Dr. Jean's December 2012 Activities

Move It and Get Fit! - Erick Morillo

Chorus:
We like to move it, move it.  (Hop side to side 4 times.)
We like to move it, move it.  (Fists pump air 4 times.)
We like to move it, move it.
We like to:  move it!  (Three times)
Let’s get physically fit.  (Fists up and down and alternate and shake hips.)
We’ll start moving and we won’t quit.
Exercise and eat good food -
Healthy, healthy me and you.
We like to move it move it…
Chorus
Jump, walk, bike, swim, climb, run -  (Run in place.)
Playing outside in the sun.
Baseball, soccer, karate, too.  (Soccer kicks.)
All the sports are good for you.
We like to move it, move it…
Chorus
Physicality - that is the name  (March and show biceps.)
Of the happy, healthy game.
Lookin’ good and feeling fit.  (Brush off shoulders with opposite hand.)
Feeling fit and fantastic!
We like to…

Activities:  Let children draw pictures of how they like to get fit.  Let them dictate or write sentences and use these on a bulletin board.
Invite high school athletes to visit your school (in uniform) and talk about how important it is to exercise and eat properly.
Make an “Exercise from A to Z” alphabet book where children brainstorm activities for each letter of the alphabet.
Run off a copy of the attached sports cards.  Place these in a bag.  Let children take turns selecting a card and then pantomiming as their friends try and guess which sport they doing.

Feeling Fine

I'm in right,   (Hold up both index fingers and point to chest.)
Out right,   (Point out with index fingers.)
Up right,    (Reach up high.)
Down right,   (Stoop down low.)
And I'm feeling fine.  (Turn around in a circle.)
I eat the food that’s good  (Pretend to feed self.)
And exercise like I should.  (Run in place.)
That’s why I’m in right,
Out right,
Up right,
Down right,
And I’m feeling fine.
A little faster…
Super fast…
Super duper fast…

Activities:  Make a list of all the things children suggest they can do to “feel fine.” 
Make a T chart of healthy foods and junk foods.
Bring in grocery store advertisements.  Give children lunch bags and let them cut out pictures and pack a healthy lunch.

Shake a Hand

Everybody shake a hand, shake a hand, shake a hand.  (Walk around and
Everybody shake a hand and walk around the room.      shake hands.)
Give high 5.  (High five.)
Hug a hand.  (Palms together, wrap thumbs around, and squeeze.)
Knuckle bump.  (Make fists and bump knuckles.)
Boogey down.  (Wiggle down and up with a friend.)
Smile and wink and walk back to your seat.  (Smile and wink.)

Activities:  Visit drjean.org to view a video of different handshakes your students can do to greet each other every day.
Make pipe cleaner bracelets to wear on their right hand to know which hand to shake. 
Demonstrate how to look someone in the eyes as you give a firm handshake and say, “Hello, (name).”  Let children role play meeting someone and shaking hands.
Cut a hand, “5,” heart, and lips out of felt or fun foam and place them on the floor.  Children stand on the one to indicate how they want to be greeted.
Hand – handshake
5 – high five
Heart – hug
Lips – Hollywood kiss (air kiss on either side of the face)

My Flag (Thanks to Tom Brady)

Tune:  “When the Saints Go Marching In”
My flag is red.                  (March in place.)
My flag is white.
And in the corner it is blue.
My flag stands for my country.
I love red, white, and blue!

Fifty white stars                  (March with arms in the air making sparkles by
On a field of blue-             opening and closing your fists.)
A star for each state it is true.
My flag stands for my country.
I love red, white, and blue!

From North to South         (March pointing in front, behind,
And East to West                   to the right and then the left.)
We pledge to the flag each day.   (Hand over heart.)
Our flag stands for our country.
We all love red, white, and blue!

We are all Americans.         (March alternating fists in the air.)
And so we always say I CAN!
We try and do our best
Because we are Americans!

Activities:  Cover a small can with paper.  Glue googly eyes to the can.  When children say, “I can’t!” place the can on their desk and say “I CAN!”
Give children red, white, and blue scrap paper and let them make a patriotic collage.
Discuss the bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, White House, and other American symbols.
Explain proper flag etiquette.  (Never let a flag touch the ground, never harm or destroy our flag, etc.)
Teach children directional words with this mnemonic device:  Never (North) Eat (East) Sour (South) Watermelon (West)

Be a Buddy  (Thanks to my grandson K.J.)

(Tune:  “Harrigan”)
Give me a B – B.                  (Make sign language letters.)
Give me a U – U…D…D…Y…
What’s it spell?  BUDDY!
B-u-d-d-y
I’m going to be a buddy.
I will never be a bully.         (Shake head no!)
I’ll say NO to bullies!         (Point finger.)
B-u-d-d-y
That is what I’ll be.
I’ll be kind and help my friends.
I’ll protect them and defend.
A buddy, that’s ME!         (Point to self with thumb.)
What should you do if someone bullies you?
         Ignore them or walk away.
What if they still bully you?
         Tell them to STOP!
If they still bully you?
         Get a friend to help you.
And if they still bully you?
         Then tell an adult.
B-u-d-d-y
I’m going to be a buddy.
I will never be a bully.
I’ll say NO to bullies!
B-u-d-d-y
That is what I’ll be.
I’ll be kind and help my friends.
I’ll protect them and defend.
A buddy, that’s ME!

Activities:  Role play the steps in the song.  Let children take turns being “bullies” and “buddies” and acting out what they should do.
Make a book called “A Buddy Is…” where each child contributes a drawing of how they can be a buddy.
Run off “Buddy Coupons” for children to distribute to friends who are kind to them.  You could also have a “Buddy Board” where children write the names of buddies.

Twisting the Week

(Tune:  “Allouette”) 
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (Twist.)
Then we start again.  Ohhhhhh!   (Hands in the air and turn around.)
Louder…Softer… and that’s the end!

Activities:  Point to the words on a calendar as you sing the song.
Make a journal for the children to record activities during the week.  Staple three sheets of paper together and write a different day of the week on each page.  Children can draw pictures or write about activities at school during the week or at home on the weekend.
Do roller coaster days by starting your hands down low and moving them up like a roller coaster as you say each day.  Raise your voice on the day it is and then lower your voice as you say the remaining days in the week.
Ask children to tell you their favorite day of the week and why they like it best.

Month March 

The months of the year   (Children march in place as you sing and clap.)
January, February, March, April, May,
June, July, August, September,
October, November, December.
January…

Activities:  Children get to put their arms in the air and do a silly dance when the month that they were born in comes up in the song.
Cut apart an old calendar and mix up the pages.  Can children put them together in the correct order?
Do a class graph of their favorite month.

Gooooo Letters!

Drums….  (Pretend to play the drums.)
Goooo A!  /a/ /a/ /a/  (Roll arms and right fist in air as you make the sound.)
Goooo B!  /b/ /b/ /b/  (Roll arms and left fist in the air with sound.)
Goooo C!  ….Z

Activities:  Make pompoms out of lunch bags.  Cut 5 straight lines from the top of the bag to the bottom flap.  Roll up the bottom flap and wrap a rubber band around it to make a handle. 
What is your favorite college football team?  What is the team mascot?  What are the team colors?
Where would you like to go to college?  What will you major in when you go to college?
Hint!  You can look up college mascots and fight songs on the internet.

Letters in My Hand

(Tune:  “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)
(Make sign language letters)
I’ve got A - /a/ /a/ in my hand.
I’ve got B - /b/ /b/ in my hand.
I’ve got C - /c/ /c/ in my hand,
And I can sign.
D….Z

Activities:  Make a class book called “Sing and Sign.”  Take a close up photo as each child makes a sign language letter and put them together to make your book.
*Go to aslpro.com, handspeak.com, or lifeprint.com to learn the signs.
Make a sign language center from a pocket folder. 
Glue magnetic letters to craft sticks and distribute these to the children.  Can they hold up their letter at the appropriate place in the song?

Letters You Should Know A-M

(Tune:  “BINGO”)
There is a letter you should know
What can that letter be, oh?
/a/ /a/  It’s an A!
/a/ /a/  It’s an A!
/a/ /a/  It’s an A!
The letter A you know.
B….M

Activities:  Have children write the letters in the air or on a dry erase board as you sing.
Make sign language letters as you sing.
Cut the shape of a bus out of yellow poster board.  Put magnetic tape on the back and place on a magnetic board.  Insert magnetic letters in the window of the bus as you sing.

Letters You Should Know N-Z 

(Tune:  “BINGO”)
There is a letter you should know
What can that letter be, oh?
/n/ /n/ It’s an N!
/n/ /n/ It’s an N!
/n/ /n/  It’s an N!
The letter N you know.
O…Z

Color Box

(Tune:  “Happy Birthday”)
Here’s a crayon for you.  (Pretend to hold a present in your hand.)
It’s a blue one for you.         (Hold up a blue crayon.)
B – l – u – e.
Here’s blue for you.
Red, yellow, orange, green, purple, brown, black, white.

Activities:  Cut crayons out of different colors of construction paper.  Write color words on the crayons.  Hold these up as you sing.
Have children take individual boxes of crayons and hold up crayons at the appropriate time in the song.
Let children walk around the room and touch objects that are the color you are singing about.
Have children stand up when the color that they are wearing is sung in the song.
Write color words on sentence strips.  Cut between the letters to make a puzzle.  Store in envelopes

Opposite Cheer

I say happy, you say sad.  Happy- sad.  Happy – sad.   (Dance from side to side and make appropriate facial expressions.)
I say up, you say down.  Up- down…  
                                              (Point up and down.)        
I say fast, you say slow.  Fast – slow…  (Run fast and slow.)
I say day, you say night.  Day – night… 
                                               (Open eyes and then sleep.)
I say open you  say close.  Open – close…
                                               (Open and close fists.)
I say top, you say bottom.  Top – bottom… 
                                          (Top of head and bottom of foot.)
I say wet, you say dry.  Wet – dry…   (Shake hands.)
I say loud, you say soft.  Loud – soft… 
                                         (Say loud and then soft.)
I say in, you say out.  In – out…  
                                         (Point inside and then outside.)
I say beginning, you say end.  Beginning – end.  Beginning – THE END!

Activities:  Let children brainstorm other words that are opposite.
Fold sheets of paper in half.  Let each child illustrate opposite words on each half and label.  Put these together to make a class book.
Use a digital camera to take photos of children demonstrating antonyms.
Have an “opposite day” where you go through your daily schedule backwards.  Don’t forget to eat your dessert first!

Preposition March 

(Tune:  “Marine Corps Hymn”)
The prepositions go marching along…
about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, in front of, inside, instead of, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, on top of, out of, outside, over, past, since, through, to, under, underneath, until, up, upon, with, within, without -        
The preposition march.

Activities:  Write the prepositions on a white board and point to the words  as you sing.
Let children make stick puppets of their favorite animal.  Call out prepositions for them to act out with their puppet.
Write prepositions on flash cards.  Go out on the playground and challenge children to demonstrate the words as you hold them up.
Make up an obstacle course on the playground where children have to go under, around, through, between, and so forth.