What’s in the Bag?
This activity is good for children ages 8 to 11.
Beforehand Preparation
Gather concrete objects that have to do with the song. (Warning: often we substitute things like a can for the word can (rebus). They do not mean the same thing. Please do not use this kind of concrete object for a word that means something entirely different.)
Put the objects in a paper bag.
Activity
Hold up the paper bag and tell the children that some of the things in this bag have something to do with the song. Tell the children that you will tap one of them on the song and they should come up and take out one thing from the bag.
Sing the song and tap a child on the shoulder. As soon as he or she has removed one object from the bag, tap another child on the shoulder to come up and take another item out of the bag. Continue in this way until all the objects are out of the bag. You will be singing the song the entire time the children are taking things out of the bag.
Ask the children, "What do these things have to do with the song?" Sing the song again and then receive their answers. Ask the children to figure out what order the objects come in the song and put them in order. Tell them you will tap someone on the shoulder to move the first object into first place, then someone else to move the second object into place. Sing the song and tap each child on the shoulder as needed.
Activity Extender
After the objects are all in order according to the song, ask the children to sing only the words of the song that go with one of the objects. Sing the song, having the children join you on only those words. When you finish singing the song, challenge the children to sing all the words EXCEPT the words that go with the objects. Sing the song again leaving out those words.
Benefits of this Activity
Good for creative thinking (See Chapter Ten). Good for spatial/picture, logical, and word intelligences (See Chapter Five). Great for active participation in the learning process (See Chapter One).
This activity is good for children ages 8 to 11.
Beforehand Preparation
Gather concrete objects that have to do with the song. (Warning: often we substitute things like a can for the word can (rebus). They do not mean the same thing. Please do not use this kind of concrete object for a word that means something entirely different.)
Put the objects in a paper bag.
Activity
Hold up the paper bag and tell the children that some of the things in this bag have something to do with the song. Tell the children that you will tap one of them on the song and they should come up and take out one thing from the bag.
Sing the song and tap a child on the shoulder. As soon as he or she has removed one object from the bag, tap another child on the shoulder to come up and take another item out of the bag. Continue in this way until all the objects are out of the bag. You will be singing the song the entire time the children are taking things out of the bag.
Ask the children, "What do these things have to do with the song?" Sing the song again and then receive their answers. Ask the children to figure out what order the objects come in the song and put them in order. Tell them you will tap someone on the shoulder to move the first object into first place, then someone else to move the second object into place. Sing the song and tap each child on the shoulder as needed.
Activity Extender
After the objects are all in order according to the song, ask the children to sing only the words of the song that go with one of the objects. Sing the song, having the children join you on only those words. When you finish singing the song, challenge the children to sing all the words EXCEPT the words that go with the objects. Sing the song again leaving out those words.
Benefits of this Activity
Good for creative thinking (See Chapter Ten). Good for spatial/picture, logical, and word intelligences (See Chapter Five). Great for active participation in the learning process (See Chapter One).
