it.  The must find the note in the correct place in order to move to the next step.
2. After identifying the correct note, they take a shot with the basketball.
3. I record the number of baskets made and notes named on a board.

Students are motivated to shoot baskets and gain a high score.  You can have a set number of cards to name or use a timer.  Chord cards are used for more advanced students.

I have also used this to drill any concept.  If they identify the symbol, clap the correct rhythm, etc . . they get to attempt a shot.  My boys beg for this game!

Thanks to Susan Paradis for this idea

Sheet Protectors

Sheet protectors are my new favorite thing.  I used them in college for my music, but never used them to their full potential, which is with worksheets.  Slip a worksheet in a sheet protector and then use a dry erase marker with it.  If you write on the sheet protector with the dry erase marker the marks will magically wipe away, letting you use the sheet over and over again.  Then I can pop the sheet back in a three ring binder for easy storage.  My students love using the markers.  I have different colors and a retractable marker which is their favorite. 


Here is a link to the retractable markers


Here is a link to the sheet protectors

Chirstmas Teaching Songs

Here are some great songs that are fun for

Christmas that also teach core concepts.

Five Little Bells
Five little bells hanging in a row.


The first one said, "Ring me slow."

The second one said, "Ring me fast."

The third one said, "Ring me last."

The fourth one said, "I'm a chime."

The fifth one said, "Ring me at Christmas time."

The sixth one said, "Ring me with the others."

The seventh one said, "Ring me for the mothers."

The eighth one said, "Ring me with a song."


The ninth one said, "Ring me all day long." 

Idea #1: Make bells with the ordinal numbers on them

Idea #2: Let students hold the bell and have the statement written on the back of the bell for the student to read.

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Christmas Bells Sung to: "The Muffin Man"



Oh, do you hear the Christmas bells,

The Christmas bells, the Christmas bells?


Oh, do you hear the Christmas bells


I'm glad Christmas is here

Oh, can you see our Christmas tree,

Our Christmas tree, our Christmas tree?

Oh, can you see our Christmas tree?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh, do you smell the gingerbread,


The gingerbread, the gingerbread?

Oh, do you smell the gingerbread?


I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh do you taste the candy cane?

The candy cane, the candy cane?

Oh do you taste the candy cane?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Oh do you feel the soft stocking,

the soft stocking, the soft stocking?

Oh do you feel the soft stocking?

I'm glad Christmas is here.

Idea #1: Have students point to the body part the use for that sense

Idea #2: Have examples of gingerbread to smell, stocking to feel, bell to hear, candy cane and tree.

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S-A-N-T-A Sung to: "BINGO"



I know a man with a long white beard

And Santa is his name-o

S-A-N-T-A, 
S-A-N-T-A,
 S-A-N-T-A


And Santa is his name-o

He slides down the chimney with a pack on his back

And Santa is his name-o

*-A-N-T-A
, *-A-N-T-A, 
*-A-N-T-A


And Santa is his name-o

Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh

And Santa is his name-o


*-*-N-T-A, 
*-*-N-T-A, 
*-*-N-T-A

And Santa is his name-o

He wears red from his head to his toe

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-T-A, 
*-*-*-T-A, 
*-*-*-T-A

And Santa is his name-o

He's making his list and checking it twice

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-*-A, 
*-*-*-*-A, 
*-*-*-*-A

And Santa is his name-o

He likes to eat milk and cookies

And Santa is his name-o

*-*-*-*-*, 
*-*-*-*-*, 
*-*-*-*-*

And Santa is his name-o  

Idea #1: Write the letters on a whiteboard.  Each time you sing replace a letter with a clap.  I put a star in place of the letter to represent the clap.

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5 Little Christmas Trees
5 little Christmas Trees

Standing all alone

Their hearts were very sad


Cause they hadn't found a home.


Then chop went the ax (pretend to chop)

And down fell the tree


And off they went with a happy family!


(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)


No little Christmas Trees


Standing all alone


Their hearts were very happy


Cause they all found a home!!!

Idea #1: Have the students hold a tree and countdown as the trees go home.

Recommended Reading

1. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Jane Chapman

2. When Santa Turned Green by Victoria Perla

3. Santa's Reindeer by Rod Green

More Christmas Songs

Christmas Interval Worksheet

Here is an interval worksheet with a Christmas theme.  Help Santa get the presents to the right house by matching the intervals to the present.

Present Intervals

Fun Christmas Songs

Here are some fun Christmas songs to sing with the children

Toys on the Christmas Tree Sung to: "This Old Man



This little drum--on the tree


Santa put it there for me


With a boom-boom, rat-a-tat (pretend to play drum)

Rummy-tummy-tum (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun!

This little train--on the tree


Santa put it there for me


With a chug-chug, choo-choo (pretend to pull the horn)

Rummy-tummy-tum (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun!

This little doll--on the tree

Santa put it there for me

With a Ma-ma, Ma-ma
 (pretend to rock baby)

Rummy-tummy-tum
 (roll hands over each other)

Christmas Day is so much fun! 

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Let's All Sung to: "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"



Let's all do a little clapping,

Let's all do a little clapping,


Let's all do a little clapping and spread Christmas cheer.

You can change the clapping to other activities.


2.Jumping

3.Twirling

4.Stretching

5.Bending Ask the kids for other ideas. 

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Old St. Nicholas Sung to: "Old McDonald Had a Farm"

Old St. Nicholas had a tree (form tree with arms)

Ho, ho ho ho ho!
 (hold stomach)

And on that tree he had some horns (blow horns)


Ho ho ho ho ho
 (hold stomach)

With a toot toot here and a toot toot there

Here a toot There a toot
Every where a toot toot


Old St. Nicholas had a tree

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

continue....

lights-------flash flash


candy canes-------yum-yum

drums-------boom-boom

bells---------ring ring

birds------peep peep


stars------twinkle twinkle


snowflakes-------flutter flutter 

Idea #1: Have a paper tree and add the items listed to the tree
Idea #2: Have children think of things that can go on the tree

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Santa  Sung to: "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes, (Yee Haw)

He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes.


He'll be driving eight brown reindeer,


He'll be driving eight brown reindeer,

He'll be driving eight brown reindeer when he comes.

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes, (Oh, Boy!)

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes,


He'll be piled up with toys,


For all the girls and boys.

He'll be piled up with toys when he comes.

He'll be dressed all in red when he comes, (Ho, ho, ho)

He'll be dressed all in red when he comes.


He'll be dressed all in red,


From his toes up to his head,


He'll be dressed all in red when he comes! 

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The Lights on the Tree  Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus" 


The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink (open and shut hands on 'blink')

Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink. 


The lights on the tree go blink, blink, blink

All Christmas Day.

Other Verses:


The presents at the house go rattle, rattle, rattle (shake hands on 'rattle)

The mom at the house goes bake, bake, bake (clap hands on 'bake')

The dad at the house goes snore, snore, snore
(pretend to sleep on 'snore')
The grandpa at the house goes hug, hug, hug 
(pretend to hug on 'hug')
The grandma at the house goes kiss, kiss, kiss(pretend to kiss on 'kiss')

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The Reindeer Pokey (to the tune of The Hokey Pokey)
You put your antlers in.


You put your antlers out.

You put you antlers in,

And you shake them all about.


You do the Reindeer Pokey,


And you turn yourself around.


That's what it's all about!

You put your hooves in....


You put your red nose in....


You put your fluffy tail in...


You put your reindeer body in…

I wear some reindeer ears I found at the dollar store for this one.


More Christmas Songs