The rainforest is an incredible place full of mystery and wonder, it's not surprising we are still learning new things about it every day. Children love learning about the exotic wildlife that inhabits the jungle; powerful jaguars, playful monkeys, colorful parrots, and all kinds of strange creatures offer a wealth of learning opportunities. In fact, the rainforest is so complex it is easiest to divide it by level. The canopy is where the most activity takes place and it also happens to be home to many species of monkeys. Try some of these rainforest activities and play like the monkeys do! 

Monkey See, Monkey Do Game

Someone gets to be the leader monkey first and the rest of the players copy the movements of the leader. Example: the leader touches his/her nose and the rest of the monkeys touch their noses. Take turns as the leader.

Banana Bites Snack

Spread a peeled banana with peanut butter and roll it in a crunchy cereal. Slice the banana into bite-sized pieces. Enjoy!

Download our Free Monkey Coloring Book

See our Rainforest Theme Unit page for more great rainforest songs and musical plays. Margie La Bella graciously shared her song "Hey, Mister Monkey" with everyone. You can download it for free!

February is certainly the time of year for cold hands and a warm heart. Valentine's Day is often regarded as a commercial holiday that exists simply to sell cheesy cards and questionable chocolates. Perhaps Cupid has gone a little mainstream, but he still makes time for archery practice. Show your loved ones and your friends how much they mean to you with something homemade that they will cherish for a long time to come. My dad still has a paper valentine I made for him when I was five. I covered it in rhinestones and lace, then decorated it with watercolors. It hangs proudly in his Man Cave one month of the year. Maybe you're a domestic god or goddess and can whip up some elaborate Valentine's display that would make Martha's jaw drop, or maybe you're still mastering scissors and paste. Regardless of skill level, these activities will be sure to please everyone and add a little personal touch to this Valentine's Day. 

by Jamie McElroy 

 by Ben Stiefel

     Learning to read notes on a staff is valuable for all children, whether they play an instrument, sing, or simply love music and wish to learn more about how musicians compose and play.  But learning musical terms such as staff, clef, time signature, key signature, and measure, can be boring.  How do you make the teaching of note-reading exciting and fun?  Here are some ideas:

      Let children write on the chalkboard.  Once you've modeled how to make a treble clef, for example, have four or five students come to the chalkboard and draw the clef.  Play some fun background music while they do it - they'll think they're on a game show.

      Speaking of game shows, you can teach almost any musical concept and turn it into a game.  For example, when teaching line and space notes, you could create index cards that read "third space" or "fourth line," for example.  Make one student the "announcer" who reads any given card out loud.  Then have students draw the note that's been called.  If it's drawn on the correct line (or in the correct space), give their team a point - or a hundred points.  I'd vote for a hundred points - much more fun than earning just one measly point!

     I'm also a big fan of children moving around the classroom.  Using the same example of line and space notes, single notes on a staff can be drawn on large cards and then placed around the classroom.  In this example, a group of students from a predesignated team comes to the front of the classroom.  When the "announcer" says "third space," for example, the students walk to the corresponding card, and are given points if correct.  For more advanced students who have been taught the letter names of the notes on staff, the announcer can simply say "note B," and those students again must walk to the corresponding card.

     There's no reason note-reading should be dull - with a little creative thought, you can shake up your music class and make learning fun! 

(For a fun and easy way to teach note-reading to your recorder, song flute, tonette, and song flute students, see Single-Note Symphonies For Recorder.  For more fun and easy ideas to spice up your general music class, while helping your most difficult students to learn and achieve, see Winning Over Your Toughest Music Class.)

If you live in colder climates, you are probably ready to have some warmer weather come your way.   In my home state of Pennsylvania we have a very cute, chunky groundhog named “Phil” who predicts whether Spring will come early or if we will have to endure another 6 more weeks of winter.  You probably already know it’s all based on folk and farm lore where certain animals and their hibernation cycles are said to signify the coming of Spring. 

In the town of Punxatawny, Pennsylvania, “Phil” the groundhog is a big celebrity and even has quite a few helpers on February 2^nd when the big day arrives.  If it’s cloudy, Spring is supposed to come early.  If it’s clear and Phil sees it’s shadow – then 6 more weeks of cold weather!  In Pennsylvania Dutch areas of our state, there are special “Groundhog Lodges” where there is food, entertainment and skits or plays at this time of year.  All who attend must speak only in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect or they are fined a nickel or a dime for speaking English!  In general, it’s a great time of year to celebrate our little furry friends and consider why animals are important to our lives.   

I spent many of my teenage years in a Native American culture where animals are highly respected.  For us, the web of life is woven not just for human beings but by every one of the amazing creatures -large and small- put here to dwell together.   Whether it’s a prediction of spring by a hibernating creature or the companionship a favorite dog, cat or bird, wool from sheep or eggs or meat from other animals, it’s clear that animals provide so much for us.   With that in mind, it’s great to stop and think a moment about how we are all interconnected and how much animals enrich our lives.

Would you like to learn more about groundhogs and Groundhogs Day? Check out some of the books I’ve listed below.  Some are mainly factual and others are a bit more creative – like one about a groundhog starting a weather school and another where the groundhog can’t sleep when he needs to and can’t get up when he should – very funny! And if you’ve ever wondered how much wood a woodchuck could really chuck, you can check out a tongue-twister song (The Groundhog’s Day Song) that I wrote because my family also wondered… how much ground a groundhog could hog if a groundhog could hog ground!  We also considered how much sap a sapsucker could suck if a sapsucker could suck sap.  (A sapsucker is a rather large bird in the woodpecker family that manages to make huge holes in lots of our pine trees!)  And if you’re thinking about animals, you can also listen to a song I wrote with my daughter when she was 9.  It was about riding on a horse and listening the wisdom that it can share with us.  I was very grateful to record this song with a Lenape Clan mother.  The Lenape (or Leni Lenape) are the Native Americans that originated in the area of Pennsylvania where I now live.

And what about activities?  Pennsylvania Dutch lodges always have Groundhog’s Day skits.  Could you come up with your own skit for this special occasion?   Could your class write and perform one?  You could also make sock puppets or paper pop-up puppets – great fun for acting out whether or not the groundhog will see his shadow from your own personal perspective.  You can find the pop-up puppet activity here: http://freesongsforkids.com/audios/groundhog-day-song-how-much-wood-could-woodchuck-chuck.  If you visit my website and sign up for my free newsletter you can also be entered into a contest to win one of two great large groundhog puppets. My monthly song page is located at: http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

In any event, I hope you have an outstanding Groundhog’s Day!  Whether or not Phil sees his shadow on February 2^nd at Gobbler’s Knob, I’ve still be keeping my fingers crossed for an early Spring!

Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou

Award-winning children’s performer, DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has five cd’s that have won national honors.  She has the most awesome job of traveling the world to sing for kids and peace.  Her website; located at dariamusic.com, was given a 2009 Parents Choice Award for its musical and cultural content.

The Groundhog Song

Ride, Horse, Ride

Books About Groundhog’s Day

Groundhog Day!

Gail Gibbons  (author)

Wonderful fun and great facts about groundhogs and the Groundhog’s Day celebration.

The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun

Wendie C. Old (Author)

Paige Billin-Frye (Illustrator)

A sampler of groundhog facts and a good description of the special day in Punxatawny, PA.

Go To Sleep, Groundhog! 
Judy Cox (Author)

Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

A groundhog can’t seem to fall asleep when it’s time to hibernate and has a tough time getting up when his own special holiday comes.  Lovely illustrations.

Ten Grouchy Groundhogs

Kathryn Heling (Author), Deborah Hembrook (Author)

A cute counting book for young children with some good groundhog facts sprinkled in!

Groundhog Gets a Say

Pamela Curtis Swallow (Author)

Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

A groundhog thinks his holiday should last more then one day.  His animal friends help make his case for the world to know more about groundhogs. 

Groundhog Weather School

Joan Holub (Author)

Kristin Sorra (Illustrator)

A groundhog is encouraged to open a weather school everyone gets to learn more about hibernation, groundhogs and the holiday.

By Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou

Winter holidays are over. 2011 is here. Now is a great time to being a new year with inspiring ideas and exciting ideals of community-building and service. This year, the day to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is January 17^th and there are so many was to enjoy and participate in this special day.

First, the basics.  How do you take MLK’s inspiring life complete with many of it’s complex issues and share that with kids?  It’s great to start with some of the exceptional children’s books on the topic. One of my personal favorites is a beautifully illustrated book called Martin’s Big Words.  There is also an exceptional book written by MLK’s sister: My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There are also wonderful picture books, “First Biographies” and even a “Blast From The Past“ paperback written along the line of the Magic Treehouse series.  A great book here can make this great life come alive for kids. (A list for youngest readers appears below.)

Since I am a musician, I had the desire to take some of MLK’s favorite speeches and use the most popular quotes to write a simple, singable song.  The result was my “I Have a Dream” song which can be found on the SFT website along with sheet music and lyric sheets.  I am proud to say this song it is being used in schools and classrooms throughout the USA as a singable way to share the ideas that continue to inspire more and more new generations.

Also, since I love art and creativity – especially when working with children, this year I developed two mini-posters that are also free on my website. They show a sketch of MLK and a rainbow as a symbol of hope and to express my own appreciation that MLK worked for the dignity of people of all colors – not just the equality of African-Americans.  These posters have some of my favorite lines from famous speeches.  One simply has the quote: “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”  The other mini-poster shares more words of wisdom such as: “Life’s most urgent question is:  what are you doing for others?”,  “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” And “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” I encourage parents and teachers to let young people color the pictures and think about the quotes.  What could those words mean in their homes, classroom and lives?  These thoughts are amazing seeds to plant in young minds.  
You can check out Daria's free mini-posters here and here.

And last of all, you can always get even more creative.  What could you and your family or class dream up as service projects?  What cooperative projects could you do to make your neighborhood or school a more beautiful and accepting place or to meet the needs of your community?  Projects and activities can be as simple as drawing pictures for local seniors, making a mural, collecting goods for those who need them or talking about bullying and what can be done to keep it from being a part of your school.  Remember, as teachers and parents, your role as a leader can be so important in shaping children’s concepts of what it means to be a valued and valuable part of their community. 

As kids grow up with media coverage of pop stars, rock stars and superstars hailed as “being great”, it is so refreshing to share with them the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. - someone who truly lived up to that description.  And, in doing so, he shared an unforgettable truth that can motivate us all for years to come: “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”

Award-winning children’s performer, DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has five cds that have won national honors. She has the most awesome job of traveling the world to sing for kids and peace.  Her website; located at dariamusic.com, was given a 2009 Parents Choice Award for its musical and cultural content.

FREE Song Download: Daria's I Have a Dream

Books On Martin Luther King Jr. For Young Readers

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier (Authors)

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Picture Book Biography) [Paperback]

David A. Adler, (Author)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Margaret McNamara and Mike Gordon

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Christine King Farris (Author), Chris Soentpiet (Illustrator)

The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.

Johnny Ray Moore and Amy Wummer (Authors)

Martin Luther King, Jr. (My First Biography) Marion Dane Bauer (Author)

King's Courage (Blast to the Past)

Stacia Deutsch (Author), David Wenzel (Illustrator)