Holiday Dance Party & Holiday Dance Party for Babies

I have fallen way too far behind on my blog posts! The holidays, lots of days off, and Winter Reading Club planning got me this year-- typical December! I'm going to try to write TWO posts in ONE day so, with that said, this one might seem terse (or have lots of weird-yet-entertaining type-os), but here it is! Post #1 of the day: my Holiday Dance Party and Holiday Dance Party for Babies.

I did a Holiday Dance Party back in 2015 and this year's (aside from taking place at our branch library location and having a "spin off" program-- Holiday Dance Party for Babies), was quite similar. I love music and dance programs of any kind, but, I was happy to have done the bulk of my song-finding two years ago! Finding songs that are the perfect mix of dance-able, not too long, and kid-friendly is actually super-hard! I searched and searched and modified and modified until it was time for the program and I was forced to stop and be happy with what I had. Here is the playlist I wound up with (red = ipod, blue = sing):

Holiday Dance Party (2-5 Years-Olds)

1. Hello Song by Big Jeff
2. Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill
3. Once There Was a Snowman from this YouTube video (drums)
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from this YouTube video cover by Amasic (drums)
5. Frosty the Snowman from Music Factory Music (bells)
6. Jingle Bell Rock from the Glee cast (bells)
7. Oh, Hanukkah from the Glee cast (dance) *
8. It's a Marshmallow World by Darlene Love (tambourines)
9. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Barbie in the Nutcracker (ribbon dancers)
10. Jingle Bells from this YouTube video (parachute)
11. Wheels on the Bus (parachute)
12. Blow A Kiss by Laurie Berkner (parachute + bubbles)

Holiday Dance Party for Babies (0-2 Year-Olds)

1. Hello Song by Big Jeff
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from this YouTube video cover by Amasic (drums)
3. Once There Was a Snowman from this YouTube video (drums)
4. Frosty the Snowman from Music Factory Music (bells)
5. Jingle Bell Rock from the Glee cast (bells)
6. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Barbie in the Nutcracker (scarves)
7. Scarf Dance by Mary Jo Huff (scarves)
8. Oh, Hanukkah from the Glee cast (shakers) *
9. It's a Marshmallow World by Darlene Love (tambourines)
10. Snowflake, Snowflake (parachute) **
11. Jingle Bells from this YouTube video (parachute + balls)
12. Blow A Kiss by Laurie Berkner (parachute + balls + bubbles)

* When I did Oh, Hanukkah with the older group (ages 2-5), I briefly taught them a super-basic version of The Hora (while explaining that I am extremely unqualified to be teaching them The Hora) and had them dance it in a circle. The actual steps didn't last long but it was fun dancing around and wound up being a good laugh for everyone. With the babies, we all just danced around with our shakers. No circle, no steps. They're babies.

** Snowflake, Snowflake came from this wonderful Jbrary video:

It was a PERFECT baby parachute song! I had the babies lie or sit on the floor and we raised and lowered the parachute above them. I may even use this again for my baby group in Musical Kids this winter!

Keeping it fast so I can move on...

What worked least: For some reason, when I was planning this out, this Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cover by Amasic (this YouTube video) seemed to have a more defined drum beat. In actuality, while fun, it didn't have the solid easy-to-drum-to rhythm I was originally hoping for. But I don't think anyone minded too much!

What worked best: It's hard to say, but I think the up-beat Glee version of Jingle Bell Rock coupled with the bells (for both groups) was the most fun part of each program. I'd high recommend this combo for future Holiday Dance Parties!

Apologies for any weird things I should have caught while proof-reading! Like I said, I'm working quickly today!

Unbirthday Party

I have been itching to do birthday party type stuff with the kids at work for a while and, finally, one week ago, I got the chance the host an Unbirthday Party!

First: Set up. I needed to accommodate a lot of stuff in this program--a dance party, parachute play, a photobooth backdrop, two crafts, and a pretty elaborate snack table. Our program room is a decent size but certainly not huge by any stretch of the imagination, so this required some planning. I wound up putting out crafts for 15 kids (5 kids each at 3 tables) with the tables shaped like an L, plus some extra chairs around the room for the grown ups. This left a big square of open space for a (somewhat tightly packed) dance/parachute party.

On the snack table, I put out, most importantly, our unbirthday cake! Also out were water bottles, happy birthday napkins, dessert plates, and pre-poured snacks (Goldfish crackers, Goldfish pretzels, and chocolate covered pretzels) for me to bring around to the tables at snack time. The craft tables (covered in these table clothes from Oriental Trading) were set with everything for our two crafts: Decorate-your-own party hat and color-your-own pinwheel. More on these later.

Like I said, this program had lots of different parts to it. We started with the dance party, which lead into the parachute play. This was my favorite part of the program and was probably the kids' favorite also. Plus it was SO easy! I just did all my favorite Musical Kids stuff! Like MEGA Musical Kids, except a little shorter (about 20-minutes).

Starting with the dance party portion of the evening was a smart move (if I do say so myself) because it helped to accomplish exactly what I'd hoped it would accomplish: a fun party vibe. When the kids entered the room, the very first thing they did was let loose and be silly. One girl even had to change into her dancing shoes.

Here's my playlist (red = ipod, blue = sing):

Jumping & Counting by Jim Gill
I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner (shakers)
We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner (drums)
Toast in the Toaster (parachute + balloons)
Slow and Fast by Hap Palmer (parachute + balloons)
Wheels on the Bus (parachute + balloons)
Hula Hula Baby by The Wiggles (parachute + balloons + bubbles)
The Balloon Game by Music for Little People Choir (balloons + bubbles)

(For more on this, I discuss these songs a lot in my various Musial Kids posts.)

The balloons are what made this dance party special and different from just an ordinary week of Musical Kids (I used these from Oriental Trading, but any would be fine). The kids loved tossing and bouncing the balloons all over the room, even after they were done with their craft and snack. Sidenote: A balloon party would be a great program all on its own! Too bad I totally despise blowing up balloons.

After the dance party, it was time for the crafts: Decorate-your-own party hat and color-your-own pinwheel. Everything was out and I told the kids they could do the crafts in either order.

I took a cue from my Disney Princess Tea Party and kept the crafts free of super messy stuff like paint and glue, since the evening's events included eating. For the party hat decorating, I started with these party hats from Oriental Trading because they were simple, shiny, and good quality. Then I let the kids decorate them with these Rainbow Self-Adhesive Letter stickers from Oriental Trading and these Self-Adhesive Shapes, also from Oriental Trading. It was fun, but quick. Here are two of the finished products:

The other craft, color-your-own pinwheel (using this kit from Oriental Trading) was less successful. It was just wayyyy too complicated for this age group. In fact, it was even kind of complicated for me! First, the folding was sooo tricky! I wound up having to fold pretty much every kid in the class's pinwheel. Second, there were just way too many small parts for kids ages 3-5, including one itty-bitty, pencil-eraser-size cap per pinwheel that wound up just rolling off the table and getting lost in the abyss. So, the pinwheels, unfortunately, were kind of a dud (although probably would be nice for older children who could handle the folding and small pieces with less assistance).

That being said, each kid still colored, assembled, and took home a pinwheel (with help from an adult).

And no worries about any of that anyway because it quickly became time for...(drum roll, please)... unbirthday cake!

I had everyone gather around the cake (as seen above) and sing: Happy Unbirthday To You/Happy Unbirthday To You/Happy Unbirthday Dear Everyone/Happy Unbirthday To You. Then one little girl told me it was almost her brother's birthday so we also sang Happy Birthday to him too. Then I had everyone pretend to blow out birthday candles and it was time for snacks!

This was the best and most orderly food-serving I ever did in a program. I had a page cut little pieces of cake, while I passed around the plates, napkins, and water bottles. Then I gave each table one bowl of pre-poured Goldfish crackers, one bowl of pre-poured Goldfish pretzels, and one bowl of pre-poured chocolate covered pretzels. A minute later, our page started passing out the cake!

Everyone really had fun feasting and finishing up their crafts. I enjoyed seeing everyone wearing their party hats while they ate (seen above). It really seemed like a party!

Like every program I have ever done that involves balloons, the night wrapped up with just a lot of kids bouncing and throwing balloons around the room. You can't go wrong with this. Then I took a few pictures in front of the back drop (this one, also courtesy of Oriental Trading), and we all said goodnight!

What worked least: The pinwheel craft. It was just too complicated and had too many small parts.

What worked best: The dance party and balloons. Like Musical Kids and all my Toddler Dance Parties of the past, this is just a really simple, no-fail program that kids love. And the balloons too. They are so simple and so well-loved. Like they say, if it aint broken, don't fix it.

A big, giant thank you to Oriental Trading for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

Kiddie Prom Party

I've run lots of different variations of Toddler Dance Party (which, in itself, is a variation of Musical Kids) but last week's Kiddie Prom Party was one of my very favorites! It included everything I love about Musical Kids and my past Toddler Dance Parties PLUS fancy outfits, a photo backdrop, and special gold crowns!

I wanted a playlist made up of songs similar to my regular Musical Kids songs, but also, I wanted to spice it up a bit since this was the prom and all. Here's what I wound up with (red = ipod, blue = sing):

1. Hello Song by Big Jeff
2. Celebration by Kidz Bop Kids (shakers)
3. Stop & Go by Greg and Steve (shakers)
4. Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill
5. Shake, Rattle, and Roll from Dance Party Fun (drums)
6. The Tempo Marches On by Jim Gill (drums)
7. Rocketship Run by Laurie Berkner (rockets) *
8. Bread & Butter (sticks) **
9. Whole Lotta Lovin' by Fats Domino (sticks)
10. Toast in the Toaster (parachute + balloons) ***
11. Hot Poppin’ Popcorn by The Wiggles (parachute + balloons)
12. Let's Go Riding in an Elevator (parachute) #
13. Merry Go Round by Wee Sing x2 (parachute) ##
14. The Balloon Game by Music for Little People Choir (balloons)
15. Blow A Kiss by Laurie Berkner ###

I also played a few extra songs at the end for taking pictures:

1. Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yello Polka Dot Bikini by The Kids from Kids Looney Party Tunes
2. Walking on Sunshine by Kidz Bop Kids
3. Monster Mash from Dance Party Fun (which I didn't ever actually wind up playing. Everyone was already out of the room by the middle of Walking on Sunshine).

* I write about Rocketship Run every single time I blog about my middle or oldest Musical Kids group. It's an absolute essential. I couldn't do the class without it. When we do this song, I hand out rockets-on-sticks for them to zoom around with, and then also, I hold up signs for all the places we "travel" to. Here's my stuff:

When I hold up each sign, the kiddos all run up and touch their rocket to the sign, like they're really "going" to the sun/moon/etc. I'VE NEVER TOLD THEM TO DO THIS, and yet in every class, it happens. It's so funny! They totally invented it and it's continued on from class-to-class.

Side note: I occasionally do a similar program at my local library and they do it there too! How do they all know to do it? I don't understand! It's adorable!

** This is Bread & Butter, thanks to Jbrary (although I modified it a teeny bit):



*** Another Jbrary one! Toast in the Toaster:



These lovely ladies recommend this as a great movement song, but I have always used it as a parachute song instead! We bounce the balls (we used balloons instead today!) gently until the word "pop," then we give a big snap and let the balls (or balloons) fly up! Usually everyone follows this with a soft "wooooh!" and usually I sing it twice.

# Might as well keep the Jbrary theme going today. Here is Let's Go Riding in an Elevator:



I sing this a lot slower for suspense. Then I have the kids go under the parachute as the floors move up higher and it works really, really well. The kids love it! I highly recommend this as a parachute song!

## Like Rocketship Run, Merry-Go-Round has become an essential part of my Musical Kids repertoire. For this, we lay the parachute down flat on the ground and the kids crawl into the middle and sit down flat. There are usually 1 or 2 kids who are either afraid of this or who would just prefer to stand outside the parachute with the grown ups, but the majority of the group likes this part the best of all! When the kids are all seated in the middle, the grown ups pull up from the parachute's handles and we all walk around in a circle, giving the kids a ride. I play the song twice (it's only 28-seconds long) and we change directions for the second time around. Here they are on their ride:

### I prefaced my usual "goodbye song" today by saying that, while this was the "goodbye song," I had a few other fun songs coming on after it, so there would be plenty of time to hang out and take pictures against the backdrop. BUT FIRST... I needed to crown all the prom kings and queens (aka everyone). The kids went wild for the crowns (these from Oriental Trading). Because these are just cardboard Oriental Trading crowns and not of the highest quality, I pre-taped them in three different sizes and handed them out based on the ages of the kids. Seriously, they all loved them! Then it was picture time! I want to share a few of my favorites:

What worked least: Shake, Rattle, and Roll felt a little long. But really, that's it! It was still fun and, honestly, I'm not even sure I would have swapped that song out for anything else if I had the chance to re-do it! It was a fun song for a change and helped with the partyish vibe I was going for! So there.

What worked best: Oh just... EVERYTHING. This was basically all the success of Musical Kids + cute outfits, balloons, give away crowns, and a photo backdrop!

Holiday Dance Party

Yesterday was my Holiday Dance Party. I love music and dance programs of any kind, but, in the planning stage, the holiday version of my Toddler Dance Party, wound up being a little bit of a challenge for me. I wanted to incorporate a few Christmas songs, at least one Hanukkah song, plus a few of my usual favorites. But they had to be dancey! And finding perfect, dancey, not too long, kid-friendly versions of holiday songs is actually super-hard. I modified and modified until it was time for the program and I was forced to stop. Here is the playlist I wound up with (red = ipod, blue = sing):

1. Hello Song by Big Jeff
2. Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill
3. Once There Was a Snowman from the Youtube video below (drums) *
4. The Tempo Marches On by Jim Gill (drums)
5. Jingle Bell Rock from the Glee cast (bells) **
6. Frosty the Snowman from Music Factory Music (bells)
7. Rocketship Run by Laurie Berkner (rockets)
8. Oh, Hanukkah from the Glee cast (circle dance) ***
9. Twinkle, Twinkle
10. Snowflake, Snowflake ****
11. I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner (shakers + chicken puppet)
12. It’s a Marshmallow World by Darlene Love (shakers)
13. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Barbie in the Nutcracker (ribbon dancers) #
14. Slow and Fast by Hap Palmer (parachute)
15. Hot Poppin’ Popcorn by The Wiggles (parachute + balloons) ##
16. The Balloon Game by Music for Little People Choir (balloons) ###
17. Blow A Kiss by Laurie Berkner

* I am lucky that I figured out how to play Youtube videos through the our iPod dock. This version of Once there Was a Snowman was perfect for playing the drums. I played the song twice and each time I had the group lift up their drums for "tall, tall, tall" and then bend down low like a melting snowman for "small, small, small." Easy enough! Here's what "tall, tall, tall" looked like:

** Jingle Bell Rock was a hit and the Glee version was THE perfect arrangement. Here's a cute video of the kids enjoying it:

*** As a celebrator of both Christmas and Hanukkah, I find Hanukkah music repeatedly disappointing. It's just so boring, sad, and dreary compared to Christmas music. I was just about to leave it out entirely (I couldn't stand the thought of pretending to like the song Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel), but then I decided to TAKE BACK THE HANUKKAH MUSIC. I wanted to make Hanukkah music fun--like a big, Jewish party, sans wine. And SO, I decided to teach the kids the Hora and dance to the perfectly exciting Glee version of Oh, Hanukka. First I taught them the basic steps (in short: step, step, step, kick, kick) and made them all do it a few times for practice. Once they appeared to have the steps down, I had them get in a circle, hold hands, and get ready to dance the Hora! I pressed play and, while it wasn't as perfectly choreographed as it would have been with a room full Jewish adults, it was so much fun! We, as a group, were messy. But every person in the room was smiling and laughing and that, I guess, trumps being a good dancer. Here we are:

**** Snowflake, Snowflake was written by Dana of Jbrary! It's simple and to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle. It (with classic Twinkle, Twinkle preceding it) was perfect for calming the group down after wild Rocketship Run and then dancing the Hora. Here's how the song goes:



# Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was, unfortunately, one of those weird, low iPod songs that you can't actually hear too well unless the group quiets down (and you don't actually know is weird and low until you try to play it loud enough to project over a crowd of noisy preschoolers and you just can't seem to get it loud enough). This was a bit of a glitch, yes. In a way, it was kind of good because everyone was forced to be a little quieter, but mostly it was annoying because Holiday Dance Party wasn't designed to be a quiet program. But big thanks to ribbon dancers! Because of them, I didn't even need music! The kids just liked twirling these things around. The room could have probably been completely silent and they would have still enjoyed the ribbon dancers! Also, I'd explained to them that this song is from a ballet called the Nutcracker and that, in ballet, the dancers all dance on their tip-toes. I told them that for this song, we all had to dance on our tip-toes, but even I gave that up about halfway through the song. Here's us (that's me up front):

## Even though we didn't do any holiday music with the it, the parachute was, as usual, a highlight of yesterday's program. The Wiggles' Hot Poppin' Popcorn is a good parachute song that I don't get to use too often because it requires something that's a good middle-of-the-parachute bouncer. And the best middle-of-the-parachute bouncer ever is balloons--which I just don't have the time to blow up for weekly programs. So balloons are a treat and thus, this fun song is also a treat.

### The Balloon Game, like Hot Poppin' Popcorn, is also a treat reserved for dance parties and other special programs. This is a fun song that prompts the kids to bounce balloons off of their heads, knees, noses, and other body parts. However, much like with Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the ribbon dancers, the music doesn't even really matter here. They're just psyched to play with the balloons. Makes no difference to them!

Overall, this was SUPER fun and definitely worth the hassle of trying to find the perfect versions of each song.

What worked least: I was disappointed that Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy wasn't louder because I think it would have been adorable if it had been. I had visions of sugar plums the kids dancing on their tip-toes and waving the ribbon dancers to the music, but it was fun for them regardless. The ribbon dancers MADE this work, especially because they was something special that we ordered for this program (and specifically for this song).

What worked best: The parachute, obviously.

What else worked best: I think Jingle Bell Rock really got everyone up and into the program. Maybe also because it was the first really "rockin'" holiday song that I played but, check out the video above. It was really a fun song!

Summer Dance Party (AKA My Birthday Party)

Yesterday I had my Summer Dance Party, a program we all affectionately called "Laura's Birthday Party" around the office. It was super-fun! Because it was my birthday, I really wanted the program to go well and (selfishly, maybe) I really wanted to have fun too!

The program was exactly what it sounded like: a giant dance party. We played instruments, sang songs, and topped it all off with the parachute and a big ol' bag of balloons. The sign up was massive and the turn-out was too! There were 38 people there and every single one of them participated. You can't really ask for a better birthday program than that!

Here's my playlist:

(red = ipod, blue = sing)

1. A New Way to Say Hello by Big Jeff

2. Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill
3. Aiken Drum by Little Genius (drums)
4. The Tempo Marches On by Jim Gill (drums + parade)
5. Rocketship Run by Laurie Berkner (rockets)
6. Bread & Butter (sticks) *
7. Whole Lotta Lovin’ by Fats Domino (sticks)
8. I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner (shakers + chicken puppet)
9. We’re Going to the Market by Kathy Reid-Naiman (shakers)
10. Hot Poppin’ Popcorn by The Wiggles (parachute + balloons)
11. If You’re Happy and You Know It Lift it High (parachute + balloons) **
12. The Balloon Game by Music For Little People Choir (balloons)
13. Sunglasses by Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights (sunglasses)
14. Oh Children Ring Your Bells by Kathy Reid-Naima (bells)
15. Happy Birthday ***
16. Blow A Kiss by Laurie Berkner

This was only my second time ever using balloons in a dance-type program and they worked really well. I used them in the center of the parachute instead of balls and then used them again with a song called The Balloon Game from an album called Birthday Party Singalong (coincidentally). They actually worked so well that I needed some casual bribery to get the kids to move on after the song was over. Good thing I was prepared with giveaways (in true birthday party fashion). I gave them these rainbow sunglasses from Oriental Trading to dance around with and take home and I and told them they could only receive them if they put their balloons down until the end of the program (but then they could keep those too).

Overall, the kids and parents were happy and smiling and having fun the entire 45 minutes I had them. And I was too! Score!

* This is Bread & Butter thanks to Jbrary (although I modified it a teeny bit):



** If You're Happy and You Know It Lift it High, is just a variation of regular If You're Happy and You Know It, but for the parachute. The next verses are: "If you're happy and you know it shake it fast," "If you're happy and you know it shake it slow," and last, "If you're happy and you know it get below," in which I encourage all of the kids to go under the parachute. This was awesome! And I had the words up on the board so all the parents could sing along.

*** My sneaky coworker and my sneakier boss alerted a few of the regular moms to the fact that it was my birthday and (I assume) suggested they sing to me. Whatever sneakiness happened--I'll never be sure--one of the moms lead the whole crew in a round of Happy Birthday and I just about melted into a pile of happy-yet-embarrassed mush on the floor. It was very sweet.

Have you ever seen a more excited and happy group of parachuters? 

What worked best and least (a two-in-one answer!): The parachute can get crazy! But I think it's always sooo worth it when it's a success. This time it was both crazy and a success. I've found, in the past, that the kids tend to get overly-psyched at just the sight of the parachute. So yesterday, when both the parachute and the balloons came out, they were even more psyched than the usual parachute-psyched. So it was kind of loony in the room, but it was such a happy loony! Also, it can be hard to coordinate such a large group in one, totally uniform activity. But then, during the periods of synchronized lifting and dropping that does work out, it's just the best thing! Everyone loves it and there's such a sense of teamwork. Nothing beats it.

And also: The last verse of If You're Happy and You Know It Lift it High, where we all sang "If you're happy and you know it get below," was an absolute success. When it doubt, have the kids get under the parachute. It's no-fail.