Families Level: Key Stage 1 - Songs & chants

Ye Canna Shove Your Granny Off a Bus!

I soon remembered this song with Amitie's help! This video demonstrates one of the reasons why I tend not to use accompaniments for singing - the spontaneity here is delightful and the moment could not have waited while we found an accompaniment!

Grandma's Action Chant

It's best to teach chants by rote, but some children may enjoy reading the words at first. There are actions for each line.

• These are grandma’s glasses (make circles around eyes with fingers)
• This is grandma’s hat (use both hands to make a hat shape on head)
• This is the way she folds her hands (put one hand over the other)
• And puts them on her lap (put hands in lap)
• These are grandad’s glasses (make circles around eyes with fingers)
• This is Grandad’s hat (use both hands to make a hat shape on head)
• This is the way he folds his arms (fold arms)
• And THAT IS THAT!

Happy Families

Which families do the children belong to? Being a member of any group is like being a member of a family and often makes us feel happy. Examples: your class at school, swimming class, choir, dance class, soccer team. Here's a song about being happy - the lyrics are so easy to pick up that they don't really need to be written out!

If You're Happy and You Know It

Apusskidusski

In the Seaside and Under the Sea unit there's a traditional Swedish song called I Medelhavet, with an approximate translation of the original words (which happen to begin with a line about sardines!) plus an additional verse that I made up. It's a song that would be ideal for a mother or father to sing to their child, so I've included it here too.