Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 5

This is the final week of our music theme! Ask your child what he/she has learned to practice the skill of recalling information. Take pictures if you haven't already, or document in another fun way! 

Week 5

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 5 (see Week 1 post) "Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly Father" (5 min)

Sing "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" or "Away in a Manger" and briefly talk about Jesus as a child. Discuss how Jesus was obedient and followed his parents just like we listen to our parents.  

• Song Cubes (5 min)

Make two giant paper dice. One will have a different song on each face--be sure to use songs that are familiar to your child. The second will have actions on each face--clapping, tapping, dancing, stomping, etc. Find the beat in each song with the corresponding action. 

• Sing "Farm Sounds" (5 min)

 Farm Sounds

tune: The Wheels on the Bus

The cow in the barn goes moo, moo, moo.

Moo, moo, moo.

Moo, moo, moo.

The cow in the barn goes moo, moo, moo.

All ‘round the farm.

Continue with:

The pig in the pen goes oink, oink, oink.

The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck.

The rooster on the fence goes cock-a-doodle-doo.

The ducks on the pond go quack, quack, quack.

The lambs on the hill go baa, baa, baa.

The bunnies in the hutch go (silently wiggle your

nose).

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Ants on a log! Childhood favorite :D

• Free Play (20 min)

Review instruments again, if desired, or expound on an aspect of music we haven't talked about. Go to a music store. With more children, you could play "What instrument is missing?" by having one child face away from the group and determine which instrument is missing while the others play. Play a xylophone.

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Math) "Count Your Chickens" (5-10 min)

Play a board game together that involves counting of some sort. For Christmas, Rowan received a game called, "Count Your Chickens". The gist of the game is, you're trying to help the mama chicken return to her chicks through the use of a spinner. It's a cooperative game, which I had never heard of. All players are working toward the same goal. I also believe it's important for children to learn how to lose and that not everyone is a winner all of the time. Cooperative games can be nice for a change as well, though. Counting is incorporated when moving spaces, as well as counting chicks to return to the coop. Hi-ho Cherry-o is another good one!

• Old MacDonald Had a Band (5-10min)

This is it! The moment we've all been waiting for :D Sing the song, "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" but replace the word "Farm" with "Band". Go through each instrument you've made, or if you haven't made instruments, use invisible ones paired with your imagination for each verse ;) If you use pretend instruments, perhaps show a picture of each instrument beforehand. 

Bring in a guest, if desired, who plays an instrument. My husband plays the ukulele so he will come in for a verse.  Also, my father-in-law (who is a teacher) brought home a chime he had at school so we'll use that too! The more, the merrier!

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Dried fruit! My favorites are mangoes and banana chips :) 

• Free Play (20 min)

If you have any puzzles, free play would be a great time to do these together! Puzzles are sooo good for developing a math brain. If you don't have any puzzles, make some or consider investing in some wooden puzzles/buying cheaper ones at the dollar store.