Back To School Songs

Contact_FullName: Erin

Contact_Email: erin_lee65631@sbcglobal.net

Area: Buses- Songs

Idea:

The Wheels on the Bus

I used this with my class of nine (4 year olds) when we were in dramatic play. I used chairs from our lunch table and lined them up by twos with one in front, like you would see on a school bus, and we took turns being the bus driver and students off to school. The class had a lot of fun pretending to drive to school and unload the bus. I even had one tell the class to remember to put on their seat belts before he took off.

Contact_FullName: julie

Contact_Email: cblaeser@bellsouth.net

Area: back to school - songs

Idea:

Two quick songs: 1.(tune/"100 Bottles of Pop") "Oh, welcome, Ms. (teacher name).

Who have you brought today?

Please won't you introduce us

so we can sing and play?"

2. "Welcome In" (I made up my own tune, but "Twinkle, Twinkle" works)

"Welcome, welcome, welcome in.

Welcome back to school, my friends.

Welcome back to school today!

We are here to sing and play."

(simple, but they liked it)

My name's Ms Laura, Ms Laura, Ms Laura, 
My name's Ms Laura and who are you. 

You then point to whomever is sitting next to you and go around the circle until everyone has said their name.

Each day when I come to school I tell someone good-bye; (wave) I get a kiss (blow kiss) or a nice warm hug (hug yourself) and I don't want to cry (rub eyes)

I don't need to feel worried or sad to see them go (sad face) because there is a special thing that only I can know (point to self)

I have a kiss that I can keep and use when I feel sad, because I've got a "kissing hand" (kiss palm of hand) that always makes me glad!

I made up a cute song that my preschool kids had fun singing. 
I like you , I like you 
Yes , I do , Yes , I do 
Friends are for sharing 
Friends are for caring 
I like you , I like you! 

After singing this song a couple of times I have the children sit in pairs looking at one another. When we sing the ending part I like you , I like you the kids then shake each others hands and say : My name is -------- what can I call you. This song really helps the kids to learn to introduce themselves , and to get to know their new school friends.

I teach preschool in an elementary school. I have a morning and an afternoon class. On the very first day of school, we start the day with this song:

I sing "good morning" to the sun, (make a sun over your head w/ your hands) 
"good morning" to the trees, (point to a tree outside) 
"good morning" to my school (point downward), and to the world (open arms). 
"Good morning" to my teacher, (kids wave at you) 
"Good morning" to my friends, (they wave to each other) 
"Good morning" to the people I love most. (give themselves a hug) 
I sing "good morning, good morning" (wave continuously) to everything in sight, 
And now that I'm finished.... it's time to say "good night." (pretend to sleep)

*For my afternoon class, I change all of the "good mornings" to "hello." This is a special way to start the day, and it is the first thing we do everyday.

To end each day.....We sing this easy song: ("Mary Had a Little Lamb")

We are going home right now, home right now, home right now. We are going home right now, but we'll be back tomorrow.

This song is a good transition to start the "pack up process."

Bring Your Smile to Preschool

Bring your smiles everyone. 
Hope on down for some preschool fun. 
Singing, dancing, playing too; lots of fun for me and you. 
Running and jumping in the sun, exercise is so much fun. 
Bring your smiles everyone, hop on down for some preschool fun.

(first few days of school song) instructions: one child stands up while song is being sung

(Where is Thumkin tune)

where is ___name____ where is ____name____ 
there he/she is there he/she is 
how are you today sir 
very well I thank you 
sit right down , sit right down.

At the beginning of school, I took a picture of each teacher and each student. I taped them into a book and added this song (tune Farmer in the Dell) (Child's name) is my friend, (child's name) is my friend, Hi Ho it's Kindergarten (child's name) is my friend. This book was left out for free play "reading" all the time. This helped them learn the names of all the people in the room. The first time I did this I taped the picture to construction paper and stapled the pages together. The book was worn out within 2 months. Then I remade the book using a photo album. This worked much better. Then I carried this a step further, I made a book of pictures for all our school helpers; cooks, janitors, nurse, etc. This sure helped the students feel as if they knew our school personnel.

I have my Pre-K class sit in a circle. As a child walks around behind us, we sing, "A little boy (girl) went walking by, walking by, walking by. A little boy (girl) went walking, who are you?" (tune:"Mulberry Bush") The child says his name and continues walking around the circle as we sing, "John went walking by...How are you?" John answers, "Fine, thank you." John then sits down and another child is chosen. Later in the year, we do this game again using whole names, and with birthday and age.

The "Name Game" Gather children in a circle.

While passing around a beanbag or small ball, sing "Hello (child's name) how are you? who is sitting next to you? The child passes to next child. child says his name. Repeat song until everyone has had a turn. This is a good way for children to learn each other's names, especially at the beginning of the school year or whenever there are new children.

Ella Jenkins has a wonderful song called, "I'm Going to School Today" it is on the same CD with Did you feed my cow? (It has a red cover.) This is a good song for the beginning of the year.

Off To School- Sung to Mary Had A Little Lamb

Now we're going off to school,

Off to school, off to school.

Now we're going off to school,

To sing and dance and play.      

Happy Day- Sung to Merrily We Go Along

We have had a happy day

Happy day, happy day.

We have had a happy day,

See you all tomorrow.