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The True Meaning of Christmas

December 3, 2011 by Mama Carmody 16 Comments

The True Meaning of Christmas





As I stated in my post, The Santa Claus Debate, although we included Santa in our Christmas celebrations, he was not the center of our Christmas holiday. Teaching our children the spiritual meaning behind the season was what we focused on. My posts for December are going to include different symbols of Christmas and their spiritual meanings. I will include crafts and books that you can use to make the learning fun.

As I was doing research for my different lessons, I found this story and thought it summed everything up very well. If you are not including Santa in your Christmas celebrations you could easily tell this story without putting Santa in it. If you need help with that, just let me know and I could edit it for you.

This story would make a great object lesson too. Find a very small table-top tree and purchase the different items that are talked about. We have stores here in Indiana where you can buy things for just $1. You could find most of the items for this story at one of those stores. The children could then help out in the telling of the story by pulling the different items out of a bag and adding them to the tree.

Have fun celebrating this very special time of year with your children as you teach them the true meaning of Christmas.

Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas

One December night, many years ago, I had just finished decorating for Christmas when I heard a noise at the front of the house. I turned on the porch light and opened the door. To my surprise just as I stepped outside, I saw Santa Claus climbing out of his sleigh. He placed his fingers over his lips, silencing me before I cried out.

“What are you doing…” I started to ask…but the words choked up in my throat as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner, the eager, boisterous soul we all know, was gone. He composed himself by clearing his throat, then answered me in a whisper. “Help teach the children.”

I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the sleigh. As I stood there bewildered, Santa stated again but more firmly, “Teach the children. Teach them the true meaning of Christmas. The meaning that has long been forgotten.”

I invited him in to warm by the fire as I tried to tell him that I wasn’t sure if I knew what he meant… when Santa reached into the toy bag and pulled out a brilliant shiny star.

“Teach the children that the star is the heavenly sign of promise,” he said. “God sent a Savior to the world and the star was the sign of that promise being fulfilled. The countless shining stars in the heavens, one star for each person on earth, represents the hope of all mankind.”

Santa gently laid the star on the fireplace mantle and brought from the bag a bright red Christmas tree ornament.

“Teach the children that red is the first color of Christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood that was shed for all the people by the Savior. Christ gave His life and shed His blood that every man might have God’s gift of Eternal Life. Red is deep, intense, and vivid — the richest color of all, and it is a symbol of the greatest gift from God.”

“Teach the children,” he said as he pulled a small Christmas tree from the bottom of the toy bag. He placed it near the fireplace and gently hung the red decoration on it.

“The deep green branches of this tree is a perfect background for this ornament. This is the second color of Christmas,” he continued. “The pure green color of this evergreen tree remains this color all year round. This represents the everlasting plan for mankind. Green is youthful, hopeful, and the abundant color of nature. The needles on the tree point heavenward — symbols of man’s prayers as they go toward heaven. Trees have been man’s best friends. They have sheltered him, warmed him, and made beauty for him.”

Again, he pulled something from his bag; I heard a soft tinkling sound of a bell.

“Teach the children,” he said, “that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring for every person too, that they might find their way back — it means guidance and return. It further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.”

As the soft sound of the bell faded, Santa lit a candle and placed it on the mantel. The soft glow from its tiny flame cast a glow about the darkened room. Odd shadowy shapes slowly danced and wove pictures upon the walls.

“Teach the children,” whispered Santa, “that at one time candles were placed on Christmas trees. They glowed brightly against the dark green branches showing man’s appreciation for the star of Bethlehem of long ago. Now, strings of colored lights have taken their place in remembrance of Christ’s birth.”

Santa turned the small Christmas tree lights on and placed a gift under the tree.

He pointed to the bow and said, “A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of brotherhood of man. We should remember that the bow is tied as all of us should be tied together, with the bonds of good will toward each other. Good will forever is the message of the bow and the gift, a gift of love.”

Santa reached for a candy cane, and held it out towards me.

“Teach the children that the cane represents The Shepherd’s staff. The crook on the staff helps bring back sheep that have strayed away from the fold. The candy cane represents the sweetness of giving not only at Christmas time, but also throughout the entire year. The spiral design is a symbol that we are, our brother’s keepers.”

Santa looked about the room, then again at the tree. His love and great feeling of satisfaction shone from his eyes. He could not help but sense the wonderment and admiration that I felt for him in my heart.

One last time, he reached into his bag and brought forth a large beautiful wreath. As he placed it on the door he spoke gently with love, “Please teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love: it never ceases, stops, or ends. It is one continuous circle that only grows greater and greater when expressed. The wreath, the circle of love, plays a double role. It is made of many things and has many colors. It reminds us of God’s unconditional love and the true reason for Christmas. Please teach the children.” (Author Unknown)

Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
The Christmas Star
Love to Learn About the Nativity
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

Filed Under: Articles, Christmas, Holidays Tagged With: christian, christmas, Christmas symbols, fun learning, holiday, holidays, Jesus, learn, learning fun, learning opportunities, santa, santa claus, spiritual

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

October 15, 2023 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie: A Grandkids’ Creation for Zombie-Proof Brains!

Hey there, fellow smoothie enthusiasts! Today, I have a special treat for you – a delicious concoction that not only tantalizes your taste buds but also promises to fortify your brain against a zombie invasion. Yes, you read that right! Introducing the “Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie” – a wholesome creation dreamed up by my grandkids and me.

With its vibrant colors and a taste that screams “healthy indulgence,” the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. Whether you’re a kid or just a kid at heart, this brain-boosting blend will tickle your taste buds and get your mental gears turning.

Our Inspiration

Whipping up this Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie was an adventure inspired by my grandkids’ homeschool curriculum. Thanks to “Nutrition 101: Choose Life!“* (paid link), a book that taught them the best foods for extra brainpower, we’ve concocted a smoothie that not only nourishes your noggin but also fortifies it against any zombie invasion. Remember, a strong brain is your best defense against the undead – sip up and stay sharp, my friends!

Let’s dive into the secret recipe that will make you zombie-proof!

Click the photo to get a pdf of the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie recipe.
Click the photo to get your
pdf copy of the recipe.

Ingredients:

The Green Defender – Spinach (1 cup)

Our first line of defense comes from this leafy green powerhouse. Spinach is packed with essential nutrients, like iron, vitamin K, and folate, which will help you stay sharp and focused.

 Powerful Pineapple – Fresh or Frozen (1 cup)

These sweet chunks are like little bursts of sunshine in your smoothie. They’re your trusty pineapple grenades, exploding with tropical flavor to keep those zombies at bay.

Raw Locally Sourced Energy Boosting Honey (2 tablespoons)

The natural sugars in honey provide a quick energy boost to aid in the defeat of zombies.

Bone Strengthening Vanilla Greek Yogurt (½ cup)

Greek yogurt contains calcium, which is essential for maintaining strong bones and is essential for proper nerve cell communication. This is particularly important when battling zombies.

The Zesty Zing – One Whole Juice Orange

With a citrusy punch, the orange adds a burst of vitamin C to our smoothie. It’s like a shield against the zombie’s toxins! Don’t worry if you get a seed or two, they are nutritious too.

 Lively Lime Juice (1 tablespoon)

The lime juice is your trusty sidekick, adding extra Vitamin C and a dash of zesty zing that’s like a swift kick to the undead taste buds. It’s the secret weapon to keep your smoothie sharp and zesty, just like your survival skills.

Avenging Avocado (¼ of small, soft one)

It’s a must to add this sheath building ingredient to strengthen the protective layer around the nerves in your brain. The avocado provides the smoothie with its creamy texture. It’s the green guardian of your blend, ensuring your smoothie is thick and satisfying, just like your triumph over the zombie menace.

A sprinkle of Zombie-Freezing Ice Cubes (for that chilling effect)

Instructions:

1. Load all the ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy, like a super-secret concoction for brainpower.

3. Pour your Zombie Zapper Smoothie into your favorite glass.

4. Sip, savor, and let the brain-boosting magic begin!

Have Fun

This smoothie is not just about its nutrients; it’s about the experience of creating something special with your grandkids. Together, we dreamt up this fantastic concoction, and every sip brings a smile to our faces, knowing we’ve crafted a delicious weapon against the zombie apocalypse.

So, why not give the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie a try? Make it a fun family project, sip together, and maybe even create a game of zombie tag in the backyard. Who says staying healthy can’t be an adventure?

Remember, it’s not just about sipping a smoothie; it’s about sharing a bond with your loved ones and preparing for the unexpected, one delicious gulp at a time. Stay safe, stay healthy, and may your brains be forever zombie-proof with the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie! 

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie, Final Taste Test

*Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Posts

How to Eat a Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old

How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2

Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

Filed Under: Autumn/Fall, Halloween, Holidays, Uncategorized Tagged With: brain boost, brain boost smoothie, brain health, brain nutrition, educational activities, family friendly, family friendly activities, fun learning, Halloween, halloween smoothie, learning fun, love to laugh and learn, Mama Carmody, nutrition, smoothie, zombie

How to Eat A Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old

November 3, 2014 by Mama Carmody 13 Comments

How to Eat A Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old

How to Eat a Pumpkin
How to Eat a Pumpkin

How This All Started

From the time we took our 3 year old great-nephew to Stuckey Farm’s Harvest Festival, he has been obsessed with eating a pumpkin. It started as we were leaving the pumpkin patch. He asked if he could eat his pumpkin. We told him that he could make yummy things from his pumpkin, like pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread; but little did we know that this was NOT the end of this discussion.

Eating Raw Pumpkin?

Since he asked about eating his pumpkin a couple more times on the way home, I decided I should do a little research. I grew up with a garden in my backyard and we grew lots of fruits and vegetables. I have seen and eaten a lot of them raw, including peas and zucchini squash but I had never eaten a raw pumpkin. As a matter of fact, I had never eaten pumpkin in any form other than as some type of a dessert. I searched the internet for information and recipes. I did find out that it was safe to eat pumpkin raw but I didn’t have much luck in finding ways to cook it other than as an ingredient in a recipe.

I decided it was time for some experimenting with pumpkin. My niece, Nicole, dropped Jeremiah off with his pumpkins; the one he picked with us and one for us to carve into a jack-o-lantern. She informed me that he was still very interested and excited about eating his pumpkin. She said she even caught him, one day, sitting in the kitchen floor, on top of his jack-o-lantern pumpkin, with a fork in his hand and his small pumpkin sitting in front of him. When she asked him what he was doing he told her he was going to eat his pumpkin. She was able to convince him to wait.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: scooping out pumpkin "guts"
How to Eat a Pumpkin: scooping out pumpkin “guts”

Preparing the Pumpkin

Since Jeremiah was so interested in eating his pumpkin I didn’t want to buy canned pumpkin for our recipes. I wanted him to experience actually eating his pumpkin. So the first thing we needed to do was make pumpkin puree. I found instructions on The Pioneer Woman: Homemade Pumpkin Puree. (My daughter swears by this site.) I cut the pumpkin in half and he helped me scoop out the seeds and “guts”. We started out using spoons but found out our hands did a better job. We saved the seeds to roast later.

I had purchased an inexpensive child’s pumpkin carving set at the Dollar Tree. It had a safety knife in it. This way Jeremiah was able to help me cut up the pumpkin into pieces. It was a pretty flimsy knife. I’m going to have to find something better for him to use in the future. We got the pumpkin all cut up and onto a lined cookie sheet so we could pop it in the oven to roast.

Our Experiment with Raw Pumpkin

How to Eat a Pumpkin: eating raw pumpkin
How to Eat a Pumpkin: eating raw pumpkin

While cutting up the pumpkin for roasting we did a little experiment. We tried eating the raw pumpkin. First, we each had a taste of just the plain, raw pumpkin. We both thought it was kind of tasteless. It wasn’t bad but there wasn’t anything special about it either. I thought it resembled raw zucchini. We then tried it with some salt. It was better with salt. Our next taste test was with cinnamon and sugar. Jeremiah really liked it this way and ate several pieces. I thought the experiment was over but Jeremiah wanted to try one more thing. He wanted to try it with cinnamon, sugar and salt. I can’t say I was overly excited about this one but in the true act of experimentation, I knew we should give it a try. Neither of us was very impressed with that taste, but at least we tried it.

Jeremiah and I discussed our little experiment and our findings. He decided that his favorite way to eat raw pumpkin was with cinnamon and sugar and mine was with salt.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: fresh from the farm
How to Eat a Pumpkin: fresh from the farm

My Hypothesis

I’m still not quite sure where Jeremiah got the extreme interest in eating his pumpkin. By the time children are three years old, they usually associate a pumpkin with Halloween and carving a jack-o-lantern but Jeremiah never mentioned that to us. All he ever talked about was eating his pumpkin. After doing a lot of thinking, I came up with a theory. Whenever we go pick apples, we pick them right off the tree and even eat some while we are picking. I believe that since we went to the pumpkin patch and picked the fresh pumpkin off the vine, Jeremiah thought was should be able to just eat it like we did the apples. Of course this is just a theory because only God understands the workings of a three year old boy’s mind.

Don’t miss my next post: How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2

Related Posts

How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

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Filed Under: Articles, Autumn/Fall Tagged With: autumn, eat a pumpkin, eating pumpkin, eating pumpkins, educational activities, fall, fun learning, jack-o-lantern, pumpkin, pumpkin puree, pumpkins

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

November 23, 2013 by Mama Carmody 7 Comments

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

Let’s have some fun with turkeys. Why is it that the turkey has become a symbol of Thanksgiving? The turkey probably was part of the first Thanksgiving meal along with deer, several types of seafood and many fruits and vegetables. Wild turkeys are found in 49 of the 50 United States. Alaska is the only state where they are not found. The fact that they are so wide spread across our nation is probably why they are a common symbol to our Thanksgiving.

Below are some fun activities to do with turkeys during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Fun Time
Fun with Food
Craft
Story Time
Related Posts

Fun Time

Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to have a turkey themed day with my 2 year old great-nephew. We started out with a movie. The movie was Free Birds. It’s a story of turkeys that travel back in time, to the first Thanksgiving, to try to get turkeys off the menu. Although it is currently in movie theaters (November 2013), it might be on DVD by the time you are reading this. I would recommend watching it. It was a fun addition to our turkey themed day.

Right before naptime we read Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. I love including books in our fun time. This turkey was also trying to find ways to not be included in the Thanksgiving festivities. I loved some of his disguises. I have more suggestions of fun turkey books below in my Story Time section.

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Fun with Food

You can find all kinds of fun turkey themed bento meals on Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar with Bento meals, they are artistically crafted foods that are popular in Japan. If you are on Pinterest, you can find several fun ideas by clicking here. I was especially inspired by the one I found on Creative Food. I adapted their idea to get this:

Fun with Turkeys: Bento style Turkey Sandwich with colored pepper tail and ranch dip

1. For the body, I made a turkey sandwich and cut it out with a circle cookie cutter.

2. I had purchased a package of 2 oz. portion cups (like the ones you might get butter or single servings of dressing in with your take-out food) at Costco. I used one of those for the head. I put some ranch dip in it.

3. We then cut eyes from a piece of American cheese with a straw. I used edible food markers to make the pupils in the eyes.

4. I cut the beak and feet out of carrot pieces.

5. I used a small piece of red pepper for the snood. (The snood is the fleshy piece that grows from a turkey’s forehead and hangs over it’s beak)

6. For the turkey’s tail feathers I cut thin slices of red, orange and yellow peppers.

The meal was a hit! Everyone gobbled it down (pun intended).

Fun with Turkeys: Turkey Bento Meals

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Craft

When I taught preschool, I would do this craft with my classes. I originally found it on Enchanted Learning. You use the child’s hands and feet to make the turkey. The original instructions say to use colored construction paper for the parts but my daughter inspired me to do something different. Read the instructions below to find out how to make this special Thanksgiving turkey and a fun memory of little hands and feet.

Hands & Feet Turkey

Fun with Turkeys: Materials Needed for Hands and Feet Turkey

Materials Needed:

Markers, crayons or paint
White cardstock
Brown construction paper
Wiggly eyes
Pencil
Glue
Scissors


Instructions:

1. Trace the child’s feet on the brown construction paper. Yes, both feet.

2. Cut out the feet. (I got my great-nephew started on the next part before I cut out the feet so he had something to do.)

3. Trace the child’s hands on the white cardstock. You will need 3 sets of hands (Since my great-nephew’s hands are small I was able to get a set of hands on a half piece of paper.)

4. I chose fall colors for the feathers (the fingers become the feathers). We used orange, red and brown. At first I gave Jeremiah the half sheet of paper, without cutting out his hands, for him to color. Since he is only 2 yrs old, I figured he would scribble more than actually color.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

Then he started coloring real intently on one corner.

Fun with Turkeys: Coloring

I decided to cut the hands out so he didn’t waste time working so hard on a piece that would get cut off and thrown away. Here he is working on one of the fingers.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkeys

I would give him one color for each set of hands.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

5. Jeremiah helped me glue the feet together to make the body and then we arranged the hands to make the tail feathers.

6. Finally, we glued on the eyes.

7. I would recommend putting the child’s name and date on the back of the turkey. We took ours and had it laminated. I had to take the eyes off so we could laminate it but then we glued them right back on.

Here is Jeremiah and his prize turkey. I would recommend doing this activity every Thanksgiving, while they are little, just to see how much they grow from year to year.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

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Story Time

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
Reading Level: 3 to 5 yrs old
This book doesn’t have anything to do with Thanksgiving but since turkeys are closely associated with Thanksgiving I thought this would be a fun book to include. The story starts out with 10 fat turkeys “fooling” on a fence. There are lots of funny words such as, “Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble” and lot of silly antics out of the turkeys. This will be smiles and giggles to your little one..and a few from you too.

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Gus loved being a turkey and loved living on the farm until one day his friends told him some sad news. Gus was looking forward to playing in the snow and celebrating the New Year until his friends told him that turkeys usually don’t make it to the New Year. When his friends shared with him that turkey is one of the main items to eat for Thanksgiving he decided it was time to leave the farm. He travels far and wide to find a safe place to live. As he finds a new safe place to live he comes to the realization that he is now a Pilgrim. Pick up this fun little book for a light spirited look at Thanksgiving and the deeper definition of a pilgrim.

A Plump And Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
The people of Squawk Valley really wanted turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner but they couldn’t find one anywhere. The turkeys around Squawk Valley had become quite smart and learned to hide when Thanksgiving was near. The townspeople decided to trick the turkeys by having a special art event that featured turkeys. They posted signs all over the forest saying they were looking for a plump and perky turkey to be their model for the different art projects. Pete the turkey saw the poster and believed he could help out so he went to model for the special event. So Pete posed while the townsfolk created their turkey art. Everyone was excited because now they were going to be able to catch Pete and have him for their Thanksgiving dinner. Pick up this fun little book to see if the townspeople get to eat turkey for dinner or if Pete gets away.

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to understand that the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving is a live animal, before we get it, then avoid this story. It is not a morbid, overly detailed, story but the fact that the other farm animals keep telling the turkey to run and the farmer is chasing him through the whole story means you will probably have to have the discussion. It’s actually a cute little story. The turkey tries to roll in the mud with the pigs and swim in the lake with the ducks in order to hide from the farmer. In the end, the farmer and his family eat grilled cheese sandwiches with peas and mashed potatoes. Have fun with the story of the turkey who got away.

Too Many Turkeys by Linda White
Reading Level: Ages 5 yrs old and up
This is not a Thanksgiving story but it is a cute turkey story. Fred and Belle have a tiny farm that they take very good care of. One day a baby turkey, which is called a poult, wanders onto their farm. Belle is not very excited about the idea but Fred says he will take care of the little turkey. The turkey ends up being a great benefit to the little farm until too many of his friends show up. Pick up this book and find out how having a turkey on the farm was helpful although a little stressful at times.

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Mr. & Mrs. Moose are getting the table set for Thanksgiving. They are very excited to have all of their friends over but there is one thing that is making Mrs. Moose sad; there is no turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose wants to do what he can to make this a special Thanksgiving so he heads out to find a turkey. Pick this book up to find out what happens when Mr. Moose finally finds a turkey, it might surprise you.

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to learn that the meat on the table comes from live animals, it would probably be best to skip this book. Other than possibly needing to have that conversation, this book is adorable. Turkey is in trouble because Thanksgiving is almost here and he is the main course. He tries several disguises to hide from the farmer. In the end, he comes up with a fantastic substitution for turkey. Pick up this book and share it with your child to find out what the farmer’s family has to eat this Thanksgiving.

  Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm) by Chana Stiefel
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a wonderfully informative book about turkeys. Your child will get to see actual pictures of turkeys. They will learn how turkeys are raised and cared for, on an organic farm. They will learn the different terms used when referring to turkeys such as tom, hen, jake or poult. This is a great book to get some basic information about turkeys.

Turkeys That Fly and Turkeys That Don’t (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
Your child will learn a lot of fun facts about turkeys. Even I found it interesting as to why some turkeys fly and some don’t. There are lots of pictures of wild turkeys and domestic turkeys so your child can see the difference. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between wild and domestic birds, I’m sure your child will too.

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Related Posts

Thanksgiving Learning Activities
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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Filed Under: Holidays, Learning Activities, Thanksgiving Tagged With: educational activities, fun learning, fun with turkeys, holiday, holidays, learn, learning, learning fun, learning opportunities, love to laugh, love to laugh and learn, love to learn, making learning fun, Thanksgiving, turkey, turkeys

Generally Having Fun with Music

February 5, 2014 by Mama Carmody 37 Comments

Generally Having Fun with Music




This post, Generally Having Fun with Music, is written in collaboration with Shannon Wijnker, who used to blog on Mamamusing. Shannon is a music teacher and mother of four.

It has been a lot of fun writing the posts “Fun with Music” in collaboration with Shannon. Our posts have covered the different instrument families. This final post, of the series, is about ways for your children to simply have fun with all kinds of music.

Shannon and I both agree that most learning for young children should come through play and experimentation. So dance around the room with your child, share your favorite songs from childhood or watch a musical together. Just generally have fun with music!

“If the parent values music, and makes it a part of their life, then their children will value music also.” – Shannon Wijnker

Shannon shared:

“Children learn best by constructing their own concepts and ideas, and by trial and error. They will learn how to create a variety of sounds. Some of which they will like and some they will decide they don’t. Your concept of what is acceptable sound may vary from theirs. But be patient and let them explore. Remember that it’s not just about making a beautiful sound, but playing and exploring the concept of sound.”

Contents:

Musical Sensory Bin
Musical Outings
Games Online
Another Resource: The Recorder Classroom
Story Time
Related Posts

Musical Sensory Bin

Shannon mentioned that the dollar store is a good place to pick up inexpensive instruments for the children to experiment with. Recorders are great choice. You can also find tambourines, kazoos, etc. I took Shannon’s advice and headed to the dollar store to pick up some instruments. I decided to create a musical sensory bin. I found several items in the party favor section and some in the toy section. I picked up a recorder and a toy microphone from the $1 bins at Target.

Items in my Musical Sensory Bin:

Beans (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Rice (I bought it at Costco. It was cheaper to get a big bag here rather than smaller ones
at the Dollar Tree.)
Hand Drums
Plastic Musical Clackers
Kazoos
Slide Whistles
Recorder
Microphone
Empty Plastic Containers (of all sizes)
Empty Oatmeal Box
Metal Spoons (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Empty Shoe Box
Rubber Bands
Plastic Easter Eggs

Generally Having Fun with Music: Musical Sensory Bin

Jeremiah put beans and rice into different containers. We talked about the different sounds they made.

Generally Having Fun with Music: Experimenting with Shakers

There were different types of whistles and kazoos for him to play with.

Generally Having Fun with Music
Generally Having Fun with Music

We stretched rubber bands around a box and listened to the different sounds they made when we plucked them.

Generally Having Fun with Music: Musical Sensory Bin

The microphone was a big hit. Don’t forget that your voice is an instrument you take with you wherever you go. (Fun with Music: Voices)

Generally Having Fun with Music: Microphone

Using the spoon to drum on the different containers was also fun.

Generally Having Fun with Music: A Little Drumming

Jeremiah was almost 2 years old when I created this Musical Sensory Box. As you can see, he really enjoyed it. He has played with it on more than one occasion and I’m sure he will play with it many more times. The one thing that I noticed is that some of the whistles didn’t work very well. I will probably replace and add some better quality instruments, as I get the money, but this was a good place to start. As we have made the crafts on the different Fun with Music posts, we have added them to the bin. This was a place to start and as his interests grow and change we can add to or switch out instruments.

Shannon also wants to remind us to help our children explore sound within their own environment:

“You can talk about sounds being high and low. You can talk about the timbre (the quality of sound – how we can tell mom’s voice from dad’s). Encourage your children to explore sounds with their bodies and other toys/things they can find in the house. You don’t have to go out any buy instruments to explore sound and music.”

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Musical Outings

In Indianapolis, you can find many places that give free outdoor concerts during the summer. Maybe you have the same opportunities in your area. Outdoor concerts are a great way to introduce your children to live music because they can sit in their own lawn chair, on a blanket or even get up and dance around a little. Expose your children to many types of music. Take the time to talk about what they are hearing, how it makes them feel and the different instruments they are seeing and hearing.

Shannon from Mamamusing wants you to know: “In London, there are several outdoor concerts and festivals in Victoria Park during the summer. One of the best is Sunfest (beginning of July). You can check out a video of my kids enjoying the multicultural music and dancing by clicking here.”

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Games Online

Now that you have introduced your children to some of the various instrument families
in the orchestra, you may want to visit The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. This
is a website created by Carnegie Hall which is a wonderfully FREE interactive online
game for young children to explore and learn more about the various instruments of the
orchestra. You will need to use a computer, because the game requires Adobe Flash,
which you can download for free (if you don’t already have this utility installed on your
computer).

There is also a wonderful set of books for children ages 4 to 9 years old that helps them learn different musical concepts. Along with the books the author, Sharon Burch, has a website with coloring pages and games for your child to enjoy and enhance their learning experience: Freddie the Frog Games and Coloring Pages.You can find more information about the books below in Story Time.

Another Resource recommended by Shannon from Mamamusing

“If you homeschool your children, a great resource for teaching them music (and how to play the recorder) is a magazine called “The Recorder Classroom”. I believe there are 4 issues printed so far. You can download both the music and accompanying mp3s online. They are fun to play and I find my students are motivated to learn the music, when they have great accompaniments to play along with.”

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Story Time – There were so many books that didn’t fall under any of our other posts so I have included them here. You should really check all of them out. I really enjoyed reading them and I’m sure you and your child will too.


Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 9 yrs old
This is an interesting look at the influences on a great musician. The book shares the many different sounds and experiences that John faced as he was growing up; listening to Daddy play the ukulele or to big bands on the radio. The essence of the story it that John heard and listened to many things that lead him on his path of becoming a Jazz Giant.

Freddie the Frog series by Sharon Burch
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 9 yrs old
This series was recommended by Shannon Wijnker from Mamamusing. She uses this series in her music classes. Shannon says, “A great series to start kids learning music concepts and theory is “Freddie the Frog”. These are cute stories with a hidden agenda. My students love these books and ask for them again and again!”

Through the series of books your child will learn the names of notes; they will learn about rhythm, beat and tempo. Each book comes with a CD that includes the dramatized story and sing-along songs.

Adventure #1 – Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog lives on the island of Treble Clef, with his parents. Join him in his adventure as he searches the island for the source of the thump.

Adventure #2 – Freddie the Frog and the Bass Clef Monster by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog awakes from hibernation to find out that he is no longer at home, on Treble Clef Island.

Adventure #3 – Freddie the Frog and the Mysterious Wahooooo by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and his best friend, Eli the Elephant, as they discover tempos, rhythms, and beats on Tempo Island. Your child will enjoy learning to play their percussion instruments to the rhythm and beat along with Eli and Freddie

Adventure #4 – Freddie the Frog and the Secret of Crater Island by Sharon Burch
Freddie and Eli take on a new adventure. They seek to find the secret on Crater Island, along with the Blue Beetle Bugs.

Adventure #5 – Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten, on Treble Clef Island, as Freddie becomes a jazz sensation. They will learn how to use an instrument they have with them all the time, their voice. Freddie and the Jazz Kitten help your child learn about scat singing.

Froggy Plays in the Band by Jonathan London
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Froggy sees a poster at school about a marching band contest and a big prize. When he asks his music teacher about it, she tells him to form a big band and practice, practice, practice. She helps Froggy and his friends as they work their hardest to become a great marching band. The one important thing the teacher tells them is, “Don’t stop for anything!” This is very good advice especially when they get to the end of the parade. Pick up this book and find out what happens to Froggy and his marching band when they didn’t stop for anything.

Instruments and Music by Daniel Nunn
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
This book is a great introduction to instruments and music. Your child will get to see pictures of many different instruments; some will be familiar and some will seem strange. There are instruments from many countries. Your child will learn what materials the instruments are made of and how they produce sound. I believe any child interested in music and instruments will enjoy this book.

Jazz Baby by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: birth to 6 years old
This is simply a fun little book to introduce music and instruments to even the youngest “musician”. The text on each page starts with “Jazz baby, jazz baby” and then describes, in rhyme, some fun aspect of music; such as playing a horn or the drums. Your child will get to see children singing, dancing and playing instruments. I love this book. I think it’s absolutely adorable. I had to buy one for my grandson and one to have at my house.

Listen to My Trumpet! by Mo Willems
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Piggie gets a trumpet and wants to show his friend Elephant what he can do on his trumpet. He blows and blows and all kinds of sounds come out of the horn, but is it music? Find out what Elephant has to say about Piggie’s playing and how Piggie responds.

Little Pig Joins the Band by David Hyde Costello
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Little Pig wants to play an instrument like the bigger pigs but he is just too small for any of them. He watches as everyone chooses an instrument and marches around. Little Pig watches each of them march in different directions and play different songs all at the same time. Once a big accident occurs, he realizes there is a job for him. Read this adorable book to find out how Little Pig helps out.

Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun and well written book that covers many of the instruments that can be found in an orchestra. There are simple explanations of what the instruments look like and how they are alike or different from each other. Your child will receive an explanation of what the instrument sounds like. The illustrations are quite fun. Each musician is an animal, which will appeal to the younger crowd. This book makes a great introduction to instruments and the orchestra.

Music Is by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is an enjoyable book written in rhyme. It talks of all the fun ways music influences our lives. Lloyd Moss captures my feelings about music. It is a happy, important aspect of my life everyday. He talks of music when you wake up and music when you go to bed. Music for your birthday, 4th of July and to ring in the New Year. Music in an elevator and sometimes on a phone. Music fills our lives even when we aren’t paying attention. What would life be like without music?

Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun little book about a group of kids that loved playing their instruments. The story starts with them getting the instrument that they each wanted. They each practiced and practiced their parts separately and although they sounded a little rough in the beginning the sounds they made together were much different. Read this inspiring tale of how dreams and practice turned them into a marching band.

The Orchestra by Mark Rubin & Alan Daniel
Reading Level: Ages 5 – 8 yrs old
This book is a wonderful introduction to music, instruments, musicians and the orchestra. It describes the different families of instruments in the orchestra: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Your child will even learn different terms related to music such as melody, harmony, rhythm and tempo. The book covers a lot in simple descriptions your child can understand. I highly recommend this book as an outstanding introduction to music.

The Orchestra (Culture in Action) by Liz Miles
Reading Level: Ages 8 and up
This is a children’s book, but as you can tell by the reading level, it is for a little older child. There is a lot of great information about the orchestra, music, musicians and composers. You could still use this with a younger child who has an interest in music because it is broken up into several different sections. Sometimes you will find more than one subheading on a page. The reason this is nice is that you can read a section or two at a time, to a young child, and save some for later. I wouldn’t use this book as an introduction to orchestras for a young child but it has much valuable information for a little older child.

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
As I first read through this book I was going to discard it as possible reading material for my posts on music but I had second thoughts. It is a silly book. Understand I usually like silly but I was taking my posts on music a little too seriously so I wasn’t going to suggest this book. The book goes through each step the one hundred and five members of the Philharmonic go through in getting ready for their performance that evening. It starts with them bathing and showering and then getting dressed. Oh, and it has every detail of them getting dressed; from putting on their underwear, socks or hose all the way to putting on their tuxedos or dresses. The further I read and the more I thought about it, I changed my mind and decided this would be a good book to include with my posts on music. Although it does it in a silly way, your child will get to see that the musicians are regular people with families and pets. They have to get ready for their job like everyone else. Your child will get so see some of the instruments and the different size cases they get carried in. I believe your child will have fun with this light-hearted book about the Philharmonic.

The Recorder and Other Wind Instruments (Let’s Make Music) by Rita Storey
Reading Level: 6 yrs old and above
This book covers both types of wind instruments; woodwinds and brass. Your child will learn how the instruments are made and how they are played. It gives you examples of skills you will need to build to be able to play a wind instrument, like being able to blow out a long slow breath of air (without puffing out your cheeks). They will learn what it means to buzz your lips and how to do it. The illustrations are pictures of wind instruments and people playing them. Have fun learning about the many different wind instruments.

Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band by Christine M. Schneider
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is simply a “doo dilly dilly” silly book of two children and some sneaky jazz music. The music is calling but from where? Is it coming from the kitchen, the bathroom or from underneath the bed? Follow the children as they search for the music that is overtaking the house. They are having a toe tapping good time. After reading the book, or maybe even while you are reading the book, put on some jazz music and have some fun dancing to the “zoo zoo zing” once “the band is in full swing!”

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 10 yrs old
This book is not simply about a violin (as I thought), it is actually a musical counting book. Not counting as in tempos but as in the way you count musical group settings; such as a solo, a duet, a trio, etc.. The story is told in a fun rhyming text. Your child will be exposed to many different instruments as well as the varied names for the different sized musical groups. Although the story goes up to a group of ten, they only tell you the correct names up to nine. So if you are curious, a group of ten is called a dectet. Be sure to share this with your child to find out what the special names for all the groupings are.

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Related Posts

Music at an Early Age by Shannon at Mamamusing
Fun with Music: Overview
Fun with Music: Percussion Instruments
Fun with Music: Brass Instruments
Fun with Music: Woodwind Instruments
Fun with Music: Voices
Fun with Music: String Instruments
Fun with Music: Keyboards
Review: Rhythm! Discovery Center
Review: Peanut Butter and Jam Concerts
Bongo Boy Music School Review

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Filed Under: Music Tagged With: children and music, educational activities, family friendly, fun learning, fun with music, learning, learning fun, learning opportunities, love to laugh and learn, music, music fun

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