When I watch very young children, I often see them pointing at things–“Look! A butterfly! Look! A puppy!” Their chubby little fingers point to all of the wonderful things around them.
With that thought in mind, I wrote this song called “Hello Spring.” The melody comes from a traditional Scottish song I have always loved called “Ally Bally.” Imagine this song as a greeting to the many things one might see in the spring.
Hello Spring lyrics by Kathy Kampa on Jump Jump Everyone
Hello bluebirds. Hello bumblebees.
Hello red tulips. Hello cherry trees.
Hello warm sun. Hello blue skies.
Hello little ants, and orange butterflies!
We filmed this video in Tokyo, Japan at the start of the pandemic.
Special thanks go out to Andre DiMuzio for his beautiful arrangement. Thanks also to Connor McKeown and Christian Vilina for their help with this video.
- Teach students the vocabulary using the images here.
2. Use my movements from the video, or create your own.
3. I sing the song one part at a time, and the children echo. Then we all sing together.
4. Your students may have more ideas for what they see in different seasons. Create a list and make your own song.
You can find this song at iTunes and ETJbookservice.
My second album is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. Songs link to classroom content. Children can dance like falling leaves, bloom like a spring flower, move through the butterfly life cycle . . . . you’ll find LOTS of fun and magic in this album.
Happy teaching!
Kathy Kampa
Kathy Kampa is a passionate educator of young learners. She seeks to nurture children’s imaginations and spark creativity through fun and engaging activities. Kathy believes that music and movement should be a part of every young child’s learning.
Kathy is the co-author of Magic Time, Everybody Up, and Oxford Discover (published by Oxford University Press). She has been teaching young learners in Tokyo, Japan for 30 years. Kathy is also active as a teacher trainer, inspiring teachers around the world.
If you teach young learners, check out this simple song and dance. It’s called The Turkey Dance, and as you can imagine, it gives children a chance to dance like . . . . turkeys!!
What do you have readily available in your classroom? One of the most interesting sounds I have in my classroom is a slide whistle. If you have a big group of students, it quickly gets their attention. Don’t have a slide whistle? How about a tambourine or a kazoo?
e to pretend with my students. Ask, “Where are your butterfly wings? What color are your wings today?” Pretend to paint each arm by gently rubbing it and naming a color. i.e This wing is pink, but this one is purple.
If the student rolls the number 2 (sometimes) and picks the chore card “wash the car,” the student says “I sometimes wash the car.”
