Tap, tap, swish, swish. “Can your hands follow my hands?” Tap, tap, swish, swish. I begin to sing the 2nd verse. “I hear a living prophet speak…” and continue to do the tapping and swishing.
I use my hands to tap my shoulders, then bring them together making a swishing noise by pushing the palm of one hand past the other and back. I tap my elbows then swish. I tap my knees then swish. I tap my tummy then swish. I even tap my feet then swish. I move the tapping around to different parts of the body, having the children follow the placement on my body with my hands.
The children are moving to the steady beat, being challenged by the differing placements of the taps, and always coming back to the swishes.
I move to the back of the room and have the children turn around. Tap, tap, swish, swish. We sing the song and do the pattern again, with the children trying to follow the placement of my taps.
Partner Arm Swings
I move back up to the front of the room and ask a child to be my partner. We grasp each other’s hands and push and pull to the beat of the music as I sing. (Partner Arm Swings)
I hear a = push
living = pull
prophet’s = push
speak = pull
etc.
At the end of the song, I ask the child to find a partner. I find another partner. We sing the song again, pushing and pulling together to the beat. When we finish the song this time, I ask everyone to find a partner. (Teachers need to be helpers to the children to make sure everyone has a partner.) We sing the song and do the partner arm swing with our partners.
The children have now heard the song while they were engaged and participating at least 5 to 6 times. Because they were engaged, the brain also picks up the words of the song and allows them into the back door. The body feels the pulse and flow of the song. And it is fun!
Merrie Lou
I Love how many of your posts end in “And it is fun!” Because it REALLY is fun! I truly appreciate you creating this blog and sharing so much of your knowledge, talents, ideas and skills with more than just the people in your own ward/stake/nearby area. Sometimes I need ALL the help I can get! So…. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (that was for the brain that needs repetition) And Gracias, merci, merci! (for the variety) 😉
Sharla Dance
Dear Merrie Lou, I chuckled out loud at your repetition and variety. I’m still smiling. Thank you. Hopefully it will add to all of the wonderful ideas out there. I appreciate your comments.
Gloria
We did this for the first time today, and the results were amazing! So happy my pianist and her sister found your blog. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed in this new calling, and I came home today excited!!! Thank you, thank you for sharing!
Sharla Dance
Dear Gloria, I’m so glad that the children responded well! Way to go, and thank you. Take care, Sharla
12 Purposeful Movement Activities for Singing Time
[…] One of my previously included ideas on my Song Planner Worksheet was Tap and Swish. This idea really falls perfectly under this category, though, so I’ve changed up that worksheet just slightly and added this one here! See an explanation of Tap and Swish on the Teaching Primary Music blog. […]