Fun Halloween Activity: Marching Monsters for Kids

Get ready for Halloween! Add “Marching Monsters” to your Halloween activities. What makes this song great?

-It builds phonemic awareness of initial letter sounds

-Students can learn through movement, music, and visuals

-It nurtures imagination and creativity

-You can enjoy a fun, movement break!

I’m gifting you these Google slides. You can print them or just share them on your device. You can easily sync your music to these slides.

Marching Monsters Halloween Slide Show: Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays

There are four Halloween characters in this song–monsters, skeletons, witches, and jack-o’-lanterns. Have fun pretending to be the four characters. Practice the four verbs– march, skip, sway side-to-side in a waltz, and jump! Now put them together.

“How can we march like monsters? (Who doesn’t love marching like monsters?!)

Let’s skip. How can we skip like skeletons?

How do you waltz? How can we waltz like witches? (sway side to side)

Let’s jump! How can we jump like jack-o’-lanterns?

Practice “Turn around and stop!”

Note: Moving and stopping are essential movement skills for very young learners.

For very little ones, skipping is a new skill. Try walking with a little hop. Or galloping.

Here are the lyrics. You can also find them in the slide show above.

Marching Monsters

Words and music by Kathleen Kampa

1. Marching monsters! Happy Halloween! Boo!

Marching monsters! Happy Halloween! Boo!

Marching monsters, Turn around and stop! (hold)

Marching monsters Happy Halloween! Boo!

2. Skipping skeletons! Happy Halloween! Boo! . . .

3. Waltzing witches! Happy Halloween! Boo! . . . .

4. Jumping jack-o-lanterns! Happy Halloween! Boo! . . . .

Just watch the video and have fun!

Did you notice that you can build phonemic awareness with this song too? The word pairs begin with the same initial sound. You can separate the verbs and nouns. Students match.

Marching Monsters worksheet and flashcards

For a bigger challenge, write the letters m, sk, w, j, and h on the board. What pair of words begins with these letters in the song?

m-> marching monsters

sk-> skipping skeletons

w-> waltzing witches

j-> jumping jack-o-lanterns

h-> Happy Halloween!

Want to add a cute monster craft? http://acupcakefortheteacher.blogspot.jp/2012/07/my-frankenstein-craftivity.html

Monsters by Gunder on Flickr Attribution CC 2.0 license

http://bit.ly/Gundermonstersdrawing

We hope that your students enjoy singing and dancing throughout October. The music for this song and other Halloween favorites (Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Skeleton Dance, Marching Monsters, I’m A Witch) are available on Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays.

You can search for my music on iTunes. or Apple Music.

If you like this, my second album has more happy songs for children that have grown in my young learner classroom. 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, too.

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

Kathy is the co-author of Magic Time, Everybody Up, Oxford Discover, and Beehive (all by Oxford University Press). She has composed music for Tokyo Shoseki’s English language courses.

Autumn Activities for Kids: Explore Colorful Falling Leaves

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Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. Actually, I do love something about every season!! Here in Minnesota, we can find leaves of red, yellow, orange, and brown!

Looking up through trees with vibrant autumn leaves against a clear blue sky.

When I prepare for this lesson, I collect a variety of leaves.

-big and small leaves

-leaves in different colors

-leaves from different kinds of trees

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Hold a leaf and watch it fall to the ground. Talk about what you saw. “This small leaf moved like this. (You can show this with your hands) Let’s see if that happens again.”

Repeat this process with your other leaves. If you have time, invite your students to drop the leaves and watch how they travel to the ground. What did they notice?

This is one of my students’ favorite songs for autumn. I especially love the incredible instrumentation that Andre DiMuzio created to accompany it.

Here are the free Google slides with the lyrics.

It’s fun to teach this song with a xylophone or glockenspiel. You can play it by starting at the shortest bar (C) (do’), and going step by step to the longest bar. If you turn the instrument on its side with the shortest bar on top, it’s easy to see and hear the melody descending. Just play the melody. Then add the lyrics.

A colorful wooden xylophone with eight keys and two mallets.

Falling Leaves Adapted by Kathy Kampa

Down, down, down, down, the leaves are falling to the ground.

do ti la sol fa mi re do‘

Whoosh!

Red, yellow, orange, and brown, the leaves are falling to the ground.

do ti la sol fa mi re do

Whoosh!

I sing the song with a scarf in my hand. Children love dancing with lightweight scarves. They just love the way the scarves float so lightly. I pass out one scarf to each student. I model swaying with my scarf from side to side. This crosses the midline of their bodies. We move from a high level to a low level.

*Note: For very young learners, I tie a knot in the middle of the scarf to make it smaller. Children can hold onto the knot.

Then, the magic “Whoosh!” Children can toss their scarves into the air. Scarves are easier to catch because they’re so light. My students laugh when the scarf lands on their arm, their head, their shoulder . . . .

You can model this action with your students. I usually do this twice. Look! The scarf is on my head! Look! The scarf is on my elbow!

Then encourage students to spin around. This is a wonderful, vestibular movement! They can spin fast or slow. My students will sing this song over and over again. On the recording, the last time just slows down to signal the end of the song.

Here’s a video of my young learners in Tokyo.

I use small, lightweight hemmed scarves like these. Search for “hemmed scarves” or “juggling scarves.” Check the reviews. I like mine! Young children can practice naming the color, too.

If your scarves are big for your students, just tie a knot in the middle of the scarf. They should hold onto that part.

Check out my Pinterest board for more autumn activities. This song is available on my album “Jump Jump Everyone.” You can find it on most streaming services, such as Spotify. For more kid-tested music and movement activities, check out my music on iTunes.

Kathy Kampa is a teacher, author, and teacher-trainer who specializes in working with young learners. She taught at Seisen International School in Tokyo, Japan in the PYP (Primary Years Program) and continues to teach young learners in Minnesota. Kathy uses a globally minded, inquiry-based approach to teaching that helps 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, Oxford Discover, Beehive, Buzz, and Blue Dot, all published by Oxford University Press.

Here’s another video of this song.

#AUTUMN #FALLINGLEAVES #KIDSMUSIC #AUTUMNDAYS #AUTUMNCOLORS #NURSERYRHYMES #ENGLISHSONGS #KINDERGARTEN

I love this photo! When we lived in Tokyo, we witnessed such beautiful autumn leaves. People celebrate the season outside by enjoying picnics, taking hikes, and taking lots of pictures!

A woman wearing a traditional kimono with colorful patterns, standing near a stream surrounded by autumn foliage. — Photo by Kathleen Kampa, 2020, Showa Kinen Park

Fun Dance Activities for Kids: The Ultimate Movement Break

When your little ones need a movement break, this is the perfect dance song! It teaches various locomotor movements, movements that go from one place to another. Perhaps more importantly, it teaches little ones to pause and stop. When they stop, different adjectives prompt their poses. It’s a song that my students and parents ask for over and over again!

Here are the lyrics. The music is available on Spotify.

Jump Jump Everyone by Kathy Kampa

Jump, jump, everyone! (3X) We are jumping!

Jump, jump, everyone! (3X) Get ready and stop. Make a big shape.

Substitute:

2. Walk, walk everyone . . . Make a small shape.

3. March, march everyone . . . Make a silly shape.

4. Gallop, gallop everyone . . . Make a happy shape.

5. (inside run) Run, run everyone . . . Make a tall shape.

6. Tiptoe, tiptoe everyone . . . Make a tiny shape.

7. Jump, jump everyone . . . Make your favorite shape!

Here is a short snippet of our Wirth Center for the Performing Arts families at our 2026 Spring Gala. The students are from our Music Play and Dance Play classes. They’re performing “Jump, Jump Everyone.” This is the very end of the song where they are facing the audience. We do most of this song moving together around in a circle. Look at the joy on everyone’s faces!!! Most of these children range in age from six months to four years. We have two student helpers who loved this dance, too!!!

How to teach this song:

Before I use the recorded music, we practice each locomotor movement and the poses.

“Let’s jump . . . when we jump, we need to use two feet to get up off the ground. Can you jump? “

Parents can help little ones by holding them under their arms and bouncing them along. They can also help them jump high in the air like the video. See the video.

“We can jump around the circle. Stop, then make a big pose.”

You can describe the way your students are making their poses. “Olivia is making a big pose with her arms up high. Griffin is making a big pose by stretching his legs out wide.”

Practice each locomotor movement around the circle, along with the poses.

Walk . . . you can pretend to walk your dog. Or your elephant. Or you can walk with a baby in a stroller.

March . . . let’s lift our knees up high.

Gallop . . . put one foot in front of the other. You can put your hands behind your back. Listen to the uneven rhythm. (clap a galloping rhythm.)

Run . . . When we are outside, we can run with big steps. But we are inside, so let’s be careful. Look at my “inside run.” I’m running fast, but I’m running with little steps. (model this to the students)

Tiptoe . . . can you lift your heels up? Let’s move quietly. Maybe the baby is sleeping. Or maybe your daddy!

Let’s jump again!!

Now move in a circle with the music. Here’s the link on Spotify.

When we finish an activity, I often end with a Celebration Chant.

How to do this:

Use your fingers to show the numbers. (or for very littles, just clap.)

Shake your hands on “Hooray for all the . . .”

Clap your hands on “things we’ve done.”

If you’re looking for songs and chants that build language skills as well as music and movement skills, check out my two albums on Spotify.

Kathy Kampa’s Special Days and Holidays is filled with songs and chants that celebrate special events–including birthdays, a loose tooth, and holidays throughout the year. “Skeleton Dance” has been one of our top hit songs, but all are well-loved by my students.

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.There are useful transitional songs, too.

Why use songs by Kathy Kampa?

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.

As a PYP teacher, 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, they have written Magic Time, Everybody Up, Oxford Discover, Beehive, Buzz, and now Blue Dot (2025). They have worked with Tokyo Shoseki to create wonderful songs for children learning English.

Looking for more songs to start your school year on the right foot. Check out these songs for cleaning up your space.

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.

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.

It’s Time for “The Turkey Dance”

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If you teach young learners, you’ve got to 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!!

While many countries give thanks at this time of year, an American tradition is turkeys. When I was a child, we made turkey drawings by tracing along the edge of our hand. These hand drawings became turkeys! So celebrate turkeys and try out the The Turkey Dance. It’s really easy to do.

Here are the lyrics, which go to the tune of “Turkey in the Straw.”

The Turkey Dance

Words by Kathleen Kampa and Charles Vilina, music adapted from Turkey in the Straw

Spoken: It’s Thanksgiving Day. Let’s move like turkeys.

First, move your elbows! (Imagine that these are your wings.)

Move your elbows, do the Turkey Dance.

Stamp your feet and shout “Hooray!”

It’s Thanksgiving Day.

2. Now move your hips. . . (Imagine that this is your tail.)

Move your hips, do the Turkey Dance.

Stamp your feet and shout “Hooray!”

It’s Thanksgiving Day.

3. Now move your knees. . . .

4. Now move your head . . . .

5. Now move your whole body!

Here’s a video to show you the movements.

Teacher’s Notes:

In this dance, students are pretending to be turkeys.

Before you put on the music, show students a picture of a turkey like the one in this blog.

I usually start by teaching this part of the song first–

“Stamp your feet, then shout ‘Hooray!'” Stamp your feet, then jump in the air on “Hooray.”

On “It’s Thanksgiving Day!” put your hands together.

My students added their own ideas between the verses. Some children enjoyed saying “Gobble! Gobble!” while others liked to say “Thank You” in a language they know.

Now teach the body part movements. Say “Move your elbows.” These are the turkey’s wings.

Repeat with each body part listed below: hips/tail, knees, head, and whole body.

1. Make turkey wings by moving your elbows.

2. Make a tail by putting your hands behind your back and moving your hips.

3. Move your knees like you’re strutting.

4. Move your head forward and back.

5. Choose your favorite movements or make some new ones. Dance!

Here is a very, very short clip of young learners from my English class dancing to The Turkey Dance. It’s easy to do. They love this song!

For this catchy “hoedown” professional version that children LOVE to dance to, listen to The Turkey Dance on iTunes and on streaming services, such as Spotify!

If you’re looking for craft activities for Thanksgiving, check out my Pinterest page. In addition, check out Marnie’s blog, Carrots are Orange for some autumn Montessori activities focusing on turkeys. Here’s a cute craft idea from Sam. I especially like the Zentangle turkeys from Laura Hutchinson.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! No matter where we live, we all give thanks this season for the blessings we have.

Kathy and Chuck

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.

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

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!

Photo by Kristina Rose Photography

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.”

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.

Enjoy your rainy day!!!!

Are your students ready to learn? How do you focus their attention?

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If you’re starting a new school year or you’re experiencing the excitement of the end of the year, how do you get all of your students’ attention? Teachers need to guide students to prepare for learning at different times during a class, such as:

Beginning a lesson

Moving to a new space in your classroom

Introducing an activity

Checking in during an activity

Finishing an activity

First of all, with any strategy you use, you must practice it before you actually use it.

Secondly, the success of each strategy depends on you, your group of students, their age, and their disposition.

Lastly, choose one or two strategies to start. Figure out what works best. When you’re ready, add a new strategy.

1. Get attention with something that creates an interesting sound.

What do you have readily available in your classroom? A slide whistle is one of the most interesting sounds I have in my classroom. If you have a big group of students, it quickly gets their attention. Don’t have a slide whistle? How about a shaker, a tambourine, or a kazoo?

(Check out West Music for interesting instruments.)

2. Peace and Quiet

To gesture “peace” you can make a Peace sign with two fingers up. Alternatively, you can just raise your hand.

To gesture “quiet,” put your finger to your lips.

When I say, Peace, you say Quiet. Peace and Quiet.

3. Add a little rhythm and vocal expression to get attention.

Teachers at my school loved this way of getting students’ attention. Nina Septina shared this at the JALT 2023 conference.

a. Echo the same rhythm saying the word, Yes! Change the rhythm, the tempo, your voice, etc.

T: Class, class, class. Echo: Yes, yes, yes!

T: Class, classity, class. Echo: Yes, yessity, yes!

T: (fast) Class, class, class, class, class. Echo: (fast) Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

T: (whisper) Class, class, class. Echo: (whisper) Yes, yes, yes!

(Clap on every syllable. Students echo your clap.)

I like ba-na-nas. (I like ba-na-nas.)

I like po-ta-toes. (I like po-ta-toes.)

I like to-ma-toes. (I like to-ma-toes.)

4. How about trying some rhyming conversations? These help your students develop phonemic awareness too!

My Grade One students love “Hands on Top.”

The teacher says, Hands on top! (put your hands on top of your head)

The students answer, That means “Stop!” (students do the same)

One, Two, Three, Eyes on Me is another rhyming conversation.

The teacher sings, “One, two, three, eyes on me.” (so-so, mi, so-so, mi)

Hold up fingers as if you’re counting to three. Point to yourself.

The students answer, “One, two, eyes on you!”(so, mi, so-so, mi)

Hold up fingers as if you’re counting to two. Students point to the teacher.

My students can do “Peace and Quiet” (above) by putting two fingers in the air (peace) and one finger to their lips (quiet).

5. How about fun phrases?

T: Peanut, peanut butter ——-Ss: JELLY.

T: Macaroni and cheese . . . Ss: everybody freeze!

T: Hocus pocus. Ss: Everybody focus!

Check out more fun attention-getters here from Jenn at The Teacher Next Door.

6. How about making butterfly wings?

I love to pretend with my very young students. Say, Let’s make 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.

Raise and lower your arms to your sides as if you’re flying. Inhale and exhale.

7. Calm students with this breathing activity called “Candles.”

Finally, inhale while raising your arms from your sides to above your head. Put your hands together above your head, then bring them down in front of you. Exhale when your hands are in front of your mouth. This is an effective way to calm students after a lively activity. The teachers I worked with in Tokyo loved the way this activity quickly quieted my students.

Remember to practice your strategies first. Add new strategies little by little. Having some strategies in place will help your classes run smoothly.

If you’re looking for Class Management Songs for Kids, check out this collection on Spotify.