Embracing Winter: Engaging Children with Snowy Songs

It’s winter 2025 here in Minnesota. We’ve had a lot of snow already! And every time it snows, I start to sing this song in my head. (You might, too!)

A snowy winter is a dream for us here in Minnesota. And today–it’s been snowing all day long! I went sledding with my neighbor’s children. With about eight inches of snow, we have to say that it was a winter wonderland!

Look at this magical fort! I had a delightful time playing there with my great-nephew and my sister.

I started writing this song during our first snowfall in November 2024. I taught it to all my students last winter, and it quickly became a favorite. My cousin stopped by with her daughter and her granddaughter. I brought some toys for her to play with. We also sang this song with scarves. I gave each of them a scarf to take home.

This is what my cousin wrote: “We were checking to see if you had recorded it (Snow Is Falling Down) yet. We sang your song so much today that we honestly started searching for it so we could get a little break🤣🤪. Let’s just say the song and the scarves are a real hit with Lucy💝💝💝💝💝💝💝. “

Things you may notice:

-You’ll find repetition in the lyrics to help children learn the song quickly.

– I featured the /l/ sound to support ESL language development (especially for Japanese students) (la, la, la, la, la/ falling/ gently/ whirling)

-I taught this first as a seated song, then as a dance standing in one place.

-I added variety by inviting students to add playful movements with their scarves and dancing with the scarf on a different body part. Scarves are easy for young learners to manipulate.

You can add, Think, think, think, Think, think, think, what should we do? Let’s dance with the scarf on our elbows!

-Movements include toss/catch, crossing the midline with the scarf (standing), and vestibular (turning).

Here are the lyrics. You can choose which body part to put the scarf on.

You can find the Google slides here.

*Note: I use scarves like this for this song.

Snow Is Falling Down by Kathy Kampa

A: (Sit with children and toss scarves)

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la, Falling gently from the sky,

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la,

Falling to the ground. Falling on my head.

(Scarves cover the children’s heads, sit and move with continuous flow)

B. See it falling down, Whirling all around, Dancing on my head. (2X)

Peek-a-peek-a- peek-a-boo! ( Toss!!)

(Sit and toss scarves or stand and dance.)

2. Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la, Falling gently from the sky,

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la,

Falling to the ground. Falling on my shoulder.

(Scarves rest on children’s shoulders)

B. See it falling down, Whirling all around, Dancing on my shoulder. (2X)

(toss it in the air . . . Whee!)

3. Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la, Falling gently from the sky,

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la,

Falling to the ground. Falling on my hand.

(Children hold the scarf in one hand)

B: See it falling down, Whirling all around, Dancing in my hand. (2X)

(Sit and toss scarves)

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la, Falling gently from the sky,

Snow is falling down, la-la-la-la-la, Falling to the ground.

Falling to the ground. (scrunch up the scarf, make a snowball, and toss!)

* Variation: Add other body parts.

*Try part or all of this song standing. Make sure that children have enough space to move.

Swing scarf across the body to feel the meter. (1-2-3, 1-2-3, this is a waltz.) End with the scarf on a named body part.
Make circles with the scarf. OR Turn slowly in one direction, then the other.
If you’d like to add instruments, try triangles, shakers, or jingle bells.

Here’s the notation. Enjoy!

Sheet music with notes and words

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A sheet music with notes

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Are you streaming music? Go to Spotify or Apple Music to find Kathy’s additional music. You’ll find these albums there.

Jump Jump Everyone, Kathy’s second album, is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. The songs encourage children to move. Many 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.

This song will be on Kathy’s next album. If you have song requests, let her know.

Kathy Kampa loves to bring joy to the world through her children’s music. She is passionate about making learning engaging for young learners. You’ll find more resources on Kathy’s YouTube page. Kathy seeks to nurture children’s imaginations and spark creativity through fun and engaging activities. She also supports the development of English language skills by creating songs, chants, and TPR/movement activities targeted to young learners’ needs. She believes music and movement should be a part of every young child’s education. Kathy’s songs for kids (Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone) are available on iTunes and streaming services like Spotify.

Kathy uses a globally-minded and concept-based inquiry approach to teaching and learning through which students develop 21st-century skills. Kathy is an author and teacher-trainer with Oxford University Press. Together with her husband, Charles Vilina, their new course Blue Dot will be released in 2025.

Witches, Ghosts, Bats, Owls, and Black Cats . . . What are you going to be for Halloween?

For our young learners, Halloween presents an opportunity to nurture their creativity through imaginative activities. Students can dress up as a character and move in more expressive ways. They can use their voice in different ways, too. Let’s explore moving like various Halloween characters.

First of all, I gather students in front of me to teach the vocabulary from this song. I sing the transitional song, “Come and Sit In Front of Me.” (by K. Kampa) The professional version of this transitional song is here for you.

Come and sit in front of me, in front of me, in front of me.

Come and sit in front of me, in front of me,

You can gather students in a circle, too.
Let’s make a circle, big and round (4X).

Show the Google Slides vocabulary images for the song “I’m A Witch.”

“What sounds do each of the characters make?”

Sing the lyrics below. Students can add hand or arm movements while sitting.

I’m A Witch

Words by Kathleen Kampa melody: Skip to my Lou

Spoken: Let’s be witches and fly on our broomsticks.

Cute witch with cats happy halloween background vector.jpg

Hee! Hee! Hee! I’m a witch

Hee! Hee! Hee! I’m a witch!

Happy Halloween!

2. Spoken: Let’s be ghosts and float gently through the air.

Boo! Boo! I’m a ghost! (3X) Happy Halloween!

3. Spoken: Let’s be bats and fly through the night sky.

Eeek! Eeek! I’m a bat! (3X) Happy Halloween!

4. Spoken: Let’s be owls and turn our heads from side to side.

Whoo! Whooo! I’m an owl! (3X) Happy Halloween!

5. Spoken: Let’s be black cats. Put on your whiskers and sneak around.

Meow! Meow! I’m a black cat! (3X) Happy Halloween!

Let’s add some locomotor movements to this song. Stand up and make a slightly larger circle with your students. You can sing the transitional song, Let’s Make a Circle Big and Round, to make a circle.

Make this activity magical by waving your hand or a wand, and saying the words “Abracadabra! You’re a witch!” Ask, “How does a witch move?” Wait for ideas and try some. “Get on your broomsticks and fly around the circle.” Practice each movement, making sure that students are moving in the same direction around the circle. Say “Stop!” to end the movement. Since stopping is an important concept for young learners, acknowledge students who have stopped in interesting poses. Continue with the other characters, asking students how that character might move. While they are moving, describe what you see. “I see Kumi creeping and sneaking around like a cat. Her back is arched, or high in the air.” In this way, students learn more vocabulary and develop more interesting movements.

Now play the music! The spoken cues on the recording guide your students’ movements. My students love the special sound effects. Students start by posing like the characters, such as the witch, then move around in a circle. You can show the characters on the Google Slideshow.

Add your own ideas. What sound or sounds does this character make? Some characters don’t really make a sound, so you have to use your imagination.

When your students are ready, invite them to move throughout your classroom space rather than in a circle.

“I’m a Witch” is on Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays, available on Spotify or Apple Music.

Find more Halloween ideas on our Magic Time Kids blog and on my Pinterest page. If you’re interested in more of my work, check out my YouTube channel at Kathy Kampa.

Songs for the seasons, songs to transition, songs to move to . . . it’s all here in Jump Jump Everyone!

My second album is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. The songs encourage children to move. Many 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. This is available at iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.

A little about me . . .

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 and her husband, Chuck Vilina, are co-authors of Magic Time, Everybody Up, Oxford Discover, Beehive, Buzz, World Class, and Blue Dot (all published by Oxford University Press). Their latest course Blue Dot encourages students to be changemakers and take action in the world.

Kathy has taught young learners in Tokyo, Japan for over 30 years. She’s also active as a teacher trainer, inspiring teachers around the world. She has currently returned to Minnesota where she continues to teach young learners, write educational materials, and compose songs for children.

Hop Along Easter Bunny

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Easter is just around the corner! Holidays give us an opportunity to teach students about holiday traditions as well as teach some new vocabulary. I always love to find ways to get my students moving with a song.

In this post you’ll find:

the teaching steps and videos for teaching Hop Along Easter Bunny, as a fingerplay and as a whole-body activity
Google slides
videos to show you ways you can teach this song
an Easter egg guessing activity created by Setsuko Toyama
arts and crafts activities

How will you teach your students about Easter? Look at the picture below. What do you see? What does it tell you about Easter? (rabbits, colored eggs, spring flowers, chocolates)

When I teach young learners, I use many ways to introduce, practice, and review new language. Use props. Then do this song in three different ways–first as a fingerplay, then moving around a circle, and finally, moving around the classroom. I’ve made a simple video for you to help you learn it as a fingerplay.

Fingerplay: If possible, sit on the floor with the students. Stretch your legs out in front of you. Make an Easter Bunny by raising two fingers. Bounce your fingers up and down your legs as if you’re hopping.

Hop along Easter Bunny, hop along.

Hop along Easter Bunny, hop along.

Hop along Easter Bunny, Hop along Easter Bunny,

Hop along Easter Bunny, hop along.

Young children love surprises. Each time I sing one line, I quickly bring my fingers back to where I started. On the longer line, continue hopping. My students find it funny when I bring my fingers over my head and along my arm.

On the second verse, pretend to tiptoe using your fingers.

Tiptoe Easter Bunny, tiptoe.

Tiptoe Easter Bunny, tiptoe.

Tiptoe Easter Bunny, Tiptoe Easter Bunny,

Tiptoe Easter Bunny, tiptoe.

On the third verse, pretend to pick up an egg and hide it beside you, behind you, or under your legs.

Hide the eggs Easter Bunny, hide the eggs.

Hide the eggs Easter Bunny, hide the eggs.

Hide the eggs Easter Bunny, Hide the eggs Easter Bunny,

Hide the eggs Easter Bunny, hide the eggs.

On the last verse, pretend to run away.

Run away Easter Bunny, run away.

Run away Easter Bunny, run away.

Run away Easter Bunny, Run away Easter Bunny,

Run away Easter Bunny, run away.

These Easter Bunny ears are a fun way to celebrate! Here's Brooke having fun in Tokyo.

2. Around the circle movement: Stand up and magically turn all of your students into Easter Bunnies. Say, Put on your ears, your whiskers, your tails, and your great big feet!

If you have bunny ears like Brooke, put them on!

Make a circle with your students. Sing this transitional song from Jump Jump Everyone to get ready.

Transitional Song: Let’s make a circle big and round (4X)

https://magictimekids.com/2013/09/23/transitional-songs-part-one/

Moving around the circle together in the same direction. Do you remember the four movements?

1. hop like a bunny (They might use their hands to make bunny ears or a bunny tail.)

2. tiptoe quietly

3. pretend to hide eggs

4. run

3. Around the Classroom: Students can move more freely around the classroom. The Easter Bunnies dance the song by moving around the children.

Here’s a simple video of my students in my classroom moving in a circle to this music.

For the studio version of this song, go to iTunes and click on Track #6 of Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays.

4. Follow-up Activity: In this activity created by Setsuko Toyama, students use critical thinking skills to figure out which egg has been chosen. Students need to know colors, shapes, and numbers. They also need to know words like “polka dots” and “stripes.”

Easter Eggs

Secretly choose one egg. Give one clue at a time, such as It’s pink. Students can guess, Is it number three? Add another clue. It has blue polka dots. Students guess again. Is it number one?

After modeling this activity for the class, have students work in small groups or with partners. Make a copy for each student. Have fun celebrating Easter!

5. Art/Craft Activity This is a fun Easter Bunny activity from Nghia.Odin.DIY.

Look at how this cute bunny moves! The bottle tops and rubberband make this bunny run away!

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If you’re looking for something super simple, try out these Easter cutting activities or Easter Egg Name Basket from Sam.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_7171.jpeg — About me:

Kathy is the co-author of Magic Time, Everybody Up, Oxford Discover, Beehive, and Buzz (all published by Oxford University Press). She has taught young learners in Tokyo, Japan for over 30 years. Kathy is also active as a teacher trainer, inspiring teachers around the world. She has currently returned to her home state of Minnesota in the US.

If you’re interested in more of Kathy’s work, check out her YouTube channel at Kathy Kampa.

Are you streaming music? Go to Spotify or Apple Music to find Kathy’s music.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is screen-shot-2022-05-11-at-22.56.25.png

You can find more engaging songs on Jump Jump Everyone

Jump Jump Everyone, my second album, is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. The songs encourage children to move. Many 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.

If you’re looking for more action songs, check out these curated playlists.

It’s the Year of the Snake

It’s the beginning of a new year! And it’s time for us to celebrate.

Each year one of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac calendar is celebrated, and this year’s animal is the Snake! We have a special place in our home where we display a small ornament for the new year. People celebrating the Lunar or Chinese New Year will welcome the new year of the Snake on January 29th.

This is a simple song to celebrate the new year. It borrows two familiar melodies to create one new song. The Google slides for this song are here.

I like to have students move with music whenever possible. What kind of movement can you do? Here are some suggestions.

In Part A, on the words “It’s the year” students can stand tall with their hands at their sides.

On the word “SNAKE,” make a snake pose or movement. My students made a slithering movement with their arms. Students might enjoy using scarves to create a snake movement on the word “snake.”

For the year 2025 (twenty/ twenty-five), students can write the numbers in the air or hold up their fingers to show the numbers. We made the shapes two-zero-two-five. Or even just wave their hands.

In Part B, students can add body percussion sounds. What’s body percussion? These are sounds students can make using body parts, such as clapping their hands, patting their legs, stamping their feet, or snapping their fingers.

They can play the rhythm of the letters when spelling the word “snake.” Practice spelling the word with many different sounds. Since this repeats three times, you can repeat it with a different body percussion sound each time. Some of my students even tried body spelling by making each of these letters with their fingers or whole body. Challenging!

If you have unpitched instruments, like rhythm sticks, drums, tambourines, or shakers, play the rhythm with the instruments. You might even add a long musical sound on the word, SNAKE.

Since this song comes around once every twelve years, it hasn’t been professionally recorded. Enjoy it with your students to celebrate the new year!

Here’s the video for this song. I’ve still got my cast on, but you’ll get the idea.

Here’s a note from teacher, Chieko Kume.

“I introduced this song to the 3rd and the 4th grade class at an elementary school last week (in Japan) and they loved it. We made a big Y with our body at the “It’s the year…” part, and then wrote a big S in the air with both hands.

I love your songs and ideas of teaching young learners along with music and movement. Thank you again, and please take care. “

Here’s a link to some activities.

About Me:

Kathy has produced two music CDs for very young learners, Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone, which build English language skills through movement while nurturing creativity and imagination! Grown and loved by real kids!

The Turkey Dance is fun, engaging song for young learners.

Kathy’s second children’s CD, Jump Jump Everyone, includes songs to move to, seasonal songs, and lots of transitional songs. For more kid-tested music and movement activities, check out my music on iTunes.

Kathy’s CD’s and downloads are available at these locations:

iTunes Streaming sites, such as Spotify.

If you’d like a chant or song about a specific topic, let Kathy know. She has received a grant through the McKnight Foundation to compose some new music for children.

Kathy Kampa is a teacher, author, and teacher-trainer who specializes in working with young learners. As a former PYP (Primary Years Program) teacher in Tokyo, Japan, she uses a globally-minded and Concept-Based Inquiry approach to teaching through which students develop 21st-century skills. She also supports the development of English language skills by creating songs, chants, and TPR/movement activities targeted to young learners’ needs.

Kathy and her husband Charles Vilina are also co-authors of Magic Time, Everybody Up, the Oxford Discover(ELTon award), Beehive, Buzz, and soon to be released, Blue Dot, all published by Oxford University Press.

This photo was taken during our recent Asian teaching tour, Fall 2024.

Wiggly Little Worms

Have you ever wondered why worms surface when it rains? Worms appear everywhere!

My students have been fascinated with worms, so I created an activity where we pretend to be worms.

Follow the video to do a fingerplay or a whole-body activity.

The Little Worms

The little worms are in the mud, wiggling, wiggling, wiggling,

They push their heads up out of the mud and say, “Yippee! It’s a rainy day!”

The little worms are in the mud, wiggling, wiggling, wiggling,

They push their heads up out of the mud and cry, “Oh no! It’s a sunny day!”

Invite your students to think about other types of weather–windy, snowy, hot, cold, etc. How do you think the worms will feel?

If you want to learn more about worms:

There are multiple theories about why worms come out when it rains, including:

Movement: Wet soil allows worms to move more easily across the surface, which can help them find food, new habitats, or mates. They can also migrate longer distances than they could underground.
Survival: Worms need a moist environment to survive, and they can’t travel as fast while burrowing tunnels underground. After a rain, the soil pores and worm burrows fill with water, which allows worms to breathe through their skin.
Escape: The vibrations from raindrops hitting the ground can sound similar to vibrations from predators like moles, causing worms to flee to the surface for safety. Birds also take advantage of this behavior by mimicking rain to lure worms to the surface for food.
What can you do? If you see worms on the sidewalk after it rains, you can help them by moving them to a nearby patch of dirt or grass so they can burrow back underground more easily.
For more activities and songs for a rainy day, check out this post.
Go to Spotify or Apple Music to find Kathy’s music. You’ll find “Little Worms” on “Jump Jump Everyone.”Jump Jump Everyone, my second album, is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. The songs encourage children to move. Many 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.
Kathy Kampa loves to bring joy to the world through her children’s music and English language books (Oxford University Press). She is passionate about making learning engaging for young learners. You’ll find more music and movement resources on Kathy’s YouTube page.

Celebrating Moms

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Happy Mother’s Day! These are our two sons. I’m spending Mother’s Day with them this year! It’s a blessing to have family who love and care for each other.

With many types of families in our schools, how will you celebrate Mother’s Day? Here in the US, we’ll celebrate Mother’s Day on May 12th.

Here are some songs that your young learners can share with moms, grandmas, or that significant person in their lives.

This first song is perfect for babies through toddlers. To be honest, even my 4-6 year olds still like it.

Peek-A-Boo

by Kathy Kampa, melody based on Skip to my Lou

Hold onto the corners of a scarf. Cover your face.

When you sing “boo,” drop the scarf down. Hug.

Peek-a-boo, I see you!

Here’s a hug ’cause I love you.

Here’s a video demonstrating how to do this. I really love using juggling scarves for this song.

2. I shared “I Love You” earlier this year, but it’s a perfect song for Mother’s Day. Children might rock from side to side, hold a stuffed animal, or even get a hug. They can sing it for their mom, grandma, or caregiver.

For parents at home, this is a lovely lullaby to sing before your child falls asleep. When our two sons were little boys, we loved to snuggle up and sing lullabies to them.

Here are the lyrics to my song:

I Love You!

I love you, I really, really do! I love you.

I love you in the morning,

I love you at night,

I love you through the day when the sun shines bright.

I love you, I really, really do. I really love you.

Here’s the video.

I’ve been studying French with Duolingo. I started to wonder if I could write this song in French. With a little help from my French-speaking friends, we’ve created this version of the first verse.

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours, Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour– pronounced: J’t’em d’a-mour)

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours, Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour)

Je t’aime le matin. Je t’aime la nuit,

Et toute la journée quand le soleil sourit,

Je t’aime. Encore, toujours. Je t’aime. (Or Je t’aime d’amour)

3. I love to end an early childhood class with this lovely song.

May There Always Be Sunshine

composed by Arkady Ostrovsky, lyrics written by Lev Oshanin

May there always be sunshine,

May there always be blue skies,

May there always be mama/daddy/grandma/grandpa/someone,

May there always be me/ OR Who always loves me.

Here’s a beautiful video of Raffi singing this song.

As Raffi mentions, “May There Always Be Sunshine” (Russian: “Пусть всегда будет солнце!” or “Солнечный круг”) is a popular Soviet children’s song created in 1962. The music was composed by Arkady Ostrovsky and the lyrics written by Lev Oshanin. Korney Chukovsky, a writer and immensely popular children’s poet, later wrote that the inspiration for the song had been the four lines of the refrain, which were composed in 1928 by the four-year-old boy Kostya Barannikov. (source: Wikipedia)

If you’re looking for a simple craft, this one shared by Abby is inexpensive. Children trace around their hands and choose flowers for a bouquet. Paper flowers or stickers would work too.

Last of all, I want to share a favorite photo of my mom, Betty Kampa Miller. She visited us in Japan on four different occasions. Mom always encouraged me to write songs. Can you write a song for your grandma? How about a song for . . .? I thought everyone wrote songs. I continue to write songs that tickle the imaginations and hearts of little ones.

Songwriter 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 music and movement should be a part of every young child’s education. Kathy’s songs for kids (Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone) are available on iTunes.

Kathy uses a globally-minded and inquiry-based approach to teaching through which students develop 21st-century skills. She also supports the development of English language skills by creating songs, chants, and TPR/movement activities targeted to young learners’ needs. Kathy is an author and teacher-trainer with Oxford University Press.

For more kid-tested music and movement activities, check out more music on iTunes, Spotify, and Apple Music. Kathy has produced two music CDs for very young learners, Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone, which build English language skills through music and movement while nurturing creativity and imagination. Grown and loved by real kids!

Check out Kathy Kampa’s YouTube channel here.

Jump! Jump!

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If you teach young learners, you know that they love to move! In some classrooms, students need to move in a small space. You might have circle time with students standing on a spot. Your students might just stand beside their desks. This is a movement chant that you can do in ONE SPOT.

This chant comes from OUP’s Magic Time, Book One. There are just verbs–jump, run, hop, fly, stop. Once you and your students know the pattern, add your ideas. Here are some ideas: march, wiggle, twist, spin, stretch, bend, shake.

In Unit 10, students learned animal names. When they flip the page, the animals are moving. Here are the words to this simple chant.

Run, Run, Run

by Kathleen Kampa and Charles Vilina, Magic Time One

Jump! Jump! Run, run, run.

Jump! Jump! Run, run, run.

Jump! Jump! Stop!

The second time, substitute hop for the word jump.

Hop! Hop! Run, run, run. (3X)

Hop! Hop! Stop!

Last of all, substitute fly for the word hop.

Fly! Fly! Run, run, run. (3X)

Fly! Fly! Stop!

Students do all of the movements on their spot. When they say, Stop! they can make an interesting pose. Watch how my students create their own ideas.

We need to practice moving and stopping with our young learners. This develops their focus and self-control. Plus, it’s a fun activity for our little ones.

Here are my young learners in Tokyo, Japan. I placed the picture cards on the floor as a reminder of the order, similar to a rebus reading. This chant helps them practice their /r/ sound.

This chant comes from Magic Time 1, by Oxford University Press. Each lesson has a simple chant or song to practice the language. Many of these chants and songs invite children to move

For more fun and engaging songs that have been loved by many kids, check out these albums. Kathy’s songs for kids (Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and Jump Jump Everyone) are available on iTunes, Spotify, and other streaming services.

Rainy Day Songs

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What do you do with young learners on a rainy day? Sing! Dance! Make inside recess a lot of fun!

In this post you’ll find three different rain songs, all perfect for young learners. You’ll find movement suggestions, videos, and Spotify playlists for more rainy-day songs. Enjoy!

This first song is called “It Is Raining.” It’s a song that encourages noticing, a first step in learning. It invites students to listen to the various sounds created by patting on different body parts. These sounds are called “body percussion.” They can listen to the similarities and differences in the sounds. Is the sound loud or quiet/soft? Is the sound high or low?

Students learn the names of body parts, like head, arms, legs, chest, cheeks, and tummy. They can pat the rhythm of the words.

It Is Raining

by Kathy Kampa on Jump Jump Everyone

(Goals: body part names, listening for different types of sounds, rhythm of the words)

It is raining. It is raining.

Wiggle your fingers from high to low to look like it’s raining.

On my legs. On my legs.

Pat your legs to the rhythm of the words.

Pitter patter raindrops. Pitter patter raindrops.

Tap that body part (legs) to the rhythm of the words.

I’m all wet! I’m all wet!

Brush your hands along your legs. Pretend to shake off the water.

Step inside my classroom in Japan to see my young learners singing and moving to this song.

Once your students have learned this song, take it a step further.

Think, think, think. Think, think, think. What should we do?

Tap your finger to the side of your forehead. Put your hands out to the side.

Let’s sing about our elbows!

Tap your elbows. How does that sound? Loud? Soft? High? Low? I think that sounds soft or quiet. Sing in the same way.

Let’s sing about our back(s)!

Tap your back. How does that sound? Loud? Soft? High? Low? I think that sounds kind of low. Sing in the same way.

Get a rainstick or shaker if you want to add an interesting sound.

Ethnic percussion musical instruments on yellow background. Caxixi shakers, rainstick, pandeiro, maracas and musical spoons.

Our second song is called “Ame, Ame.” After living in Japan for over thirty years, I grew to love this traditional song. There are many different translations for it. Here’s mine.

Japanese Rain Song “Ame, Ame”

Beth’s Notes shares this notation as well as some delightful videos.

Pitter patter falling falling, Rain is falling down,

Tap on your legs. Wiggle fingers to look like rain falling.

Mother brings me my umbrella, Rain is falling down,

Pretend to open an umbrella. Wiggle fingers to look like rain falling.

Pi-chi Pi-chi, cha-pu, cha-pu, ran, ran, ran, （らん、らん、らん）

Tap on your legs.

If you have instruments, it’s fun for students to make their own rainstorm. First the wind and gentle rain, thunder, pouring rain, then returning to the wind and gentle rain.

Students can create this with body percussion sounds, too.

Lastly, a traditional rain song is “Rain Rain Go Away.”

Rain, Rain Go Away

Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day.

Make rain movements. Show “Go away.” Show “Come again.”

All the children want to play.

Clap your hands.

Rain, rain, go away!

Make rain movements. Show “Go away.”

There are many videos for this song. This one by Cocomelon shows how we can be creative while we wait for the rain to stop.

And if three songs aren’t enough for your rainy-day plans, check out these Spotify Playlists with lots of music for kids.

Are you streaming music? Go to Spotify or Apple Music to find Kathy’s music. You’ll find “It Is Raining” on “Jump Jump Everyone.”

Here We Go Looby Loo!

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If you want a fun song to practice the sound /l/, this is for you! Looby Loo is a simple dance song. It encourages listening to the movement directions and dancing together as a group. It invites young learners to add their own ideas, too.

Check out the lyrics to this traditional song from Mother Goose.

Here we go looby loo,

Here we go looby light,

Here we go looby loo,

All on a Saturday night!

For my young students in Japan, distinguishing /r/ and /l/ can be challenging. This is a playful way to practice the /l/ sound. In addition, students hear the rhyming words, light and night.

We sing this song in a circle. Use Let’s Make a Circle to get ready.

The verses invite students to put one part of their body into the middle of the circle. For young learners, we choose body parts, like hands, feet, arms, legs, tummy, head, fingers, thumbs, etc.

Verses:

You put your hands in.
You take (put) your hands out
You give your hand/hands a shake, shake, shake (shake, shake, shake, shake . . . .)
And turn yourself about!

To build learner agency, invite students to share their ideas.

All say: Think, think, think. Think, think, think. What should we do? Think, think, think. Think, think, think. What should we do?

Teacher: Should we put in our legs? Our thumbs? Our elbows?

Student: Legs. Let’s put our legs in the circle.

Here’s a video of my young learner class in Tokyo. These children range in age from three to six. They studied English once a week with me. Listen to how well they sing along! You can see how I’m prompting the next body part to sing about by naming and showing them two or three choices. You’ll also notice that we have a lot of fun shaking longer than the standard version of this song.

For older children, practice right and left with each body part. You may want to use less repetitions of the song.

For older students, it looks like this:

You put your right hand in.
You take (put) your right hand out
You give your hand a shake, shake, shake (shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake . . . .)
And turn yourself about!

If you want to learn more about this song, check out the history of it here. The professional version of this song isn’t available yet.

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 music and movement should be a part of every young child’s learning.

If you’re interested in more of Kathy’s work, check out her YouTube channel at Kathy Kampa.

Are you streaming music? Go to Spotify or Apple Music to find Kathy’s music.

You can find more engaging songs on Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays and on Jump Jump Everyone

Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays has songs for the special events in children’s lives, including a loose tooth, birthdays, and many holidays.

Jump Jump Everyone is filled with many happy songs that have grown in my young learner classroom. The songs encourage children to move. Many 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.

For more action songs, check out this curated playlist.

Hokey Pokey Like The Easter Bunny!

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Let’s get hopping! Put on your bunny ears and do the Easter Bunny Hop.

Say to your students, Let’s pretend to be Easter Bunnies. Look at this picture.

Let’s pretend to be the Easter Bunny. We need . . .

Students may say, such as two long ears, two big feet, a bunny tail, bunny paws, and a bunny nose. This song teaches ears, feet, tail, tummy, and whole self as well as the directional movements in, out, and around. Students have a lot of fun jumping and shaking. There’s a slow version, followed by a fast one. It’s easy to just turn on the music and dance!

Students can stand in their spots or you can make a circle together. Sing Let’s Make A Circle. (Click here for this song.)

Here are the movements.

Say, Show me your Easter Bunny ears.

Put your bunny ears in. Put your bunny ears out.

Let’s shake our Easter Bunny ears.

Jump like a bunny. Then, turn around and say, Happy Easter!

Click here to watch the video of my former students dancing to this song. Grab the recording to listen to the entire song. It’s a great way to teach body parts and directional movements. Use this as a brain break, an energizer, or an Easter celebration son.

Easter Bunny Hop

Words by Kathy Kampa, Music Hokey Pokey

on Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays, available through iTunes

Slowly: You put your bunny ears in.

You put your bunny ears out.

You put your bunny ears in. And you shake them all about.

Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake!

Jump like a bunny. Jump, jump, jump!

Turn around and shout! Happy Easter!

Then sing quickly . . .

You put your bunny ears in.

You put your bunny ears out.

You put your bunny ears in. And you shake them all about.

Shake, shake, shake! (* three shakes!)

Jump like a bunny. Jump, jump, jump!

Turn around and shout! Happy Easter!

Repeat each verse slowly, then quickly with these body parts.

2. You put your bunny feet in.

3. You put your bunny tail in.

4. You put your bunny tummy in.

5. You put your whole self in.

Click here to get this song on iTunes on Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays, track #7. You can find it on Spotify and Apple Music, too.

Looking for more Easter songs? Check out this super simple song for little ones. It’s called “Hop Along Easter Bunny.”

After your young learners wiggle about, check out this quieting activity. This simple reproducible is from Julissa Mora. For more hands-on Easter resources, check out my Pinterest page.