Clap for Classics!: Recent Episodes
Elizabeth Nixon
Clap for Classics! is a music education podcast for kids ages 2-8. Join Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion while we sing, move our bodies, learn about great classical music and more! Toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners and even early elementary kids will love the engaging activities and parents will love the rich educational material found in each episode.
Join us in our All Access Membership for a library of activities like the ones on this podcast. Check out the details at www.clapforclassics.com/join.
We’re so happy to feature Georgie from the Tambourine Social on today’s episode. She gets us moving our body while she shares a really fun song about Australian animals: “Move Like the Animals Do.”
Find her podcast, “Toddler Tunes”, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Stream her music on spotify or any other streaming service. Search for “The Tambourine Social.”
Find her on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDhQvHGDcqc8EUapdDPgMg
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen.
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics.
We love to feature our listeners on the podcast! Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com
Come to the Carnival with Ms. Elizabeth and friends and get a glimpse inside our All Access Membership with 5 days of classical music inspired activities for your and your little ones!
Sign up for this free event at www.clapforclassics.com/carnival23
On today’s episode we share 2 activities from our "Carnival of the Animals" course.
First, you get to meet one of our beloved musical puppet friends, Presto the Donkey, inspired by the Wild Donkey of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. We listen to the Wild Donkey movement and play freeze dance.
For our second activity we learn a folk song about a donkey named Tingalayo that originated from the Caribbean. We use our egg shakers to practice beat and rhythm.
We hope you enjoy the episode.
For more Carnival of the Animals content sign up for our “Come to the Carnival” event at www.clapforclassics.com/carnival23
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen.
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics.
We love to feature our listeners on the podcast! Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com
Grab the free download that accompanies this activity at www.clapforclassics.com/episode52 it’s a printable play packet with an elevator cut out, animal puppets, traceable numbers, and more! It is a great way to extend the learning and fun on this episode.
We are thrilled to have well-known children’s artist Laurie Berkner on the podcast today sharing her energetic song, “Waiting for the Elevator.” We’ll be moving our bodies, dancing, making animal noises, working on memory and sequencing, but most of all just having fun!
Want to hear more of Laurie’s music? Find her on any streaming platform, on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLaurieBerknerBand, on Instagram and TikTok or at her website: https://laurieberkner.com.
To get access to a library of music courses with themes like Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, the Four Seasons, Music from Around the World, Nursery Rhymes, Space, Farm, and more, join our All Access music membership and start making music with us today, go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month!
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen.
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!
Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com
For today's episode we are re-airing one of our favorite episodes from last year. You won't want to miss this one, even if you've already heard it! Join Ms. Elizabeth, Wilder, and Riff the Pig as we share a wonderful piece of music from american composer George Gershwin.
Grab some rhythm sticks and our free printable to extend this activity. The printable includes images of the instruments that we’ll identify as we listen to this piece. Print them on cardstock and mount on popsicle sticks for puppets, or print two sets and use them to play memory with while you listen! Grab it at www.clapforclassics.com/episode22
This activity comes right out of our American Classics course that can be found inside our All Access Membership. Use the code LION to get 50% off your first month!
We teach the theme to Rhapsody in Blue with a silly phrase, and we don’t think you’ll ever hear this piece again without thinking these words!
Fries……… Ketchup and mustard
And don’t forget cheese
On my hamburger dinner today!
Want to extend the fun and learning even more?
- Join our All Access Membership for a library of activities just like the one in this podcast.
- Watch the animation from Fantasia 2000, accompanied by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
- Listen to the entire piece of music during bathtime, or mealtime. Continue listening for the “ketchup and mustard” theme, and listening for the clarinet, trumpet, and piano.
- Play a game of musical memory with the free printable from this episode. Just print out two pages of the cards.
Learn more about our American Classics course found inside our All Access Membership.
What your child is learning:
- Active engagement with a piece of classical music
- Active listening for a repeated theme Instrument identification: clarinet, trumpet, piano
Music credit: Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the music on this podcast. “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Christopher O’Riley on piano and Barry Wordsworth conducting
Lyrics to the theme written and performed as "Riff the Pig" by Co-founder Kathryn Lieppman.
Celebrate our 50th episode, and the 4th of July with Forte and Charlotte! They take over the podcast and share a bunch of 4th of July jokes you won't want to miss.
We finish out the episode with our Patriotic medley, 3 of our favorite patriotic tunes with simple ukulele chords. Grab the free PDF with the arrangement of the medley, ukulele chords and lyrics at www.clapforclassics.com/episode50.
We also have a special coupon for you that is good for 20% on either our membership or our American Classics course. Use the code “PATRIOTIC23” until midnight on July 4th, 2023.
Listen to Episode 22. "Gershwin’s Rhapsody on a Burger and Fries" for a peek into our American Classics! Course and a very fun activity with Gershwin’s wonderful "Rhapsody in Blue". And don’t miss the freebie that goes with this episode as well: www.clapforclassics.com/episode22
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen.
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!
Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com
We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie Leavell from Music for Kiddos as a guest teacher on our podcast today. She shares a very fun summery song with us about the juicy summer fruit: Watermelon.
To find out more about Stephanie and what she does check out her website at www.musicforkiddos.com You can find her music on Spotify, or Youtube, or any other music platform that you use.
Get access to all of our musical content for kids ages 2-8 inside our All Access Membership. Use the code “LION” at checkout to get 50% off the first month of your membership.
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen. To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!
Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com
For the next 2 weeks we are sharing a sneak peek into our popular Nutcracker course for kids ages 2-8. You are in for a treat, this music and story and interactive way that we share it with young kids is so much fun!
Inside the course is an immersive experience with Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet. You and your kids will be experiencing the story and music of the Nutcracker through songs, games, active listening, instrument playing, and using your imagination right alongside Ms. Elizabeth and her daughter Charlotte.
To join the membership and start making music with us today, go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month!
Alternatively, you can purchase just the Nutcracker course on it’s own at www.clapforclassics.com/store
Grab a free printable of hand-drawn images of the characters from the Nutcracker. www.clapforclassics.com/episode35. We like to make simple popsicle stick puppets out of ours to play with while we listen to the music. Kids can also use them to retell and act out the story on their own!
For more ideas on how to supplement your Nutcracker study at home with young kids check out this article: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/nutcrackerresources
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!
Grab an egg shaker for this episode, if you have one. (Anything that shakes will work!). Today we are sharing two songs to help us get in the Thanksgiving spirit.
The first song is a twist on a familiar favorite: “If You’re Happy And You Know It.” Customize this one with all the things that you’re thankful for!
“I like pie” is a Clap for Classics! Original written by Kathryn Lieppman. This catchy song will be in your head this season while you’re making and eating pie!
Watch a video of us singing “I Like Pie” on our blog, or on our youtube channel.
For information about our All Access Membership for kids ages 2-6 go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month.
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!
For this episode you might want to grab a teapot and a scarf or wind wand if you have one.
Forte, Charlotte and Ms. Elizabeth share the familiar favorite:
“I’m a little teapot” and talk about the musical concepts forte and piano.
We also listen to a beautiful piano piece called “November” by Tchaikovsky.
Use a scarf or a ribbon wand to move your body while you listen to this music. Can you imagine what inspired Tchaikovsky to write this piece?
Watch a video of us teaching I’m a little teapot here on our blog, or on our youtube channel.
To be the first to find out about our upcoming holiday promotion get on our waitlist here: www.clapforclassics.com/holiday
For information about our All Access Membership for kids ages 2-6 go to www.clapforclassics.com/join
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!
Forte and I share 3 pumpkin activities, perfect for this time of year. Grab a pumpkin if you have one to use as a drum, and let’s get started!
To be the first to find out about our upcoming holiday promotion get on our waitlist here: www.clapforclassics.com/holiday
For information about our All Access Membership for kids ages 2-6 go to www.clapforclassics.com/join
- The first activity is a pumpkin version of “Ring Around the Rosie” where we find lots of different ways to go around our pumpkin.
Ring around the pumpkin
A pocket full of nuts
Leaves, leaves, we all fall down
(Then replace “ring” with “tiptoe” or “gallop” or “stomp” etc.)
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Second, we tap out some halloween rhythms on our pumpkin drums.
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Last, we share a musical version of the popular poem “5 Little Pumpkins”. Melody written by Clap for Classics! Co-founder Kathryn Lieppman.
5 little pumpkins sitting on the gate.
The first one said, “Oh my it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There’s a chill in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “I’m ready for some fun”
The fifth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!”
Then “ooooo” went the wind “ooooo”
And out went the light, shhhhhhh
And the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
To check out our fun song all about pumpkin pie- go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_QhpU5WFu8
To watch some of the activities in video form, check out a live pumpkin mini class Elizabeth and Charlotte taught a few years ago. Find it on our blog or on youtube: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/pumpkin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlMqLruDOXg
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!
Elizabeth and Forte share 2 related activities in this episode. They share the wonderful classical piece, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg, as well as the Mountain King Game that was inspired by the music.
Grab some rhythm sticks and a pillow and clear some space for this episode. You will be using your imagination and moving your body. We think you’re going to love this exciting music and fun interactive game. It might just become a new favorite in your home.
To watch the Mountain King Game in video format check out our blog or our youtube channel.
The two activities we share come straight out of either our All Access Membership or our Four Seasons curriculum. For details on how to join us go to www.clapforclassics.com/join or www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons
Don’t forget to use the code “PODCAST” at checkout to get 50% off your first month.
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!
Grab a scarf if you have one and we’ll learn about and practice hearing the difference between Major and Minor together.
Elizabeth and Forte introduce the concept of major and minor by singing a few different songs in their original key, and then switching the song from major to minor or minor to major to highlight the difference.
We also share clips from some familiar classical pieces and try to identify if the piece is in a major key or a minor key.
Classical music for this podcast is licensed to us for our use by Classical.com
We shared excerpts from the following classical pieces on today’s podcast:
- Peter’s Theme played the strings from “Peter and the Wolf,” by Prokofiev.
- The Wolf’s Theme played by the horns from” Peter and the Wolf,” by Prokofiev.
- Vivaldi's Autumn, from the Four Seasons, 1st movement
- Vivaldi's Autumn, from the Four Seasons, 2nd movement
- Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach.
To watch a follow-up to this major and minor lesson in video format check out our blog or our youtube channel.
This activity comes straight out of our Autumn All Around course inside our All Access Membership. For details on how to join us there go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.
Don’t forget to use the code “PODCAST” at checkout to get 50% off your first month.
Ready for some more Halloween-themed music? spooky pipe organ music?? Here is a video of some spooky pipe organ music.
For more fall-themed activities like this one, make sure to grab our free resource, "Fall-themed Classical Pieces to Listen to with Your Child" by going to www.clapforclassics.com/fallclassicalmusic
Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
You’ll need rhythm sticks for this activity. Feel free to use blocks, wooden spoons, or of course just your clapping hands always work as well.
Grab the free printable that accompanies this activity at www.clapforclassics.com/episode29. It is a PDF with the lyrics, suggested actions, and extension ideas to go along with this song.
This activity prompts quite a few actions, if you’d like to see a video of this same activity, head over to the blog at www.clapforclassics.com/blog/oats or you can watch it on Youtube. (Be sure to subscribe to our channel while you’re there so you don’t miss a video!)
This activity comes straight out of our “Fun on the Farm” course inside our All Access Membership. For details on how to join us there go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Don’t forget to use the code “PODCAST” at checkout to get 50% off your first month.
Do you have a little one who likes tractors? We’ve got the perfect song for you, also from our “Fun on the Farm” course. It is so catchy and fun, I bet you’ll be singing the chorus everytime you see a tractor! Check out our tractor video at https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/tractor.
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Classical music for this podcast is licensed to us for our use by Classical.com
For this activity you can grab some rhythm sticks, a scarf, and a pillow! We’ll be enjoying Vivaldi’s “Autumn” the whole first movement. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you and your kids will have while engaging with this beautiful music.
Get your hands on the free printable now at www.clapforclassics.com/episode28. It is a PDF with a listening map for this classical music activity. It’s a great way to extend the learning with a visual representation of what is happening in the music. We are teaching musical form in this episode, and your child will experience the form through movement and then the listening map will help solidify the concept.
Check out the blog post where we share this activity in video form.
This activity comes from our “Autumn All Around” course that can be found both inside our Four Seasons Music and More Curriculum, as well as inside our All Access Membership.
For another engaging musical activity to accompany Vivaldi’s “Autumn” check out this video: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/autumn
In this activity we enjoy the 3rd movement of the Autumn Concerto.
Do you have kids hungry for more and more!! Extend the learning even further by watching this video that will give you some great information about who Vivaldi was and about his Four Seasons violin concertos. https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/vivaldi4seasons
To get information about our Four Seasons Course go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons
To learn all about our All Access Membership go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.
And don’t forget that as a podcast listener you can get 50% off your first month of the membership by using the coupon code “PODCAST.”
Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
Leave Forte a joke and be featured on an upcoming podcast!
www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Classical music for this podcast is licensed to us for our use by Classical.com
Happy Classical Music Month! We are sharing one of our very favorite classical music activities with you, Beethoven’s 5th: a Dragon Story. We made up our own story inspired by the beginning of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
Grab the free printable now at www.clapforclassics.com/episode27. It is a PDF with images that accompany the story we will be telling through the music. We like to turn the images into simple popsicle stick puppets or a flannel board story.
Check out the blog post where we show you our flannel board and a short video clip of this activity: www.clapforclassics.com/dragonstory
Join our membership to get access to this activity and a library full of musical play activities like this one. All the details are at www.clapforclassics.com/join Use the code "PODCAST" for 50% off your first month!
Leave Forte a joke and be featured on one of our upcoming podcasts: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Enjoying the podcast? Please consider helping us reach more families by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content!
Classical music is licensed to us by classical.com.
Today’s podcast features my friend Adeline, and a wonderful song: “This Little Light of Mine”.
This little light of mine (tap knees), I’m gonna let it shine, (arms: up down up down)
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. (dance in a circle)
This iconic American gospel song has been energizing and uniting diverse groups of people for nearly a century. It’s impossible to sing this song without moving your body and feeling a spark of excitement and purpose. It is a great song to sing with kids because the words are so repetitive, and the message is so positive!
We’ve added some simple actions to each verse, and suggested a flashlight activity for the second time through -- kids and flashlights always seem to be drawn to each other, right?
Want to see a video version of this activity where I sing and dance with 3 young musicians to this song? Find it on the Clap for Classics blog here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/thislittlelight, along with more great information about this song and ideas for how to extend the learning with your child.
Don’t miss these incredible renditions of this song by these famous black artists.
Aretha Franklin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Fannie Lou Hamer.
This activity is found inside our membership, in the super-fun “American Classics” music course. Want to know more about the membership? Details here: www.clapforclassics.com/join.
To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
If you enjoy our podcast please consider leaving us a review, telling a friend about the podcast or sharing about it on social media. This helps us grow and reach more music-loving families!
Today’s podcast is a fast, fun song from the wetlands of Ireland! Grab an egg shaker and get ready to learn “Hi Ho the Rattlin’ Bog” with me and my young friend Calvin. Grab the free printable that accompanies this episode at www.clapforclassics.com/episode25. It is a PDF with extra lyrics, ukulele chords and extension ideas to continue the learning and fun with this song.
Chorus:
Hi ho the rattlin’ bog
The bog down in the valley-oh
Hi ho the rattlin’ bog
The bog down in the valley-oh
Now in this bog there was a tree
A rare tree, a rattlin’ tree
The tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-oh
Chorus
Now on this tree there was a branch
A rare branch, a rattlin’ branch
The branch on the tree,
And the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-oh
Chorus
Now on this branch there was a nest
A rare nest, a rattlin’ nest
The nest on the branch, and the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-oh
Chorus
Now in this nest there was an egg
A rare egg, a rattlin’ egg
An egg in the nest, and the nest on the branch
And the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-oh
Chorus
Now on this egg there was a bird
A rare bird, a rattlin’ bird
A bird on the egg, and the egg in the nest
And the nest on the branch, and the branch on the tree,
And the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o!
This cumulative song is such fun to sing, and great for strengthening our memory.
Here are some possible extension ideas:
Add movement by acting out the parts of the song as you sing: strand straight for the tree, stick out arm for the branch, cup hands for the nest, flapping arms for the bird.
Add a visual: For preschoolers: As you slowly sing or review this song, have your child draw a picture of what the song is about, helping her as needed.
For any age: use felt to cut out a tree, a branch, a nest, an egg, and a bird -- then assemble the parts on a flannel/felt board while you sing, pointing to each part when it comes back again and adding the new piece with each verse. Let your little one help you!
This activity comes straight from one of the most popular courses in our All Access Membership, “A Musical Trip Around the World.”
Join us in our All Access Membership for more active, engaging musical activities for you and your little one. Details are at www.clapforclassics.com/join.
Want to see a video version of this song? Find it on the blog at www.clapforclassics.com/blog/bog
Please consider leaving us a review if you enjoy this podcast, it helps us grow and reach more kids and parents!
Today’s podcast is short, sweet, and familiar! My friend Evelyn and I share Row Row Row Your Boat with some fun and silliness!
Hopefully this sparks your creativity to write some more silly verses.
We use our imaginations to pretend we’re in a boat, or sit facing a partner holding hands and rocking back and forth as if in a boat.
Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream
Row row row your boat
Gently to the shop
And if you see a kangaroo
Don’t forget to hop
Row row row your boat
Gently to the swamp
And if you meet an elephant,
Don’t forget to stomp.
Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream
And if you see a hungry shark,
Don’t forget to scream.
This activity and many others come straight out of our Summer music course which is inside our membership but also found in our "Four Seasons Music and More Curriculum."
Click here to read more about what is included inside the summer course and to see if the Four Seasons Curriculum is right for your family.
How to adapt and extend the activity found in this episode:
- Make up new verses with your child. Ask them which animal they would like to meet, what the animal does (ie: stomp, hop, etc) and then come up with a location word that rhymes with the animal’s action.
- Imaginative play: take an imaginary trip on a rowboat with your child. As you meet the various characters in the song, imagine what you/they might say, and what types of adventures you may have together.
- Create more variations incorporating musical concepts: Example: Row, row, row your boat softly down the stream (piano!), then loudly down the stream (forte!). Row smoothly or bouncily down the stream (legato/staccato), slowly or quickly (adagio/allegro).
- Ukulele: learn how to play the C chord, and sing this song while strumming the C chord If you have a few older singers in your family, try singing this song as a round with 2 or 3 groups. One person or group starts the song and continues while the next group starts singing, one phrase later.
What your child is learning:
- Cooperation
- Gross motor skills
- Body awareness
- Steady beat
- Phonemic awareness (rhyming and repetition)
Music credit: Row, Row Row Your Boat: Traditional American nursery rhyme, credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte
Today we’ll be listening to and learning about a famous piece of music by George Frideric Handel, part of his iconic "Water Music".
Grab some rhythm sticks and the free printable if you’d like to extend the activity for a little more interaction. To grab the free printable that accompanies this episode go to www.clapforclassics.com/episode23. It’s a set of images of the string family and the brass family so you have a visual of the instruments while you listen.
To watch a video of this activity (the one that comes straight out of our All Access Membership), go to https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/watermusic. There you’ll also find a blog post with more information on the piece and even more ways to extend and enjoy this wonderful music.
Enjoying the podcast? Consider joining us inside our All Access Membership to make learning music fun, engaging and rewarding for you and your young child.
Music Credit: “Water Music” Suite No. 2 in D Major by George Frideric Handel 2. “Alla Hornpipe” Performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Radio-Télé-Luxembourg, conducted by Louis de Froment
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing this music for our use on the podcast and in our membership.
Join Ms. Elizabeth, Wilder, and Riff the Pig as we share a wonderful piece of music from american composer George Gershwin.
Grab some rhythm sticks and our free printable to extend this activity. The printable includes images of the instruments that we’ll identify as we listen to this piece. Print them on cardstock and mount on popsicle sticks for puppets, or print two sets and use them to play memory with while you listen! Grab it at www.clapforclassics.com/episode22
This activity comes right out of our American Classics course that can be found inside our All Access Membership.
We teach the theme to Rhapsody in Blue with a silly phrase, and we don’t think you’ll ever hear this piece again without thinking these words!
Fries……… Ketchup and mustard
And don’t forget cheese
On my hamburger dinner today!
Want to extend the fun and learning even more?
- Join our All Access Membership for a library of activities just like the one in this podcast.
- Watch the animation from Fantasia 2000, accompanied by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
- Listen to the entire piece of music during bathtime, or mealtime. Continue listening for the “ketchup and mustard” theme, and listening for the clarinet, trumpet, and piano.
- Play a game of musical memory with the free printable from this episode. Just print out two pages of the cards.
- Learn more about our American Classics course found inside our All Access Membership.
What your child is learning:
- Active engagement with a piece of classical music
- Active listening for a repeated theme
- Instrument identification: clarinet, trumpet, piano
Music credit: Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the music on this podcast. “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Christopher O’Riley on piano and Barry Wordsworth conducting
Learn this fun call and response song from El Salvador! Ms. Elizabeth and Abbey will teach a few words in spanish and then introduce a fun way to sing this song
Tortuga Concha, it’s time to sing
No tengo manos, no tengo pies
Tortuga Concha, it’s time to read
No tengo manos, no tengo pies
Tortuga Concha, it’s time to dance
No tengo manos, no tengo pies
Tortuga Concha, it’s time to write
No tengo manos, no tengo pies
Tortuga Concha, it’s time to clean
No tengo manos, no tengo pies
Oh baby turtle, it’s time to eat
Si tengo manos, Si tengo pies
Join us in our All Access Membership for more active, engaging musical activities for you and your little one. Details are at www.clapforclassics.com/join Here are a few ways to extend the fun of this song:
- Craft idea: Make a turtle puppet: here is a paper hand puppet idea, and here is a cute glove puppet. Put the puppet on, and tuck your fingers under the “shell” to hide the hands and feet, until the end when the turtle says “Si tengo manos, si tengo pies.”
- Check out this awesome art activity based on one of El Salvador’s most famous artists, Fernando Llort.
What your child is learning:
- Call and repeat
- Spanish vocabulary: manos (hands), pies (feet)
- Fine motor skills (finger and toe dexterity)
- Gross motor skills
- Keeping a steady beat
Classical music licensed to us by Classical.com
If you have rhythm sticks you might want to grab them for this episode.
In today’s episode we demonstrate a bunch of fun ways to put a twist on any simple song that you sing with your child. We hope this will give you some fresh new ideas on how to spice up the songs you’re asked to sing on repeat and make more of your musical play at home.
We take 4 simple, familiar songs and share fun ways to change them up.
Grab our free printable list of our favorite children's songs to help get you started at: www.clapforclassics.com/episode20
Watch a free video of me teaching these activities here: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/familiarfavorites
For information on our Clap for Classics! All Access Membership where you can get access to a library of music activities like the ones on this podcast go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.
Here are some ways to add variation to your favorite songs:
1. Change the way you experience the beat. Most kids’ songs have a very steady beat, and young children can never get enough practice feeling and keeping that steady beat. Clap the beat, step or march or dance to the beat, tap different parts of your body, play a simple rhythm instrument, or try a hand-clapping partner activity.
2.Change the actions. Many children’s songs have actions built into them. Elizabeth took the “Grand Old Duke of York” and changed the word “march” to “spin” and then to “hop”, for a fun and active twist. We’ve done “Tiptoe/Stomp/Run around the rosie, pocket full of posie…”. You could even get your itsy bitsy spider to run, dance, or fly up that water spout. Again, let your kids choose the action!
3.Change up the style of the song. This activity builds in music vocabulary and the opportunity for your kiddo to make choices about how you sing.
- Shall we sing it with our treble (high) voices or our bass (low) voices?
- Shall we sing it presto (super fast) or adagio (slow)?
- Shall we sing it legato (smoothly) or staccato (bouncy and detached)?
- Shall we sing it forte (loud) or piano (soft)?
These types of changes are SO easy, and kids find them to be so silly and fun. I love using this idea when we’re in the car and need some entertainment. Another bonus about getting your kids familiar with this vocabulary set, is that these musical terms can be fun to incorporate into daily life (IE: instead of “quiet down now!” you can say “use your piano voices!”)
4. Change the words. Find any opportunity you can to personalize a song just for your child. Can you include their name in a song? Can you include their favorite animal or favorite food? (“This little piggy ate chocolate chips” is a popular adaptation at my house)
We hope this episode and these activities give you lots of ideas on how to bring more musical play into your home with your little ones!
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in today’s episode.
Hope you have some fun with these ideas!
Let’s meet the characters and the instruments in Peter and the Wolf. We take our time and talk about Peter, the Cat and Grandpa to give you a little taste of the fun of this wonderful symphonic fairy tale.
Grab 3 free coloring pages to correspond to these 3 characters from the story at www.clapforclassics.com/episode19
Inside our All Access Membership we share this whole wonderful symphonic fairy tale with lots of active listening, games and songs about animals and going on adventures of our own! Join the membership and get access to ALL of our music courses for kids.
Don’t miss Episode 3 of our podcast, where we introduce the bird and the duck from Peter and the Wolf.
Here are a few of our favorite versions of Peter and the Wolf that are worth listening to if you’d like to listen to the whole thing (and we recommend that you do!):
YouTube live orchestra version by Vancouver Symphony
Spotify: David Bowie narrates Peter and the Wolf, played by Philadelphia Orchestra
Amazon Music: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, narrated by Sir John Gielgud
Here are a few links to videos of us teaching more of this story.
https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/instruments
www.clapforclassics.com/blog/crescendo
Thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in today’s episode.
We listened to excerpts from Peter and the Wolf, by Sergei Prokofiev. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic with Sir John Gielgud as the narrator.
We also want to thank our friends who were featured on their individual instruments:
Heidi Wright on the violin
Dr. Julia Barnett on the flute
Matthew Boyles on the clarinet
Dr. Lizzy Nelson on the oboe
Dr. Joey Kluesener on the bassoon
Dr. Sadie Glass on the french horns
We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is the link to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
In this episode we share 3 activities that come from our Fairy Tale Course inside of our All Access Membership. Grab a drum and some rhythm sticks and let’s enjoy these musical stories together.
Old King Cole: for this one you need your drum and a mallet to keep a steady beat and do some actions. We’ll also be learning about the musical concepts of staccato and legato during this activity. To watch the video of this activity and get some more ways to extend and adapt this song check out our latest blog post: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/oldkingcole
The Little Red Hen: Grab your rhythm sticks for this one and make up some actions with your little one while you listen. This simple tune that we’ve added makes the story more memorable, we think you’ll be singing and acting this one out all day.
The Fairy Garden, from Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. For our final activity today we tell the end of the story of Sleeping Beauty while listening to this gorgeous classical piece of music. We couldn’t bear to cut any of this piece out, so we share the whole piece which is a full 4 minutes, but you’ll love listening to the story, acting it out, or imagining what is happening in this culminating movement from Ravel’s suite for children.
To hear a bit more of Sleeping Beauty’s story, listen to Episode 5 of our podcast: Love Songs for Little Ones.
For information on our Clap for Classics! All Access Membership where you can get access to a library of music activities like the ones on this podcast go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.
Classical pieces featured in this episode have been licensed for Clap for Classics to use by Classical.com
Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Click here to grab your free Sheep lesson plan that includes songs and lyrics for the songs we’ve shared, a Mary Had a Little Lamb printable as well as a bunch of extension ideas to keep the learning going beyond the music! www.clapforclassics.com/episode17
We begin with a beautiful, calm piece about sheep by Bach. The Sheep Safely Graze. The recording we use on the podcast is in the public domain and was found on musopen. It was performed by the Toronto Chamber Orchestra.
We enjoyed sharing these 3 sheep- themed nursery rhymes in fun and creative ways. Mary Had a Little Lamb, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Little Bo Peep.
You don’t want to miss the fun video we recorded at Mary’s original schoolhouse, (and read a quick history lesson). Check it out here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/mary
For information on our Clap for Classics! All Access Membership where you can get access to a library of music activities like the ones on this podcast go to www.clapforclassics.com/join.
Today’s episode is a sneak peek into our Four Seasons: Music and More Spring Curriculum! We share 4 different audio clips from our music, art, poetry, and STEM sections. We know you'll love these nature-themed activities.
To find out more about our Four Seasons Curriculum for kids ages 8 and under, go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons
Music: Maytime Magic by Mabel Watts, melody by Kathryn Lieppman.
Can you make up some simple actions while you listen to this sweet springtime song?
A little seed for me to sow
A little earth to make it grow
A little hole
A little pat
A little wish
And that is that.
A little sun, a little shower,
A little while, and then... a flower.
Poetry: Spring by Karla Kuskin.
Grab a scarf and enjoy listening and experiencing this poem with Leslie Thomas and Ruby, our poetry educators.
I’m shouting
I’m singing
I’m swinging through trees
I’m winging sky-high
With the buzzing black bees.
I’m the sun
I’m the moon
I’m the dew on the rose.
I’m a rabbit
Whose habit Is twitching his nose.
I’m lively
I’m lovely
I’m kicking my heels.
I’m crying “Come dance” to the freshwater eels.
I’m racing through meadows
Without any coat
I’m a gamboling lamb
I’m a light leaping goat
I’m a bud
I’m a bloom
I’m a dove on the wing.
I’m running on rooftops
And welcoming spring!
Art: Yayoi Kusama. Grab this butterfly printable for today’s painting activity with Krisanne Knudsen, our art educator: www.clapforclassics.com/episode16
Here is the image of Yayoi Kusama that Krisanne referenced: https://hirshhorn.si.edu/kusama/yayoi-kusama/
Here you can see the Butterfly painting by Yayoi Kusama: https://www.wikiart.org/en/yayoi-kusama/butterfly-1988
STEM: fruit dissection. You will need a fruit with seeds for this STEM lab. (Dr. Rojas uses a bell pepper) Dr. Eugenia Rojas will guide us through this lab and help us explore and be inquisitive scientists.
Classical music used on this and all our podcast episodes is licensed to us by Classical.com
Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Follow us on IG @clapforclassics
Come and celebrate the beauties of the earth through music! You don’t need any extra props for today’s episode, just press play and enjoy!
Musical Selections included in today’s episode: Go In and Out the Window: Children’s music standard, written by Lew Pollack (1895-1946)
Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, 1st movement: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68. I. Allegro ma non troppo
I Love the Mountains: (Hawaiian folk song), with additional lyrics (“I Love the Oceans”) by Kathryn Lieppman
Grab our FREE “5 Under 5” musical play series to receive some of our favorite musical activities delivered right to your inbox at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5
To watch an Earth Day themed mini music class with Ms. Elizabeth, that includes one of the songs we learn today go to https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/earth-day-mini-music-class Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music to us that we share on this podcast.
Have you grabbed our 5 Under 5 Musical Play Series yet? Sign up and we’ll send you 5 days of musical fun for you and your little one in under 5 minutes each day. We share some of our favorite musical activities that require no preparation, but are packed full of fun and learning! Go to www.clapforclassics.com/5under5 to sign up and get started!
For today’s podcast episode you will need to grab an egg shaker (or find a substitute around the house: the spice cabinet is a great place to look!) and let’s sing songs about eggs today.
“Shake and shake and shake and shake and stop” is a favorite around here to practice listening skills and impulse control, but we can customize it so many ways that the teaching opportunities are endless!
We’re gonna shake and shake and shake and shake and stop.
“Eggs, eggs, we like eggs!” This simple tune is a fun one for breakfast time, or anytime! We work on color recognition and body part recognition too- a great one for young toddlers.
Eggs, eggs, we like eggs,
Eggs, eggs, we like eggs,
Eggs, eggs, we like eggs,
Hard boiled poached or scrambled.
If you have a blue egg….
Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is a short, fast-paced, imagination-packed classical piece that you don’t want to miss!
The final egg-themed song is a Clap for Classics! Original: “Shakey the Shaker.”
Shakey the shaker makes a sound,
Shaky the shaker spins around
She can do a dance
Take a bow
How would you like to shake her now?
To watch an egg-themed mini music class with Ms. Elizabeth, similar to what you heard on the podcast today, check out this link: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/eggshakers
Looking for more mini classes with Ms. Elizabeth and Charlotte? Here’s one you might like all about bunnies! https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/bunnies
Don’t forget to call in and leave Forte a message or a joke! We’d love to feature your little one on the podcast! Here is that link: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Thank you to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we use on our podcast and inside our membership and courses!
If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join Today’s episode is all about birds! Grab a scarf and let’s get started!
We’ve created a free printable that is optional to use during the Classical listening activity: www.clapforclassics.com/episode13
Today we share three bird-themed activities:
- Little Bird: traditional folk song. Use your scarf to fly like a bird while we sing about lots of different kinds of birds. Do you have a favorite bird?
Little bird, little bird, fly through my window
Little bird, little bird, fly through my window
Little bird, little bird, fly through my window
Find molasses candy.
Fly through my window my sugar lump
Fly through my window my sugar lump
And find molasses candy.
(then substitute different birds for the words “little bird’)
- Vivaldi’s Four seasons: Spring concerto, 1st movement. Learn what a concerto is, and listen for the different springtime sounds that Vivaldi wrote into this piece: birds, a brook, and a thunder storm.
- 2 Little Blackbirds: nursery rhyme with melody by Kathryn Lieppman. We practice opposites with this fun fingerplay! If you’d like to watch a video of us teaching this song, go to https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/2-little-blackbirds-fingerplay
What other verses can you come up with?
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill.
One named Jack and one named Jill.
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill.
Come back Jack, come back Jill.
Two little blackbirds flying in the sky.
One named Low and one named High...
Sitting on the snow . . . 1 named fast, 1 named slow . . .
Sitting on a clover . . . 1 named under and one named over
Sitting on a lily… 1 was serious, the other was silly...
Special thanks to www.Classical.com for licensing the classical music to us that we share on this podcast.
We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics We would love to feature you on the next podcast!
In this episode we introduce you to a few activities from our free “5 Under 5” musical play resource we created for you.
We’ll be sharing 3 of our favorite songs and activities:
-
Baby Kangaroo: a Clap for Classics! Original and one of our favorite movement songs. (Found in our Carnival of the Animals course)
-
Hey Diddle Diddle, a classic nursery rhyme with a twist
-
Classical Music Freeze dance with “Flight of the Bumblebee”
Our free musical play series designed for busy parents is called “5 Under 5” and was developed to help stressed parents have fun with their kids and ensure they’re learning, too.
You’ll receive 5 days of short musical activities right to your inbox. In addition to the videos you’ll receive a bunch of ideas on how to expand the learning if you so choose. Grab it at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5
Each video is:
✅ Less than 5 minutes - perfect to squeeze in between laundry or to avoid a meltdown
✅ Educational, entertaining, and helps kids develop their skills and knowledge
✅ Ready to go - no prep, planning, or explanation from you. Just press “play” and it’s time for play! Sign up now at www.clapforclassics.com/5under5 and get ready to play along!
Baby Kangaroo- one of our favorite movement songs. You’ll alternate between snuggling up and hopping up and down for this one. Listen carefully to the song to know what to do!
Baby kangaroo is snuggled up with mama
Inside her warm and cozy pouch
One sunny day, baby kanga wants to play
Says “knock knock knock - mama let me out!” (OK!)
So… Out she pops, hoppity hop
Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop
Hop hop hop until she drops
Ouch! Should she try again?
Up she pops, hoppity hop
Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop
Hop hop hop until she drops
Baby kangaroo is tired…
Baby kangaroo goes hopping to her mama
Into her warm and cozy pouch
It is time for sleep, but baby wants to keep on
Hopping, though she’s really worn out
So… Out she pops, hoppity hop
Hoppity hoppity hop - a- don’t stop
Hop hop hop until she drops
Baby kangaroo goes hopping to her mama
Into her warm and cozy pouch
Now she snuggles in, and hugs her mama tight
She’ll dream of those hops - all night - goodnight!
In the morning… Out she pops!...
Hey Diddle Diddle. Nursery rhymes have tons of benefits for young children! To learn more about the benefits of nursery rhymes, and to watch a video with this activity in it click here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/language
Hey Diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle
The cow jumps over the moon
The little dog laughs to see such sport
And the dish runs away with the spoon
Classical Freeze Dance- this one is a classic and the simplicity of it is not to be underestimated!
Music was “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky Korsakov. This recording is part of the public domain.
Other classical music played on this podcast are licensed to us by Classical.com
We would love to hear from your kids and feature them on the podcast!
Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Do you have a little one who loves space? You won’t want to miss this episode that is out of this world!
In this episode we share 4 musical activities and a free printable!
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A nursery rhyme song about the man in the moon
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2 contrasting movements of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and compare them to the dark and bright sides of the moon!
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An asteroid chant and learn about asteroids and meteorites.
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One of our favorite Clap for Classics! originals: “The Planets of the Solar System.
To grab the free planet cards printable, go to www.clapforclassics.com/episode11
The activities featured in this podcast all come from our All Access Membership. Inside the membership we have lots of themed musical content including a whole course all about space! To access the rest of our space-themed course, join us in our All Access Membership: www.clapforclassics.com/join
The Man in the Moon
The man in the moon
Looked out of the moon
And this is what he said,
“Tis time that, now I’m getting up,
All babies went to bed."
Asteroid Rhythm Chant
An asteroid flies through the sky at night
When it hits the earth it's a meteorite!
The Planets of the Solar System, by Kathryn Lieppman
Mercury is closest to the sun
Next is Venus, it’s the hottest one
Here’s Earth, the planet where we see
Amazing life that breathes
And then there’s Mars nearby
It looks red in the sky
Whoa - big! It’s Jupiter, the giant planet made of gas
Next Saturn is a planet that has rings that spin so fast
Brrr! Uranus is so cold, so cold
And Neptune is furthest from the sun. Now we’re done.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
These are the planets of the solar system!
If you’d like to watch a video of "The Planets of the Solar System" activity, go to this link: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/planets
We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics We would love to feature you on the podcast!
If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Classical Music Tracks used in this episode are licensed to us by Classical.com Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (Moonlight)
Grab some rhythm sticks (or 2 wooden spoons, or 2 blocks, etc) and let’s learn about beat and rhythm with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion!
Let’s explore the many ways we can play with one of our favorite instruments for kids: rhythm sticks.
This is The Way We Tap Our Sticks
This is the way we tap our sticks, tap our sticks, tap our sticks,
This is the way we tap our sticks: tap tap tap.
This is the way we rub our sticks: rub rub rub.
This is the way we hammer our sticks, hammer, hammer, hammer.
This is the way we roll our sticks, roll our sticks, roll our sticks.
Let’s practice a steady beat with 3 classical pieces.
Can you find the beat and tap along?
We listened to excerpts from the following pieces:
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Mozart:Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat, K. 495 - K. 495 performed by Jeffrey Bryant (Horn) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Ensemble)
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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring in E major, RV 269 / Op. 8 No. 1 performed by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
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Handel: Water Music Suite No. 2 in D, HWV 349 - HWV 349 performed by Orchestre Symphonique de Radio-Télé-Luxembourg
Classical.com has licensed the classical music for us to use on this podcast.
Zip and Zap. This is a fun and silly action song. The actions are easy to pick up on and a fun way to use your imagination with your rhythm sticks. Most kids music is written in major keys, and this one is in a minor key, which is great for developing kids ears and listening abilities.
Hello Zip! Hello Zap! Zip and Zap go tap tap tap.
Goodbye Zip! Goodbye Zap! Zip and Zap behind the back.
Zip goes high, Zap goes high, Zip and Zap can touch the sky!
Zip goes low, Zap goes low, Zip and Zap can touch my toes.
Zip to the side, Zap to the side Zip and Zap can reach so wide.
Zip comes back, Zap comes back Zip and Zap go tap tap tap
Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap Tap tap tap tap
Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap, Tap tap tap Tap tap tap tap
If you’d like to watch a video of Zip and Zap, check out this blog post: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/zipandzap
The last activity but one of our favorites is a Beat vs. Rhythm challenge. We use the well known nursery rhyme, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to practice! Will you give it a try?
To watch a rhythm stick mini music class to get even more practice with steady beat check this out: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/rhythmsticks
We would love to hear from your kids! Leave Forte a joke, or just call in and say hi and tell us where you’re from: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
We would love to feature you on the podcast! If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Grab a scarf or clear some space to move your body while you learn about the difference between staccato and legato with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte.
We’ll be experiencing this musical concept with our voices and with our bodies and then we’ll compare and contrast two different classical movements from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals to reinforce the idea.
We often share free printables to accompany our podcast episodes. For this episode we’ve created a staccato and legato printable for your little one to give them a visual representation to help them understand this concept even further, just click here to grab your FREE download: www.clapforclassics.com/episode9
If your little one enjoyed this episode, you might like to check out one of our membership course videos that we’ve put up on our blog. Ms. Elizabeth teaches the concept of staccato and legato at this link: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/hensandchickens and here is a mini class where we focus on the concept of legato with a few different activities: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/legato
Interested in joining us in our All Access Membership so you can get access to even more great music education for your little one? Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join
We would absolutely love to hear from our listeners! If you’d like to leave Forte a message or a joke (with a chance to be featured on the podcast) click on the link to record your message and send it over to Forte: www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics
Big thank you to Classical.com for licensing the classical music for us to use on this podcast and in all of our courses!
Join Ms. Elizabeth and Forte as we use pots and pans and kitchen utensils to make music! We begin the episode by gathering some kitchen items to use as percussion instruments. Gather a variety of sizes and materials: pots, bowls, bins, pans. Don’t forget the utensils: wooden spoon, metal spoon, spatula, whisk, etc.
Steady Beat
Steady Beat, steady beat,
Can’t beat that steady beat,
Steady beat steady beat,
Can’t beat that steady beat.
This song can be adapted in so many ways! Forte/piano, adagio/allegro, marching, stomping, jumping, tip-toeing, etc. Feel free to try making different sounds with your drum or movements with your body. Your child is really working on experiencing steady beat as they sing and play this song.
Aaron Copland’s “Hoe-down” from Rodeo. This recording is of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Philip Ellis.
Peas Porridge Hot
Pease porridge hot
Pease porridge cold
Pease porridge in the pot
Nine days old
Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Some like it in the pot
Nine days old
This nursery rhyme chant is another great way to reinforce steady beat!
Interested in joining us in our All Access Membership so you can get access to even more great music education for your little one? Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join
If your little one liked this episode, they might also like the free pots and pans mini class that you can watch on our blog: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/potsandpans
Thank you to Classical.com for licensing the classical music for us to use on this podcast and in all of our courses!
Let’s learn about the string family of the orchestra! We will meet each member of the string family, learn about how the instruments make sound, and hear a beautiful example of each instrument from our professional musician friends.
Optional props and resources to enhance your listening:
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Printable orchestra map puzzle resource: www.clapforclassics.com/episode7
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Rhythm Sticks (can also use blocks, wooden spoons, chopsticks, etc.)
To share a video with your little one of this same instruction head over to our blog: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/stringfamily. There we also include more details and ideas on how to adapt and extend the learning.
This video is just one tiny part inside of our "Meet the Orchestra" course where we tour each of the four instrument families: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. In that course we also learn about the important role of the conductor, enjoy lots of musical examples including listening to a large portion of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition."
You can find the rest of the course inside of our All Access Membership! Check out all the details and get signed up here! www.clapforclassics.com/join
The String Family Song (To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot)
They are made of strings and hollow wood.
Say hello to the string family.
Violin viola cello bass
Don’t forget the lovely harp.
Push and pull a bow across the strings
To make long sound vibrations
Or you can use your fingers pluck pluck pluck
Pizzicato pizzicato pizzicato
Music Credit:
String Family Song: Clap for Classics original by Kathryn Lieppman (based on the tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
Violin: Caleb Nixon (age 9) playing an excerpt from Bach's Gavotte in D Major.
Viola: Lizzy and Lorenzo Golofeev playing an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers.
Cello: Jennifer Humphreys playing an excerpt from Bach's Courante from G Major Suite for Cello Solo No. 1 BWV 1007
Double Bass: Jory Herman playing the melody from Saint-Saëns' Elephant, from the Carnival of the Animals.
Harp: Héloïse Carlean-Jones playing an excerpt from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.
String family example: Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Classical recordings licensed to us by Classical.com.
It is February, and it is Black History Month! Today we’re sharing music we love by black artists of the 20th century.
1. Hello, by Ella Jenkins
Hello hello hello and how are you
I’m fine I’m fine and I hope that you are too
Sing this song with any variation you can think of, soft, loud, humming, whistling, la la la-ing!
Ella Jenkins has been dubbed the “The First Lady of the Children's Folk Song.” Here is a playlist of some of our favorites, but be sure to check her out with your kids, we think you’ll love her music as much as we do.
To watch a mini class where Ms. Elizabeth and her 5 kids share 3 Ella Jenkins songs click here.
2. This Little Light of Mine
This little light of mine (tap knees), I’m gonna let it shine, (arms: up down up down)
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. (dance in a circle)
This iconic American gospel song has been energizing and uniting diverse groups of people for nearly a century. It’s impossible to sing this song without moving your body and feeling a spark of excitement and purpose. It is a great song to sing with kids because the words are so repetitive, and the message is so positive! We’ve added some simple actions to each verse, and suggested a flashlight activity for the second time through -- kids and flashlights always seem to be drawn to each other, right?
Don’t miss these incredible renditions of this song by these famous black artists.
Aretha Franklin
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Fannie Lou Hamer
3. Maple Leaf Rag, Scott Joplin
Performed by Stefano Ligoratti. Recording used with permission.
You don’t want to miss this recording of Scott Joplin performing this piece himself!
Join our All Access Membership for access to activities like the ones found on this podcast.
The membership includes: Over 250 engaging and educational music lesson videos with new content added regularly.
Comprehensive music courses organized by theme, for example: "Carnival of the Animals", "Peter and the Wolf," "Rhymes and Games," etc.
Printable resources, including lesson plan ideas, parent programs, instrument and animal puppet printables, coloring pages, and more!
Extensive "Notes to the Grown-ups" for each lesson, so that you can see exactly what your child is learning, with ideas on how to adapt and extend the lessons.
Downloadable audio tracks of the classical music as well as the activities, so that you can listen off screen.
Get signed up at: www.clapforclassics.com/join
This is an episode with love songs for our little ones. We include one folk song, one Clap for Classics! original song, and the beautiful Waltz from Tchaikovsky's ballet, Sleeping Beauty.
Love Somebody
This is an Appalachian folk song, originally a fiddle tune.
Love somebody yes I do,
Love somebody yes I do,
Love somebody yes I do,
Love somebody but I won’t say who.
Love my mommy yes I do,
Love my mommy yes I do,
Love my mommy yes I do,
Love my mommy and she loves me too!
The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66- Valse Allegro, Tchaikovsky.
Watch a video of Elizabeth and Charlotte teaching and dancing to the sleeping beauty waltz: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/sleeping-beauty-waltz
If you’d like to purchase our Fairy Tale Course where we tell even more of the story of Sleeping Beauty as well as incorporate other fairy tales and wonderful music, you can find it in our Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes bundle, or inside our All Access Membership.
Find all the details at www.clapforclassics.com/store
Will you waltz with me,
Will you be my partner please?
If you will, I’ll spin you around And round,
then give you a squeeze
Pretty please will you waltz with me
Will you be my partner please?
Waltzing is my favorite thing in the world!
Many thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music for us to use in the podcast and in our courses.
Let’s Sing a Song About Hugs.
Written by Kathryn Lieppman, it is a Clap for Classics! original and features Kathryn Lieppman and Elizabeth Nixon on ukulele and vocals, and Imogene Lieppman (age 4) on vocals and desk bells.
You can watch this video on our youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmKolRJchIg
Let’s sing a song about hugs!
Chorus:
Some are tight
And some are gentle
Some are short
And some are long and sentimental
A hug can help you feel okay
If you get a little boo boo
Or you’re having a rough tough day
Try and hug it all away
Chorus
A hug can help you share some love
With a very special grownup
Taking care of you
So hug ‘em all day through
Chorus
A hug can help you cheer a friend
When she seems a little sad
You can bend her frown back to a smile
Just hug her for a while
Chorus
A hug can help you feel so great
But sometimes we just need some personal space
(And that’s ok, too!)
Join our All Access Membership for access to activities like the ones found on this podcast. The membership includes:
- Over 250 engaging and educational music lesson videos with new content added regularly.
- Comprehensive music courses organized by theme, for example: "Carnival of the Animals", "Peter and the Wolf," "Rhymes and Games," etc.
- Printable resources, including lesson plan ideas, parent programs, instrument and animal puppet printables, coloring pages, and more!
- Extensive "Notes to the Grown-ups" for each lesson, so that you can see exactly what your child is learning, with ideas on how to adapt and extend the lessons.
- Downloadable audio tracks of the classical music as well as the activities, so that you can listen off screen.
Get signed up at: www.clapforclassics.com/join
Join Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion while they share two favorite nursery rhyme activities and two movements from Bizet’s Jeux D’Enfants or Children’s Games.
We begin by practicing steady beat and learning 1,2, Buckle My Shoe with rhythm sticks.
We meet Presto the Wild Donkey and Adagio the Tortoise and learn the musical concepts of presto and adagio while singing a favorite nursery rhyme, Wind the Bobbin Up.
We finish up by listening to The Doll and The March, by Bizet and moving our bodies in different ways. We listen for the different meters and move accordingly.
Teaching and sharing Nursery Rhymes with young kids has so many benefits. We’ve got a list of some of our favorite nursery rhymes, it’s in two sections, ones you probably know, and some that you might not know but are worth checking out. If you’d like the printable, click here: www.clapforclassics.com/episode4
Watch a video of Charlotte and I, Presto, and Adagio sharing Wind the Bobbin up here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/bobbin
We share a few of the benefits of nursery rhymes in this article as well as a video of 2 more nursery rhymes: Hey Diddle Diddle and Little Boy Blue. https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/language
Do you have a little one between the ages of 0-2, we’ve got something just for the sweet little ones! In our Nursery Rhyme Baby Time course we share nursery rhyme activities as well as Bizet’s Children’s Games. We give you lots of tips and ideas on how to enjoy music-making and nursery rhymes with your baby. Check out the details at www.clapforclassics.com/baby
Join our All Access Membership for access to a growing library of musical content for little ones ages 2-6 at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Classical music played on this podcast is licensed to us by classical.com
Today we’re sharing a tiny peek into one of our very favorite classical pieces, Peter and the Wolf! We will meet the bird and the duck and learn about the flute and the oboe (the instruments that represent those animals in Peter and the Wolf.
We’ve got a free printable to accompany this episode, grab it here: www.clapforclassics.com/episode3
From Up in My Tree: This is a song about a bird, inspired by the bird from Peter and the Wolf. From up in my tree tree tree (ring ring)
Oh what do I see see see? (Ring Ring)
I see a squirrel squirrel squirrel (ring ring)
It makes me go tweet tweet tweet
How to extend/adapt this activity: Talk more about the bird’s perspective from up high in the tree. Sing this song with other ideas of what the bird might be seeing. Talk about the concept of high and low - make high tweeting/chirping bird sounds, then talk about which animals make low sounds.
What your child is learning: Impulse control, active listening, observation, musical concept of pitch (high and low)
Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack
Quack quack quack quack (quack or clap hands with a partner)
Waddle waddle waddle
Quack quack quack quack
Waddle to the pond
Quack quack quack quack
Dive into the water
Quack quack quack quack
Paddle all day long
Quack quack quack quack
Paddle very quickly
Quack quack quack quack
Paddle very slowly
Quack quack quack quack
Now I’m getting hungry
Quack quack quack quack
Dive down for a treat
Quack quack quack quack
Nibble nibble nibble
Quack quack quack quack
Now I’ll go to sleep
How to extend/adapt: Have your child move around the room a bit more -- start outside the “pond”, then dive in. Hop out of the pond at the end to snuggle up on the shore for bedtime. For babies: use the “quack quack quack quack” refrain to clap their hands together on your lap, or their feet if they are lying down on their back. Paddle their legs, and give them a tickle or a raspberry on their belly when it’s time to “nibble”
What your child is learning: Motor skills, concept of fast and slow, sequencing
After meeting the bird and duck and singing songs about them, we listen to the part in Peter and the Wolf where the two animals meet and tease each other. We enjoy identifying the different instruments and then sing a simple little song pretending to be either the bird or the duck.
What kind of bird are you if you can’t fly?
Said the bird to the swimming duck.
What kind of bird are you if you can’t swim?
Said the duck as she dived in the pond!
How to extend/adapt: Discuss the concept of teasing -- when is it ok, when is it not ok? How should you handle it if someone teases you? How should we treat others whose abilities are different from ours? Do some pretend play with your child -- one of you pretends to be the bird, and the other pretends to be the duck, possibly using puppets. What happens next, after the song is over? Role play the way you’d like to handle “teasing” in your family. Discuss and categorize other birds that fly, birds that swim, and birds that do both. Learn about the special features swimming birds have, that flying birds do not have.
Here’s a nice YouTube video by FreeSchool introducing many birds, and basic facts: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/
Check out the National Geographic Kids page on birds: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/
Print, cut and prepare the bird and duck images and instrument images from the free printable found here: www.clapforclassics.com/episode3
What your child is learning: Instrument identification, communication, kindness
To watch a little introduction to Peter and the Wolf video that includes the “From Up in My Tree,” go to www.clapforclassics.com/blog/peter
If you’d like to see all of our Peter and the Wolf songs and activities for little ones ages 2-6, you can purchase our Peter and the Wolf course bundle. Find it at www.clapforclassics.com/store
OR, join our All Access Membership for access to ALL of the musical content we’ve ever created for little ones at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Special thanks to classical.com for licensing the classical music that we use on this podcast.
FIRST! We’ve got a free printable that you might want to grab for your little one to use to play with while listening to this episode. There are images of the two instruments we’ll be listening to as well as a visual representation of forte and piano and will help your little one understand this musical concept even better. Go to www.clapforclassics.com/episode2 to grab it.
In today’s episode we’ll be meeting a new friend, Piano the Cat. She will help us understand the words piano, that means the opposite of orte, which we learned in the last episode.
We’ll sing a familiar song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star both quietly and loudly to solidify the concept of forte and piano.
Next we’ll introduce the quiet sounds of The Cuckoo from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. We’ll identify the different sounds of the piano and the clarinet in this piece. Then we’ll contrast the quiet Cuckoo with the forte Royal March of the Lion, from the same piece, which we introduced in the previous podcast episode.
Forte and Piano are musical concepts that are fun to practice and reinforce at home. Try making forte and piano sounds with your voices and your body. This is a fun way to teach inside and outside voices!
If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to see a video of Charlotte and I enjoying The Cuckoo, you can watch that here: www.clapforclassics.com/blog/cuckoo
Check out this song about a cuckoo clock, with lots of ideas on how to listen and play with the song for babies and bigger kids. https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/ticktock
If you’d like to see all of our Carnival of the Animals songs and activities for little ones ages 2-6, you can purchase our Carnival of the Animals course bundle. Find it at www.clapforclassics.com/store
OR, join our All Access Membership for access to ALL of the musical content we’ve ever created for little ones at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Want to know about Carnival of the Animals and how to enjoy this music with your young kids? Check out this article: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/carnival
Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the music for us to use on this podcast and inside our courses!
Forte the Lion takes center stage in this episode while we learn about the musical term of Forte.
We’ll also practice keeping a steady beat, so be sure to grab something to drum on if you can, you can also just tap your legs or clap to the beat as well.
First we’ll listen to “The Royal March of the Lion” from Saint- Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. Clear some space if you can so you can march like a regal lion, or crawl around and ROAR while you listen to this music. We’ll listen for the low notes of the piano (or lion roars). Count how many roars you hear in this piece.
Next we will learn a new song, “Listen to the Lion” song. Grab an instrument, or clap or tap to the beat while we sing this song in a beautiful forte voice. The melody comes from the piece we just listened to, Saint-Saëns’ “Royal March of the Lion.”
Lyrics:
Listen to the lion roaring
Roaring very loud like this (ROAR!)
Lion makes a forte sound
You can hear the roar for miles
Let’s make forte sounds together
Loud and strong and brave you see
Listen to the lion roaring
Roaring very loud like this (ROAR!)
Lion makes a forte sound
You can hear the roar for miles
Let’s make forte sounds together
Loud and strong and brave you see
Listen to the lion Listen to the lion
Listen to the lion roar!
Music in this episode is licensed to us by Classical.com
To see a video of one of the activities in this episode check it out at https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/fortethelion
Want to join us in our All Access Membership for access to all of our engaging and educational activities? Check out all the details at www.clapforclassics.com/join
Purchase our Carnival of the Animals bundle that includes an in-depth exploration of the fanciful classical music work by Saint-Saëns. Musical concepts such as high and low, presto and adagio, and rhythm and beat will be introduced. Children will use their imaginations, learn sign language, sing in spanish, do yoga, play instruments and more! Purchase it at www.clapforclassics.com/store
For tips on how to nurture your child's inner musician check out this article: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/innermusician
Want to know about Carnival of the Animals and how to enjoy this music with your young kids? Check out this article: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/carnival
Here's a 18 minute mini class where I teach the concepts of forte and piano: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/forte
Special thanks to classical.com for licensing the classical music that we use on this podcast.
Join Ms. Elizabeth and her sidekick Forte the Lion as they share what to expect from this podcast!
Here you'll find engaging and educational music activities for young kids ages 2-6.
During each episode you and your toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener will sing songs, move your bodies, and listen and engage with great classical music.
We hope you'll subscribe and tune in each week. Listen at home, during mealtime, bathtime, in the car, or anywhere!
Clap for Classics! helps parents foster a love of music in their young children by providing high-quality music education that teaches foundational music concepts through playful, engaging lessons.
Classical music is a central part of our students’ curriculum, inspiring children and their caretakers alike, along with folk songs, nursery rhymes, original music, instrument play, movement and more.
Clap for Classics! is perfect for parents who want their children to receive an early music education but don’t want to have one more thing to plan. You get to be the cheerleader, supporter, and playmate with your child while you spend quality time bonding and learning together.
Would you like more information on the courses and membership offers that we have?
Check out our website at www.clapforclassics.com
Join our email list at www.clapforclassics.com/email so you don’t miss any of our new episodes, events, coupons, and other great resources for bringing music into your home with your little one!
Special thanks to classical.com for licensing the classical music that we use on this podcast.