3 Secrets to Getting Your Kids to Clean Up Each and Every Time
“A song can improve transitions because it becomes a behavior cue: Students grow accustomed to the length of the song or part of a song and internalize the time they have to move on to the next task, which helps them begin to take responsibility for their own learning.” ~ Maria Alegria
Cleanup time inside the classroom or even at home with your kids can feel like a power struggle.
What’s the best way to turn that around?
Make it fun!
Below are some ideas to make clean up time fun and efficient. But beware, if children have not been given notice that it’s about time to clean up, your announcement may be greeted with some pushback.
Solution? Give a 10, 5 and 2 minute announcement that cleanup time is coming. For those children who are hyper focused on their play, make sure to make eye contact with them so you can confirm they got the notice as well.
Ok, back to the fun stuff….
Beat the Song!
“We’re Cleaning Up”, a Musically Minded original, has become the go-to song for many teachers when it comes to clean up time.
How do they use it? By turning it on and challenging their students to get everything cleaned up before the song is over.
Watch how it’s done in the video then try it in your classroom this week and see how it goes.
If you are a theme-based program or your children are especially interested in a certain topic, use it to engage imagination to make cleaning up more fun!
For example, if you’ve been singing about elephants, ask the children to pick up toys with their trunk. If your students love dinosaurs, have them use their TRex arms to clean up.
Tell them what comes next
Even as adults, we want to know that once we complete a task we’d rather not do, something fun is on the other side.
Kids are the same way!
Try using this fun transition song below and make it your own by singing what they have to look forward to after cleanup time.
Tune: London Bridge
When we finish cleaning up, cleaning up, cleaning up.
When we finish cleaning we will _______________.
Do you have a cleanup strategy at your house or classroom that works well? Tell us in the comments below!
When I think back to my elementary PE days, the most exciting week was when we got to use the parachute.
It was just one week a year which I found very disappointing. I wanted to use it every time!
Now I’m all grown up and I get to make the rules. That means the parachute comes to class at least every other month.
But I’ve heard through the grapevine that there are a lot of parachutes sitting in storage closets NEVER GETTING TAKEN OUT!
It’s time to “take action” and bring some fun to your next circle time.
Before you do though, read through my 3 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make with the Parachute. You’ll be glad you did.
3 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make with the Parachute
Mistake #1:You leave it in the closet because you just aren’t sure what to do with it. Don’t feel bad about this one. It happens to many teachers because either they don’t have any activities to do with it or the last time they took it out kids when CRAZY!
Solution: I can’t help the part about kids going crazy, because who wouldn’t go nuts with a huge, colorful parachute that goes up and down and makes your hair fly?!? But I promise when you give them opportunities to play with it more than once a year, they will begin to calm down and not be so CRAZY!
As far as activities go, there are a lot that you already know that can be adapted to the parachute. I’ll teach you one if you keep on reading.
Mistake #2 Taking out the parachute without practicing with the “pretend parachute“. Remember the part about how exciting the parachute is to kids? If you don’t teach them how to use the parachute before getting it out, you’ll for sure lose control.
Why? Because once the parachute comes out they’ll be so excited that they won’t be able to listen to anything!
Solution: Teach the children the activity you will do with the parachute, but don’t have the parachute come out of the bag right away. For example, if we were doing “Ring Around the Rosey,” I’d have them stand in a circle and walk around singing the song “pretending” to hold onto the parachute. Then sit down during the second part of the song (cows in the meadow…) and shake the pretend parachute. They are great at this “pretending” game especially if they know they’ll get to use the parachute once they’ve mastered the pretend parachute.
Mistake #3 Same activity every time you bring out the parachute Just like in the kitchen, you need to spice up what you serve at circle time. If you bring the parachute out and only do one activity every time, you’ll soon see kids lose interest and disengage. You would too, right?!?
Therefore, make a goal to learn at least 5 activities you can teach with the parachute.
There are many unique learning benefits to having children learn together in a group setting.
It may seem like a simple daily ritual within the classroom, but when you look closer, there is so much learning happening just beneath the surface. No matter what you call it (circle time, morning meeting, ect.) this gathering is extremely valuable for the development and education of your children.
The 5 benefits we will explore in this post are community building, social skills, emotional skills, physical development, and language development. Read on to find out how circle time can aid your students’ development in these crucial areas
1. Community Building
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “community”? Is it your town and the people in it?
Maybe it’s a group of people you know from a social or volunteer group. Often times when people come together for a shared cause, there is a sense of belonging and connection.
Our preschoolers experience the same thing when they are in circle time. Circle time allows our class to come together for a shared experience.
The act of coming together will help them to build a sense of community and belonging in the classroom.
2. Social Skills
Circle time offers a great opportunity for students to practice their social skills and social competencies.
Social competencies refer to skills like self-regulation, interpersonal knowledge, and self-identity. During circle time, children see others practicing these skills, or maybe even struggling with these skills.
Seeing and understanding the experiences of others will help them develop the social skills that will be vital to forming healthy relationships with others and with themselves later in life.
3. Emotional Skills
With the social aspect of circle time comes the emotional aspect. Interacting and collaborating with other as a group will bring about new feelings that children can learn to address and understand during circle time.
One great example of this is when passing an item around the circle for each student to hold for a little while before passing it to the next student. Students will feel excited when they see this object, and may reach and try to take it right away.
However, they begin to develop impulse control and learn to wait their turn. They get to see others playing and enjoying the item, helping them develop empathy. Then when they have had their turn and it is time to pass the item to the next student, they begin to understand that it is ok for things to come to an end and sometimes it is time to move on, even if we wish it would last just a bit longer.
Learning these skills early in childhood sets your preschoolers up for success as they grow and continue in their education.
4. Physical Development
While dancing and movement activities during circle time may just look like play time, it is truly play with a purpose. Children are more willing than adults to try new things, so it is the perfect time to introduce them to new movements.
Physical activity during circle time promotes healthy growth and development, a healthy body composition, a the development of motor, concentration, and cognitive skills. The mind and body are one, so when students are given a chance to move their bodies and practice physical skills like balance and body awareness, they come back to circle time ready to sit and listen.
A great trick to use in circle time is after having your students sit for a listening activity, offer them a chance to stand and move with a movement activity. This will keep them engaged and eager to see what will happen next in circle time.
5. Language Development
During circle time, students are gaining exposure to vocabulary, speech, rhyming patterns, and sentence structure. All of this valuable information is preparing them to be readers later in life. Songs are a great way to practice these things, as a familiar tune might be just the thing that helps your students feel confident enough to try singing or speaking with you.
Communication skills are so valuable, and our children are able to practice them when they themselves talk. It may feel like an interruption when your children start talking during circle time. However, when they talk about something related to the activity, they are forming connections between this experience and their own world. The other children in the circle are also able to learn more about the student who is talking, helping them build community. If you feel like your circle time is getting off track because all your students want to share their thoughts, try using something like a talking stick to keep everyone focused and listening respectfully.
The learning opportunities created by circle time and group music making are like no other within the classroom. We know facilitating an engaging circle time can be challenging, especially when children all have their own unique needs and interests that need to be addressed.
That’s why we here at Musically Minded strive to create activities that will keep your whole class engaged and excited about learning.
We even include full activity guides with each of our downloads so you know exactly how to use each activity. Visit our store and check them out! Music adds such a unique element to your circle time. When participating in music, there is no wrong answer, so students are free to explore and engage in any way they like. We would love to hear which activities have been most popular with your students, and how circle time has changed the way your students learn!
Don’t Forget the Music!
All great teachers know that fresh ideas aren’t just great for kids, they get teachers excited too! If you don’t have Musically Minded’s Circle Time Success CD, it’s time to grab your copy today!
You might also want to check out the activity guide book for the Circle Time Success. That’s where you’ll find the step by step directions on how to teach all the songs on the Circle Time Success Album.
Ever heard someone singing a familiar tune, but the words were different? They were singing a “piggyback song” and if you are someone that works with children (and even adults), you will want to utilize this very effective group management strategy on a frequent basis. From hand washing to lining up, this strategy beats the heck out of yelling AND kids actually listen!
Why piggyback songs ROCK!
They Get Kids’ Attention! Trying to make an announcement to the class but they just won’t listen? Start singing what you have to tell them, but put it to the tune of a song you know. You’ll find that they’ll stop whatever they are doing and listen. Why? Because the sound of your singing voice is different from the other sounds they are hearing. Your voice activates the brain’s alerting network (it’s the brain’s way of keeping us safe) and will require the body to stop whatever it is doing, figure out where the sound is coming from and then decide what to do about it. In that short amount of time, the child will listen to the words you are singing and the brain will get to work processing the information.
They Lock in Learning Want to teach your children information such as steps to washing their hands or how to put toys away? Turn it into a song using a tune they already know. Piggyback songs are great for learning new information because they offer children an opportunity to connect information to a tune they often already know. Think of the song as the vehicle that will carry the information to their memory bank. It provides a rhythm and rhyme and sometimes alliteration which helps to unlock that information with cues.
How to write a piggyback song
When writing a piggyback song, the trick is to keep it simple so you remember it! Below are four easy steps that will get you a piggyback song in no time!
Know your purpose – Decide the purpose of the song ie. lining up, sitting down etc.
Pick a Tune – Find a tune you know well. Refer to the list below for tune inspirations
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat – If the song has four lines like many simple songs do, your lyrics can repeat four times. This allows the children to hear the direction over and over again and by the fourth time, they know what you are saying! So don’t worry about getting fancy and writing a ton of lyrics. That makes it hard on everyone including you. When you think of a great piggyback song, you want to be able to remember it again with ease.
If you do want to get a little fancy, try changing the third line of the song as shown below:
Piggy Back Song Example
(Tune: She’ll be comin’ round the mountain)
Oh it’s time to wash your hands.
Oh it’s time to wash your hands.
Scrub them here, scrub them there, scrub them everywhere,
Oh it’s time to wash your hands.
Piggy Back Song Tunes
Below is a list of well-known songs that work great as a piggy back tune. Be sure to choose ones you know the tune to really well.
“A Hunting We Will Go”
“Bear Went Over the Mountain”
“Bingo”
“Clementine”
“Farmer in the Dell”
“Frere Jacques”
“Happy and You Know It”
“Head Shoulder Knees and Toes”
“I’m a Little Teapot”
“London Bridge”
“Mary had a Little Lamb
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
“Ten Little Indians”
“The Wheels on the Bus”
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
“Zippidy Doo Dah”
Piggyback Song Examples.
Here are some of my favorite piggyback songs so you can see how they work. Credit is given to songs written
Where is Big Toe? from The Complete Resource Book for Infants: Over 700 Experiences for Children from Birth to 18 Months via Mel’s Desk (Tune: “Where is Thumbkin?”)
“I can’t get my kids to sit still at circle time!” If I had a nickel for every time a teacher told me they struggled with this, I’d be rich!
Do you want to know the reason why kids can’t sit at circle? Kids need to move! It makes the brain function at its best. In classrooms today, we are seeing an increase in seat time and a decrease in free time. The result? Children who dislike school, feel stressed out and anxious and aren’t excited about learning.
Gretchen LeFever Watson, a clinical psychologist at Eastern Virginia Medical School found that ADHD is over-diagnosed. Experts estimate that 5% is a realistic upper limit of children with the disorder, but in many areas of the country, up to 33% of white boys are diagnosed with ADHD. Check out the study to learn more.
I wager to guess the demand on children to sit and be quiet in school has a lot to do with it. Behavior is communication and I believe they are crying out to move! So why not use movement as a way to learn? Let me tell you why you should not just consider it, but give it a try today.
3 Reasons why kids need to move to learn.
Movement is a Primal Need
It wasn’t long ago that our ancestors were nomadic. Meaning, they walked up to 14 miles a day in search of food and shelter. Now children sit much of their day! Evolution has not caught up to this sedentary lifestyle.
John Medina, author of Brain Rules says, “if you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom”
2. Movement Locks in Learning
Why? Because it activates so many parts of the brain. We form a more robust memory when we learn this way. Would you rather teach something to children 55 times using our traditional method of teaching, also known as skill and drill? Or teach them the same concept 5 times before they understand it? I thought so!
3. Movement Feeds the Brain
When the brain is asked to focus for long periods of time without being fed, it throws a fit. In young children, this means grabbing books off the shelf during story time, dog piling a neighbor or in some cases, straight up walking away.
Because our brain does not store energy, it must be fed to keep going. Guess what it likes to eat? Oxygen-rich blood!
This can be achieved through a variety of ways such as telling an emotionally-charged story that recaptures attention, or by getting the students up and moving their bodies.
By recognizing that your learners need to refocus, refresh and recharge often, you’ll be more likely to create activities where children stay engaged from beginning to end.
By getting children up and moving every 10 minutes (let’s be honest, every 3-4 minutes is more realistic), they will be reenergized as oxygen-rich blood is sent to feed their brains.
Click hereto check out “Move, Move, Move!” Infused with songs to get kids up and on their feet, it is a perfect mix of actions songs to add to your circle times.
Do you want 7 Secrets for Circle Time? Fill out the form below, and you’ll be on your way from chaos to calm in no time!
I have been wanting for so long to help teachers move from using CDs in their classrooms to using digital tracks. I have seen far too many teachers struggling to keep all of their CDs organized and it’s just not worth the stress.
I can prove right off the bat that my reasoning for getting you to go digital is truly from the heart because the CDs are actually more expensive than the digital downloads..
Note: If you’ve purchased a CD or 2 from me and want the digital version, simply email me a picture of your CD and I’ll send you the link to the digital album for free!
If you are already using digital music in your classroom, awesome! I’m sure you’ve felt the ease of moving from one song to another without flipping through 50 CDs to find the one you want.
If you haven’t made the jump, it’s time and I’m giving you 3 Reasons Why Preschool Teachers Shouldn’t Use CDs
1. Short Attention Spans
When it’s circle time, you are on the clock. The attention span clock that is. Your little ones expect you to move quickly and keep their full attention the entire time or they are out.
I know, kind of disrespectful, but it is completely developmentally appropriate.
That’s why when you are ready to turn on a tune, you need it at your finger tips so you can start it immediately! That’s where digital music comes in super handy.
2. Makes Lesson Planning Easier
Every month in music I have a different theme. I love this because it keeps my teaching fresh for both the children and for me.
This month it’s “All About Me”. I had taught this unit last year so I had all of the music on my phone in a playlist called, you guessed it, “All About Me”.
Since all the songs were there, I just had to print my lessons plans, gather the materials, and I was ready to teach.
If I hadn’t had my music digital and organized into a playlist, I would have had to find all of the CDs (because you know the songs are never on the same CD – ever!) or find the CD I burned from last year that got so scratched and of course won’t play, ugh! I’ll stick with digital every time.
3. Organized Songs
Last but not least, I like to categorize my songs. I have taken all of my digital recordings and organized them into playlists for movement songs, listening songs, instrument play etc.
When there are just a few minutes left in class and I need a quick activity not on my current playlist, I go to the playlist that best fits the bill. I quickly choose the song and I’m in business. If I were still using CDs I can pretty much tell you what would have happened. I most likely wouldn’t be able to find the CD that had the song I was wanting fast enough. In the meantime the kids would be dog piling on the floor behind me while I frantically searched. Instead, the song is on in a flash and everyone is engaged and having fun – including me.
So there you have it, 3 reasons why I love using digital tracks. If you are ready to make the change, I have a little gift for you. Get one of our digital songs for circle time FREE!
