Posted in Action Poems, Circle games, Closure activities, creative arts, Drama, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, English as a second language, English teaching games, Esl, Esl Drama, Movement activities, Relaxation games

Action Songs and Poetry for preschoolers.

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Dingle Dangle Scarecrow
When all the cows were sleeping and the sun had gone to bed
Up jumped the scarecrow and this is what he said
“I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat,
I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that.
When all the hens were rousting and the moon behind a cloud,
Up jumped the scarecrow and shouted very loud
“I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat,
I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that.

Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o’er your shoulder like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?
Do your ears hang high? Do they reach up to the sky?
Do they droop when they are wet? Do they stiffen when they’re dry?
Can you semaphore your neighbour with a minimum of labour?
Do your ears hang high?
Do your ears flip-flop? Can you use them for a mop?
Are they stringy at the bottom? Are they curly at the top?
Can you use them for a swatter? Can you use them for a blotter?
Do your ears flip-flop? Do your ears hang out? Can you waggle them about?
Can you flip them up and down as you fly around the town?
Can you shut them up for sure when you hear an awful bore?
Do your ears hang out?

The Hokey Cokey
You put your right hand in
Your right hand out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
Chorus
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Knees bent, arms stretched, rah, rah, rah!
(Chorus)
You put your left hand in
Your left hand out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your right foot in
Your right foot out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your left foot in
Your left foot out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your whole self in
Your whole self out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Hoppin through the forest

Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head.

Down came
The good fairy
And the
Good fairy said:

“Little bunny foo foo
I don’t wanna see you
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head!”

“I’m gonna give you
Three chances
Then I’ll turn you
Into a goon!”

Little bunny foofoo
Hoppin’ through the forest
Scoopin’ up the field mice and bopping
Em’ on the head

Down came the good fairy
And she said:

” little bunny foofoo I don’t want to see you
Scooping up the field mice and bopping em’ on the head
I’ll give you two more chances then I’ll turn you to a goon”
*the next day

Little bunny foofoo hoppin’ through the forest scooping up the field
and boppin’ em’ on the the head

Then the good fairy came down
And she said

Little bunny foofoo i don’t want to see you scooping up the field
much and bopping them on the head!I’ll give you one more chance
and then I’ll turn you into a goon!
*the next day

Little bunny foofoo hoppin through the forest scooping up the field
mice and bopping them on the head

Then the good fairy came down and she said:

Little bunny foofoo I don’t want to see you scooping up the field
mice and bopping them on the head I gave you 3 chances and I’m
going to turn you into a goon!

POOF!

For more movement games and activities, click here.

 

Posted in Closure activities, Creative Visualisation, Drama for children, drama for kids, Drama strategies, Endings, English as a second language, Movement activities, Relaxation activities for kids, Relaxation games

Closure/Relaxation Activites

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Relaxation is very important in Drama. The following activities will enable children to reduce stress and to help them release mental, physical and emotional tension. A relaxed body also leads to good voice production – benefiting all aspects of the voice such as pitch, pace, pause, inflection and projection.

Game: Be a waxwork
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: The children must imagine that they are a waxwork in Madame Tussauds’ Museum in London. Everyone can decide which very famous person they want to be. The children get into position and then the leader walks around looking at the waxworks and tries to guess who is who. When she has guessed everyone there is unfortunately a fire in the museum and all the waxworks melt slowly to the ground.

Game: Smoke in the chimney
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: The children imagine that they are smoke rising from a chimney. They move, undulating slowly. They stretch their bodies as much as they can and then they finally relax.

Game: Puppet on a string
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: The children imagine they are puppets with strings attached to their shoulders that someone is pulling from above. The leader tells them that they are being pulled up and their limbs fly out in all directions. Even the feet can be pulled off the ground at times. Finally the strings are cut, and the body relaxes.

Game: Floating tongue
Minimum number of participants: 1 (and the Leader)
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: The children are told to hold their tongues out of their mouths. They must make sure that their tongues don’t touch any part of the mouth. Then the leader tells them to clench their jaws and relax them slowly. After that they let their tongues completely relax. They should do these five times.

Game: Lion’s roar
Minimum number of participants: 1
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: Each child imagines that s/he is a mighty lion with a loud roar. But the roar is bottled up inside the lion. S/he should stand up like a proud lion; scrunch up his/her face and hands, ready to let the lion’s roar go. Then the leader tells them to take a deep breath and let the roar out. Tell them to stick out their tongues and hold their arms and hands out in front of them as they roar.

Game: The rock
Minimum number of participants: 1 (and the Leader)
Resources needed: Clear space and chairs
Instructions: Each child sits on a chair with knees bent, feet firmly on the ground and back straight. The leader tells them they are rocks embedded in the sea. They should feel the cool and refreshing sea water against them. Tell them to take a deep breath of sea air and let it go gently, imagining the sound of seagulls in the distance. Tell them to breathe in and out slowly and gently, feeling each breath with their whole body. When their bodies are completely relaxed, gently tell them to slowly open their eyes. Have them discuss how this felt.

Game: Happy place
Minimum number of participants: 1 (and the Leader)
Resources needed: Clear space, mats
Instructions: The children should lie down on mats and close their eyes. Tell them to imagine they are in a place where they feel happy and safe. Tell them to think about: what they see; what they hear. Tell them in their happy place they should feel safe, peaceful and relaxed. Tell them to put their left hand on top of their right hand and that when they do this in future, they will go back to their happy place. Then gently ask them to slowly open their eyes.

Devise your own closure activity a and post in the comments. For more closure or relaxation activity click on the link below.