Sing to the Tune - Terrific Tuesday Books You Can Sing & KID KANDY

Sing to the Tune
Compiled by Joye Smith and Rhonda Robbins-Reeves
(Woman's Missionary Union, 2009)

Piggyback songs. Have you heard the term?

A piggyback song is a song with new words that is created by using the tune of a very familiar song. The new song piggybacks on the previously known melody. This type of song is very easy to adjust to whatever theme, situation, or content that is necessary. Piggyback songs are usually very short and very simple. These songs are perfect for those who work with or have children.

Sing to the Tune is a compilation of piggyback songs that have been made-up by Mission Friends teachers and writers over the course of several years. The songs are divided into the Christian concept areas of God's Creation, God, Jesus, Bible, Church, Family, Self, Community, and World. Cleanup and transition songs as well as finger plays, rhymes, and action songs are included in Sing to the Tune. The wonderful index makes it very easy to look for the songs you would like to use.

I bet you've already made-up your own piggyback songs. Fun times for fun kids.

KID KANDY:

Sing a Song, Make Up Your Own Song

~ Choose a familiar song. "Happy Birthday" is a favorite. Or try "Are You Sleeping?"

~ Sing the old song. Hum the tune.

~ What type of song do you and your child want to make-up? Dogs? Cats? Farms? Babies?

~ Play around with words and make up a few phrases that follow the melody and rhythm of the base song.

~ Sing your new song. Share it with the family.


Here's an example.

Tune: "Are You Sleeping?"

Theme: cats

Cats are meowing,
Cats are climbing,
I hug cats. I love cats.
Do you see them racing?
Do you hear them purring?
Soft, soft, cats.
Furry, furry, cats.

See? Easy and fun.

Remember, word games help a child develop language and literacy skills. Have a go!

Bananaphone - Raffi Rocks - Wacky Wednesday

Bananaphone
By Raffi
(Troubadour Records Ltd., 1994)

Today's feature is a musical Raffi CD for children. If ever you wanted a source of good music for kids, Raffi is one of the best.

My favorite tune on this CD is the title song, "Bananaphone."

We sing it on the way to school, the three of us, belting out the words. Rhyming, fun melodies, great music, and a certain amount of silliness attracted these listeners to enjoy the song. "Nana, there is rhyming!" said a very excited kindergarten boy who is learning of such things.

Bananaphone. And who hasn't used a banana for a phone?

I was somewhat worried as I remembered all of the time spent with play phones. The plastic ones with circle number dials that have to go all-the-way-around-and-back at least 8 times before someone can be called. The long skinny ones with the dial in the headset. The winding, corkscrew cords connecting both pieces. The tin can and string phones we used to make.

The loss of this historical phone type and subsequent play times became apparent when my grandson, Hayden, decided to make a phone. From cardboard. A rectangle with a screen and boxed numbers. On and off button. Battery charger requested.

Cell phones?!

Quick! Save the phones. Not the iPhones or androids, but the old-timey-whimey stick your finger in the dial and spin it around phones. This Nana is hurrying to the nearest thrift store to buy one, just for fun.

Bananas, anyone?

KID KANDY:

Make a Tin Can Phone

1. Use two empty, clean, and dry vegetable or soup cans for phones. Wrap the top open edges with duct tape to keep sharp edges covered.

2. Use a nail and hammer to make a hole in the bottom of each can.

3. Attach a very long piece of kitchen string (your choice of how long) to each can by threading it through the hole and tying knots to keep it in place.

4. Now you have a two-person phone!

5. Stand as far apart as the string allows (your choice, remember?) and chat away to the child on the opposite side. Cheers!

CAUTION: Do not let younger children use the phone unsupervised. Watch that the string does not get tangled around body parts, especially necks.

Jesus Loves Me - Books You Can Sing - Terrific Tuesday Book & Activity

Jesus Loves Me
Pictures by Hector Borlasca
(Zonderkidz, 2008)

The Terrific Tuesday book is Jesus Loves Me, a book you can read and sing. And if you are one of the fortunate and gifted ones, sheet music is included, so you can play along on a piano.

This version of Jesus Loves Me shares about five different verses. Jesus wears His usual robe, facial hair, and long hair. The children in the book, however, are modern boys and girls who hang out with Jesus at the playground, park, and beach. Pretty fun illustrations.

KID KANDY:

Make a Jesus Valentine!

1. Cut a large heart from pink cardstock.

2. Trace the heart onto patterned scrapping paper. Cut it out and glue it to the back of the cardstock heart.

3. Punch holes around the edge of the heart (about 1 inch apart).

4. Cut a long piece of yarn. Tie one end through the hole at the top of the heart (the center dip part). Wrap masking tape around the opposite end to create a safe needle. This is my favorite needle for kids. It also keeps the yarn from fraying.

5. Help lace around the heart. Tie a knot with both ends of yarn and make a hanging loop. Trim off excess.

6. Print a Bible thought or verse in the center of the pink heart. A good one is Jesus loves you (see John 15:12).

7. Decorate around the verse with markers, stickers, rubber stamps, decorative tape, buttons - whatever craft materials you have on hand. Dry.

Now you have a Jesus Valentine!

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Angie Quantrell loves reading and singing books. One can never have too many books. Just not enough shelves.

The Christmas Song, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire - Christmas Picture Books You Can Sing

The Christmas Song, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
By Mel Torme and Robert Wells (1946)
Illustrated by Doris Barrette
(Scholastic, Inc., 2007)

Here is a beautifully illustrated Christmas picture book you can read and sing!

Everyone knows "The Christmas Song", though I would hazard a guess to say we instead call it "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." Each year, as I go around humming this song to myself, I am again urged to go hunt down some chestnuts and throw them on an open fire. Tried that once and managed burnt chestnuts.

Now that certain home and cooking magazines have shown the correct way to prep and cook chestnuts, should I venture to purchase those chestnuts (which magically appear in the produce section of the grocery store come every December), I think my success would be much greater. Perhaps even tasty.

Go for it. Sing the song. I mean read this book. And sing the song.

And while you are at it, pick up some chestnuts. Watch an online video on how to cook them up proper.

And have a wonderful, beautiful Christmas.