In my last post, I shared three of my favorite singing games for Kindergarten.  I’m working up the grade levels and sharing three more beloved singing games for First Grade!  Singing games provide a variety of benefits for young students.  From providing musical context and content, to movement and imaginative play, singing games allow students to learn through developmentally appropriate play.  

As I’ve compiled my list of favorite singing games by grade, I’ve researched each song.  It’s fascinating to see all of the variations of melody and games for each folk song.  All of the songs I’m presenting were learned aurally – from friends, colleagues, or workshops I’ve attended.  This is the beauty of the folk song – as it’s passed down from person to person and generation to generation, you get variations of the song by region.  As you share these songs in your own classroom, you might find students that know different versions as well.  

We Are Dancing in the Forest

This singing game is a classic and was taught to me by Ms. Emily Jones, a colleague of mine during my time at Spring Branch ISD in Houston, Texas. As a MLT inspired teacher, Sol-Mi-La songs are not usually part of my repertoire, but this song is beloved by my students and a staple of my first grade repertoire!

Directions:

• Students stand in a circle formation holding hands. 
• Select one student to sit in the center of the circle – he/she is the wolf
• Give the students a 2-beat ostinato to perform while singing the song (I limit it to body percussion – snap, clap, pat, stomp)
• At the end of the song, the class calls out, “Wolf, are you there?”  The wolf may respond “No” one time (my kids will often add something they are doing, e.g. “No, I’m reading the newspaper.”) If the wolf responds no, we sing the song one additional time with the same ostinato.
• If the wolf responds, “Yes, and I’m coming to get you!’  All students must remain standing in their circle formation.  The child who is the wolf will try to tag students in the circle.  The only way to be safe is to sit down before the wolf tags you.  I show my students that if the bottom is below the knees in a squat position, then they are seated.  Sometimes, children will try to fake out the wolf and pretend to sit, you’ll have to make a judgement on what’s acceptable to you.
• At the end of the game, the wolf selects a new child to play.  As my students become more familiar with body percussion ostinati, I invite them to create patterns for us to do.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do – although not present in the song)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2s)
• La-Sol-Mi patterns
• Quarter note/eighth note rhythm patterns (if you’ve introduced rhythmic notation, this is a good song to practice reading)

We Are Dancing in the Forest

Let’s Play in the Snow

This is a favorite in my classroom simply because snowballs are included!  Who doesn’t like playing with snowballs – even if they’re just little white yarn balls?

Directions:

• Introduce the song by singing it to your students.  I often teach students new songs using a process called Rote Song Procedure so that they can learn the deeper structure of the beyond just the lyrics and melody.  
• Students sit in a circle formation on the floor.  It’s best if they are knee-to-knee as they will be passing a small yarn ball around the circle.
• Give one child the “snowball.”  I bought little white snowballs in the Target Dollar Spot but any old ball will do.  You can also borrow yarn balls from your PE teacher.  You only need one to play.
• Instruct the students that as you sing the song, you are going to pass the snowball around the circle.  Students will pass to the macrobeat of the song.  Practice patting the macrobeat on your knees as you sing the song.  You may also want to provide strategies for passing games (one hand on knee to receive, one hand to pass).
• Provide a few practice rounds of passing the snowball with the song before playing the game.
• At the end of the game, the student with the snowball chants a 4-beat rhythm pattern in triple meter.  The first time we play, the entire class echoes the pattern.  As we play on additional days, I allow the student to throw the snowball to one other child to either echo or improvise a new pattern in response to the pattern they heard.  It’s a fun way to get kids chanting and improvising rhythmically.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do – can discuss how song begins and ends on resting tone)
• Triple meter (beat divides into 3s)
• Rhythm pattern work (students improvise 4-beat pattern, class echoes)
• Assessment (assess student patterns)
• Coordinated beat movement

Circle Round the Zero

This is a singing game I used to do with older grades, but I found that the older the child, the more inhibited they were about movement.  I started doing this game with my first graders to help stave off their fears/inhibitions for movement and partner work.

Directions:

• Students stand in a circle formation.  Invite one student to stand on the outside of the circle.
• As you sing the song, the child on the outside of the circle begins skipping around the students.  On the phrase, “Find your lovin’ zero,” the student stops behind one student.
• On “back, back” – the two students bump backs.  On “side, side” – the two students bump sides.  On “front, front” – the two students pat hands across from each other.  
• On the final phrase, “Find your lovin’ zero” the two students trade places.  The new student begins to skip around the circle as the song is sung again.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2s)
• Discuss phrases (musical sentences)

Circle ‘Round the Zero

Do you have a favorite singing game for First Grade?  Leave me a comment below with your favorite game! 

Related Blog Posts