Song
(click
to hear audio) |
Description |
Musical
Style |
What
Song Teaches |
Curriculum
Tools |
|
I
Had A Bird |
A
traditional folk song with lots of animal sounds. |
Upbeat
Folk |
Teaches children animal sounds as well as memorizing
in reverse order |
-Use
with felt board
-Use with puppets
-Use other animals |
| ABC |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by hundreds of listeners,
this traditional song is sung in five consecutive
musical styles: traditional, classical, country
western, jazz, and rap. |
A
variety of styles |
Teaches
children different musical styles in the setting
of a familiar song. The repetition really
helps children learn the ABC's. |
Use
hand motions on activity chart |
|
Minnie |
A
silly original song about a little character
named Minnie. She spells her name with
an "i" Mini, with a "y"
Minny, or with an "ie" Minnie. |
Upbeat
Folk |
-Gently
introduces children to the idea of same
sound but different spelling.
-Can teach double time rhythm concept
when using percussion instruments.
|
Use
maracas or woods and beat quarter notes in the
verse and eighth notes in the chorus. |
|
3
Little Fishies |
A
popular story song from the 1940's about three
little fish that disobey their mother and swim
over the dam. In their quest for adventure
in the big ocean, they encounter whales and
sharks and quickly swim home to safety.
Hand motions. |
Swing
Jazz |
The verse/chorus
arrangement helps children focus on the story
and listen attentively to see how it resolves.
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Great for spring & summer classes & summer
camp
|
| A
Milkshake & A Cherry Freeze |
Voted "Most Favorite" by hundreds
of listeners, this is an original song by "Guitar
Bob" Messano, full of
body
movements
(like a freeze dance)
|
Blues
Rock |
Lots of full body
movement, a new one each verse (jump, turn-around,
dance, etc.) |
-Use
ideas on activity chart
-Use maracas
-Use other movements
-Great summer camp |
Eensy
Weensy/
Big & Hairy |
The traditional song with a silly twist.
Eensy Weensy grows up and becomes Big and
Hairy!
Finger play. |
A
Cappella
|
Teaches
new variation on a traditional song. |
Use
finger play motions on activity chart for little
and big spiders. |
| Halloween
Is Coming Soon |
Original lyrics to the tune "London Bridge
Is Falling Down". A short repetitive
phrase with peek-a-boo
hand motions. |
A
Cappella |
A traditional
song with new lyrics makes this song easy
to sing along to.
|
-Use
peek-a-boo hand motions on activity chart
-Do same peek-a-boo motions but use a tambourine
instead of hands
-One of the best Halloween songs for pre-schoolers
|
|
Bubble
& Squeak |
An
original story song about two twin baby cows.
How will the farmer be able to tell them apart?
Listen to them moo and you'll see! |
Bluegrass
with
a fiddle solo |
A
story song with a common dilemma ... how can
you tell twin babies apart? Children
listen with curiosity to see how the plot resolves.
Fun
bluegrass music with a beat that's irresistible
to young children.
|
-Use
2 identical cow puppets
-We use different colored collars or scarves for
each puppet to help children differentiate. |
|
Mushie
The Mushroom |
This song has been named "Most Favorite"
by thousands of Hot Diggity Dog
listeners! An original story song about
an underdog mushroom.
Mushie is smaller than all the other mushrooms.
Why?
Listen and see what Farmer Brown does to help
Mushie grow and be the biggest mushroom
of them all.
Hand and body motions. |
Upbeat
folk with a flute solo |
Children
listen to find out the who, what, where, and
why of the story.
|
-Use
hand and body motions on activity chart
-Ask questions about the plot and characters to
sharpen listening skills |
|
Hot
Diggity Dog |
The title song of this album.
An original, oldies rock sing-along song about
a dog named Diggity.
Hand motions. |
Island Rock |
A catchy sing-along
song with repetitive phrases that makes this
song easy to learn.
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Talk about owning a pet |
|
Rockin'
Robin |
The ever popular 1950's dance song about a robin
who really knows how to "rock."
Body motions. |
Oldies Rock with a sax solo |
Repetitive, catchy
chorus makes it easy to sing along to.
Great dance song.
|
-Use
as a dance song
-Great spring song |
| Tarzan
of the Apes |
A short repetitive chorus about Tarzan and what
he likes to eat (bananas, coconuts, and grapes).
Gets softer and softer each time around. |
A
Cappella |
Children
stay focused as they sing along to the chorus
that gets softer and softer each time. |
-Use
ideas on activity chart
-Great for summer classes & summer camp |
|
Peter
Piper |
The famous tongue twister set to a "scale"
type melody.
Gets faster and faster with each
repetition.
Hand
motions. |
A
Cappella
|
Short,
repeating song helps children learn the words
easily.
Helps
children hear and identify words that begin
with "P."
Introduces
children to a scale based melody.
Children
listen attentively as each repetition speeds
up.
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-We use this song for fall harvest time
-Talk about tongue twisters |
|
Me
& My Teddy Bear |
A
popular story song from the 1950's about a teddy
bear that's so well loved that he only has one
eye and has no hair. |
Swing
Jazz |
Children really love the subject of this
song ... the ever popular teddy bear. |
-Use
one teddy bear with worn out fur & another
with new fur.
|
|
Pazoozle |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by thousands of children,
this original story song is about an endearing,
over-weight character named Pazoozle.
He likes to eat, sleep, eat some more, walk
his poodle, and play his "kazoozle".
|
Upbeat
Folk |
The
short, repetitive chorus helps children to sing
along easily and they love the silly personality
of Pazoozle. |
-Talk
about silly rhymes |
|
9
Little Reindeer |
A
counting song set to the tune of
"Ten Little Indians."
This short, repetitive song about Santa and
his reindeer gets faster and faster. Finger
play. |
A Cappella
|
Helps
children learn to count
As
this song speeds up, children really listen
|
-Use
finger play motions on activity chart
-A perfect song for the Holidays |
|
Doodely
Doo |
The
famous summer camp song.
Gets faster each time around.
Hand motions. |
A
Cappella |
Silly
and fun sing-along song
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Great for summer classes & summer camp |
|
I'm
Curious |
A
song about curiosity. Where, oh where?...
Knock knock, who's there? |
Swing
Jazz |
A
positive song about a natural trait in all children
... curiosity. |
-Talk
about curiousity |
| Sleepy
Kitten |
A
sweet and silly character song about a kitten
named Sleepy. She plays all night and
sleeps all day.
Body motions. |
Upbeat
Folk |
Easy
sing along lyrics
Children
love acting out this song with the easy body
motions. |
-Teach song first as a sing along
-Then teach body motions on activity chart |
|
Lady
Bug Lullaby |
A
quiet lullaby about a ladybug and her children. |
Ballad |
Very calming,
especially if it's bedtime! |
-Use
a puppet
-U se for quiet time |
|
Gary's
Song |
Gary
is the name of Debbie's guitar. This is
a lullaby featuring guitar instrumental (no
vocals.) |
Ballad/guitar
duet |
Soothing and calming,
great for naps and bedtime. |
Use
for quiet time |
|
Brahms
Lullaby |
The
popular classical melody that has helped put
children to sleep for centuries. |
Classical
flute trio with
C flute, alto flute, & piccolo |
Very
calming
Helps
children to hear one instrument all by itself
(the flute) |
Use
for quiet time |
Song
(click
to hear audio) |
Description |
Musical
Style |
What
Song Teaches |
Curriculum
Tools |
|
Miss
Lucy |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by hundreds of listeners.
This is a silly children's story song about
Miss Lucy, her baby "Tiny Tim" and
the lady with the alligator purse. |
Upbeat
Folk |
Children
listen attentively to hear how the story resolves
Repetitive
phrases make this song very easy to sing along
with. |
-Great
for summer classes & summer camp |
|
Swinging
On A Star |
The
famous song recorded by Bing Crosby in the 1950's.
The silly lyrics make this song a joy to listen
to. |
Swing
Jazz |
Children
and adults love the silly, endearing lyrics. |
Use
hand motions on activity chart |
| Hickory
Dickory Doc |
The
traditional song with sound effects. Hand
motions. |
Jazz
waltz |
Teaches
counting
Sound
effects help children listen closely
Has
easy hand motions. |
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Use woods for a variety of beatkeeping
-Orchestrate with 1/2 the class on woods, the
other 1/2 on triangles or finger cymbals |
|
Tongo |
A
call and response song taken from an African
fishing village.
Short, repetitive phrases sung in an African
dialect that get quieter each time around. |
A
Cappella
|
Easy
words in another language
Repetition
makes this song easy to learn
Gradual
softening makes children listen carefully.
|
-Use
call & response activities on chart
-Talk about foreign languages
-Use in an African segment
|
| Picolomini |
A
nonsense song from summer camp. Short,
repetitive phrases get faster each time around. |
A
Cappella |
Easy
syllables that repeat make this song fun to
learn
As
the speed increases, so do children's focus
factor. |
Great
for summer classes & summer camp |
|
Diggity
Dog March |
The
title song of this album, about a beloved dog
named Diggity.
A Sousa style march complete with repeating
chorus and
a call-and-response cheer. |
Marching
Band |
Children
love to march around to this song
They
love shouting the cheer. |
-Talk
about owning & caring for a pet
-The theme music to our radio show is based on
this song. |
Ballgame/
Graveyard |
A
great Halloween song.
Listen to the traditional "Take Me Out
To The Ballgame" first and then hear the
silly Halloween lyrics to the same tune. |
Folk |
Children
learn the new lyrics easily because they're
set to a familiar melody
The
sound effects help keep everyone's attention.
|
-Use
in the spring for baseball season
-Use in the fall for the world series
-Use in the fall for Halloween. |
|
Babalooee |
A
nonsense song about nothing.
A short, repetitive phrase with more and more
vocal harmonies added to each repetition. |
A
Cappella |
Easy,
repetitive syllables make this song a cinch
to learn. |
Use
hand motions on activity chart |
| Koko |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by hundreds of children,
this is an original song about the famous real
live gorilla named Koko. Koko lives in
California, has her own website, and has several
children's books written about her. Koko
has been trained to communicate with humans
using sign language. Her story is truly
inspirational and that's what inspired this
song. |
Light
Jazz |
Children
love listening to the song's description of
Koko's personality. |
-Use
basic sign language for the chorus.
-Use maracas to keep the beat on the chorus.
-Let students see the books about Koko
-Go to Koko's website for more ideas |
|
The
Unicorn |
The
popular song that tells the story of why we
have no more unicorns on the Earth today.
This song has fun hand
motions
that act out the various animals in the
song. |
Upbeat
Folk |
Children
are naturally fascinated by unicorns and always
love hearing about them
This
story has an intriguing drama that keeps children
focused
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Use felt board or puppets
-A traditional song for St. Patrick's Day |
|
I'll Be A Pilgrim |
An
original teaching song about the Thanksgiving
holiday. Talks about the Pilgrims and
the Indians, plus all the different foods Americans
traditionally eat that day. Has an easy,
sing along chorus that repeats. |
Folk |
A
wonderful way to teach children about our national
Thanksgiving holiday
The
sing along chorus repeats and is easy to learn.
|
-Do
call & response in verse
-Use felt board
-A perfect song for Thanksgiving Day. |
| Flea |
A
silly nonsense song from summer camp. This is
a call-and-response song that gets faster and
faster. Has fun hand
motions. |
Acappella |
The
call-and-response format makes this song easy
to sing along to
Children
listen attentively as the song gets faster.
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Great for summer classes & summer camp |
|
Who Threw The Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder |
A
silly Irish story song about Mrs. Murphy's surprise
discovery of a pair of overalls at the bottom
of her soup pot. This song has a fun,
repeating, sing along chorus. |
Upbeat
Irish |
Children
love listening carefully to see just how those
pants got into the soup pot
Easy
sing along chorus. |
A
traditional song for St. Patrick's Day |
|
Let's
Make A Pancake |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by thousands of children,
this original song by "Guitar Bob"
Messano is about everyone's favorite food -
pancakes! Great
hand motions. |
Blues
Rock |
The
popular subject of this song makes it a "hit"
every time
The
hand motions are really fun. |
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Use tambourines for beat-keeping & to simulate
a frying pan. |
|
Crystal
The Snowqueen |
Voted
"Most Favorite" by lots and lots of
listeners, this song has new lyrics to the famous
song "Frosty The Snowman". It's
a song about Frosty's imaginary girlfriend
named Crystal. She wears high heels and
lipstick, carries a purse, and all the
snowmen love her. |
Swing
Jazz |
The
lovable personality of Crystal makes everyone
smile. |
|
|
Spider's
Web |
A
wonderful lullaby that spins dreams, moonlight
and magical webs. Repeats over and over
and gets softer each time. |
A
Cappella |
The gradual softening
on each repetition helps children to become
quiet (great for naps and bedtime.) |
Use
for quiet time |
|
Tooralooraloora |
The
famous Irish lullaby. Has a beautiful flute
section in the middle. |
Irish
Ballad |
Calming
and soothing,
especially if it's bedtime. |
-Use
for quiet time
- A traditional song for St. Patrick's Day |
|
Genesis |
An
A Cappella lullaby about the cosmology of the
Earth. The Universe gave birth to the
Earth and then gave birth to you and I.
Sung in Jamaican style English. |
A
Cappella |
Spiritually
inspiring to children and adults
A
beautiful lullaby for bedtime. |
Use
for quiet time |
|
Over
The Rainbow |
The
famous song from the movie
"The Wizard of Oz".
This arrangement with just vocals and a nylon
string guitar soothes everyone's soul. |
Ballad
with a
guitar solo |
A
simple arrangement and a well known song make
this a guaranteed lullaby. |
Use
for quiet time |
Song
(click
to hear audio) |
Description |
Musical
Style |
What
Song Teaches |
Curriculum
Tools |
|
Will
You Be My Cuddly Panda Bear? |
An
upbeat song with funny lyrics. Amuse friends
and family by asking them comical questions. |
Bluegrass
featuring banjo |
Develops
vocabulary and rhyming abilities
Encourages singing along
|
-Use
the body movements on activity chart |
|
Let's
Make a Pancake |
A
bluesy recipe for fun. Perform the sequence
of actions to cook up a musical treat for the
whole family. |
Blues
Shuffle with a harmonica solo |
Develops
sense of rhythm
Provides
a variety of movements to be performed
|
-Use
hand motions on activity chart
-Use tambourines for beatkeeping & to simulate
a frying pan. |
| My
Little Kangaroos |
A
hop-along novelty number for high-energy kids.
Join in the kazoo band for extra excitement. |
Bouncy
Folk with kazoos |
Develops
large-motor skills (hopping)
Teaches a simple melody using a kazoo
|
-Children
can act out the lyrics
-Use woods on the verse & pretend kazoos on
the chorus. Use triangles or finger cymbals on
the last verse. |
|
Rockin'
in the Rabbit Hole |
A
rock n’ roll fantasy on the farm. Play
the part of the boppin’ bunnies! |
Rock
n’ Roll |
Promotes
imagination and creative actions
Develops large-motor skills (hopping)
|
-Children
can act out the lyrics
-Take turns playing the part of the farmer &
the rabbits. |
| In
the Back of My Funny Ol' Car |
An
action-packed tune about a zany car ride. It’s
full of humorous images and rib-tickling rhymes.
|
Bluegrass |
Encourages
singing along
Promotes imagination and creative actions
|
-Children
can act out the lyrics |
|
Milkshake
and Cherry Freeze |
A
freeze dance with fun movements. Shake, bounce,
turn around, slide, dance, go fast-faster-fastest. |
Upbeat
Blues |
Teaches
body control
Provides a variety of movements to be performed
|
-Use
maracas
-Use other movements
-Great for summer classes & summer camp |
| The
Elephants Like to Jump |
A
dynamic song based on “The Mexican Hat
Dance”. Jump, shake, sleep… and
jump for joy again! |
The
Mexican Hat Dance |
Develops
large-motor skills (jumping)
Promotes listening skills and following a
sequence of actions
|
-Use
the body movements on activity chart
-Use drum or wood for jumping, maracas for shaking
& triangle or finger cymbal for sleeping. |
|
The
Baseball Boogie |
A
rockin’ number for dancing and playful
actions. Run the bases to the boogie-woogie
beat. |
Blues
Rock with a sax solo |
Provides
a variety of movements to be performed
Develops large-motor skills (run in place)
|
-Use
the body movements on activity chart
-Use in the spring for baseball season
-Use in the fall for the world series |
| Red
Pajamas and Purple Shoes |
An
old-timey tune with a humorous story line. Sing
along with the CHORUS. |
Bluegrass |
Encourages
singing along
Promotes imagination and creative actions |
A
wonderful sing along song. |
|
Panda
Played Piano |
A
jazzy jam session at the zoo. Join in a celebration
of instruments and hilarious sounds. |
Jazzy
Blues with a Dixieland band |
Introduces
a variety of musical instruments
Provides opportunities for imaginative interpretation
|
Discuss
how music lessons and practicing will make anyone
a better musician. |
| We're
In a Spaceship |
A
freeze dance with fun movements. Shake, bounce,
turn around, slide, dance, go fast-faster-fastest.
|
Folk
with a variety of tempos & sound effects |
Promotes
imagination and creative actions
Introduces sound effects (spaceship, slide
whistle)
|
-Use
the body movements on activity chart |
| Autumn
Is Coming To Town |
A
minor key melody that evokes autumn’s
beauty and mystery. |
Celtic
influenced folk with a flute solo |
Encourages
relaxation
Introduces musical instruments (classical
guitar, flute)
|
A
perfect song for the fall. |
|
Put
Your PJ's On |
A
call and response song with a humorous twist
on bedtime. Sing along with the funny responses.
|
Swing
Jazz |
Encourages
singing along
Develops a sense of rhythm
|
Talk
about not wanting to go to bed. |
|
A
Blanket of Love |
Gentle
music for easy listening. The beautiful melody
inspires a peaceful mood. |
Folk
Ballad |
Encourages
relaxation
Introduces musical instruments (strings)
|
Use
for quiet time |
|
The
Goodnight Goose |
A
lovely lullaby for little ones. Softly sing
along with the repeated CHORUS. |
Folk |
Encourages
relaxation
Encourages singing along
|
Use
for quiet time |
