You will recognize the songs, but in case you don’t, she provides a bibliography of children’s song collections. A few favorites are The Usborne Children’s Song Book by Heather Amery, Dan Fox’s Go In and Out the Window, and Cherry Lane Music Company’s The Giant Book of Children’s Songs.
The list of materials for each craft also includes Vicky Enright’s clear illustrations, so that a child can help gather the items. Many recycleables like cardboard tubes and margarine tubs are used. You will probably have most of the materials around the house, and others, like pom poms or felt in special colors, are easily obtainable. Older children can make most of the crafts themselves. Most call for safety scissors. Younger children will need help and direction. The steps are clearly illustrated, so even the less coordinated and less artistic grownups among us can follow the instructions.
These crafts help children remember the songs, and are fun to use while singing. Some even have special sound effects that add to the song. The projects can be done at home or in a preschool setting.
Here are some of the songs and crafts:
Three Blind Mice Make a spinner so that the farmer’s wife can chase the mice. The Bear Went Over the Mountain Dried coffee grounds help make a very furry brown bear as the simple device you construct with a paper fastener and paper plate take him up over the mountain. Old MacDonald Had a Farm This clever barn is really an envelope from which the animals are removed one at a time. Perfect for leading a group of children in the song. Ring Around the Rosie If you have an old shirt, you can have a pocket full of real or artificial posies. It’s Raining, It’s Pouring Make an old man puppet that actually snores! Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Finally, something to do with all those unwanted cds! Cutting the cd into a star shape requires adult scissors, and the book clearly states that grownups may be needed for this. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep This pretty lapel pin would also make a nice Easter craft. If You’re Happy and You Know It With only two plastic cups and permanent markers you can create an emotion toy that shows different faces for different verses of the song.
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