If you’re in a situation where you’re not able to use much holiday-oriented repertoire, this post is for you! In the past, Halloween songs have been frowned upon at my school, so I don’t introduce songs about witches, ghosts, or goblins. However, I always fall back on some fall favorites like Skin and Bones, Let’s Hide the Pumpkin, and Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Round and Fat.
Although Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Round and Fat uses the word “jack-o-lantern,” I have been able to use it without complaint. I hope you can, too, because it’s a wonderful way to begin improvisation, even in Kindergarten. The first time I introduce the song, I sing it and allow the students to just listen. (They start singing when they’re ready.)
1. One student stands in front of the class and holds a pumpkin face on a stick. During the song the face is toward them. At the end, they turn it to their classmates and the other students have to try to make that face. (I made 5 faces from paper plates.)
2. The next week, a student stands in front of the class and makes their own face. The students copy it.
3. For another variation on this game, see the Music a la Abbott blog. (You should be following Amy’s blog anyway. It’s full of great ideas!)
More on improvisation next time!
Great idea! Thanks for the link too! 🙂
I didn’t share this in my post, but I have a small pumpkin parachute that I got a few years ago to use with this song. It’s fun to have everyone lift it at the end and show their pumpkin face across the circle, under the parachute.
I use Pumpkin, Pumpkin with my preschool and Music Together classes each fall. It’s an easy song that the young children can pick up easily. I had a nursery school teacher who changed the lyrics and made it a Thanksgiving Song. “Turkey, Turkey, round and fat. Turned into Thanksgiving Dinner just like that!” Hey, her dad was a farmer. Not for the faint of heart.