Laptime Songs

Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Fingerplays for Kids

Summer 2016 Road Trip Playlist

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I’m so excited to partner with Sugar Mountain PR to bring you a playlist of songs for summer. This playlist is full of some of our favorite musicians for kids and families. And the very best part, they are available for download for FREE until May 25, 2016.

Meet the Kindie Artists

Frances England – www.francesengland,com
Charity and the JAMband – www.jamjamjam.com
Raffi – Rounder Records/Concord Music Group –www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/raffi/
Aaron Nigel Smith – www.aaronnigelsmith.com
Alphabet Rockers – www.alphabetrockers.com
Sugar Free Allstars – www.sugarfreeallstars.com
Red Yarn – www.redyarnproductions.com
The Not-Its! – www.wearethenot-its.com
The Whizpops – www.thewhizpops.com
Okee Dokee Brothers – www.okeedokee.org
Brady Rymer and the Little Band that Could – www.bradyrymer.com
123 Andres – www.123andres.com

Download this awesome summer road trip playlist while it’s still free.

Sing a Summer Song for EARTH

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I am so excited to partner with Charity and the JAMband to debut a song from their new album EARTH. Today’s song is Sing a Summer Song. I’ve had the privilege of working with Charity Kahn before when she released an album in 2012 called Family Values. You can read my interview with her here.

Earth from Charity and the JAMbandWhat has impressed me so much with Charity and her music is her message of kindness and caring for all living things, including the earth itself. Charity and the JAMband definitely rocks the kindie scene with guitars and drums that get little ones up and moving.

EARTH is a mellower side of Charity and the JAMband, but still with a driving message of the power of love and intentional living. “EARTH is a celebration, like all of our albums,” notes Charity Kahn. “Whenever we record a song, there’s a metaphorical looseness, an organic earthiness that we embody. We hope to convey the feeling of openness, of aliveness…the sense that anything can happen.”

Sing a Summer Song

Today Charity is telling the story of Sing a Summer Song on her blog. Included with the story, Charity shares a free download of Sing a Summer Song. Head on over and add this song to your music library. Charity also includes activity ideas you can use with this song.

CLICK HERE for your free summer song.

If you’re looking for ideas for storytime or circle time, check out 15 Flower Poems for May. This post is a great collection of fingerplays, chants, and songs for flowers. Sing a Summer Song is featured in this post as a great companion song for flower-themed programs.

Connect with Charity and the JAMband

You can keep up with Charity on her blog.

Or you can see the latest news from the JAMband on their website.

You can share your own passion for taking care of the planet with Charity and the JAMband (@jamband) on Twitter using #EveryDayIsEarthDay

15 Flower Poems for May

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Last month it was April showers and now we have moved on to May flowers. In honor of May Day (although I know I’m a few days late) I’ve collected 15 flower poems for you. I’ve tried to vary them so you have flower fingerplays, flower poems, and flower songs. There are also poems about flowers in general as wells as ones about tulips, daffodils and daisies. There is even a great bedtime poem. I’ve included it at the end of the list.

Flower PoemsIn addition to the flower poems you can teach your little ones and use in storytime programs, I’m also excited to share with you a new album from Charity and the JAMband. This album, Earth, has a great message for kids and families about taking care of the earth and showing kindness to each other.

Flower Poems

  1. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
  2. Growing
  3. If I Were a Little Flower
  4. Little Flowers
  5. Five Spring Flowers
  6. Daffodil
  7. I’m a Little Daisy
  8. Tulips
  9. Flower Garden
  10. The Flower Song
  11. A Song of Flowers
  12. I’m a Little Flower Pot
  13. Relaxing Flowers
  14. Five Little Flowers
  15. Bedtime

Be sure to click on the title of the poem to find the full lyrics. With 15 flower poems you will find something to work with any flower storytime program, or enough to create several programs around this theme.

I have heard that talking to plants encourages their growth. I thought of that nugget when I first heard “Sing a Summer Song” on the album Earth from Charity and the JAMband. The song speaks of singing a song for summer, singing a song for flowers, singing a song for dirt and singing a song for you and me. Music has such power to reach little ones. Music can guide them in their learning. Music can also broaden their understanding. This song would be a great addition to a storytime program. You could play it as a welcome song while little ones gather before storytime starts. Or it could be used as a song to play while little ones played with instruments.

Earth from Charity and the JAMbandYou can read more about the story of “Sing a Summer Song” on Charity’s blog. You can also connect with the band on their website or on Twitter (@jamband). You can also pick up a copy of Earth on Amazon or download it from iTunes.

5 Little Flowers

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Five Little Flowers

Five little flowers growing in a row,
The first one said, “I’m purple you know!”
The second one said, “I’m pink as pink can be.”
The third one said, “I’m blue like the sea.”
The fourth one said, “I’m a very red fellow.”
And the fifth one said, “My color is yellow.”

Then out came the sun, big and bright.
And five little flowers smiled in delight.

Relaxing Flowers

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Relaxing Flowers

Five little flowers standing in the sun (hold up five fingers)
See their heads nodding, bowing one by one? (bend fingers several times)
Down, down, down comes the gentle rain (raise hands, wiggle fingers and lower arms to simulate falling rain)
And the five little flowers lift their heads up again! (hold up five fingers)

Tulips

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Tulips

Five little tulips bright and gay, (hold up fingers and thumb on one hand)
Let us water them each day. (make sprinkle motion with other hand)
Watch them open in the bright sunlight. (cup hand, then open it)
Watch them when it is night. (close hand again)

I’m a Little Daisy

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I’m a Little Daisy

(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot“)

I’m a little daisy, tall and slim (Stand on tiptoes)
Here are my petals (Place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers)
Here is my stem (Hold arms down at sides of legs)
When the sun comes up (Make sun with arms)
And the rain comes down (Flutter hands to floor like rain-end in crouching position)
I grow, grow, grow- up from the ground! (slowly raise up bring hand over head)

Download this instrumental version of I’m a Little Teapot to listen and practice offline.

5 Spring Flowers

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Five Spring Flowers

Five spring flowers, all in a row.
The first one said, “We need rain to grow!”
The second one said, “Oh my, we need water!”
The third one said, “Yes, it is getting hotter!”
The fourth one said, “I see clouds in the sky.”
The fifth one said, “I wonder why?”

Then BOOM went the thunder
And ZAP went the lightning!
That springtime storm was really very frightening!
But the flowers weren’t worried–no, no, no!
The rain helped them to grow, grow, GROW!

I’m a Little Flower Pot

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I’m a Little Flower Pot  

(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot“)

I’m a little flower pot mom put out (point to self)
If you take care of me, I will sprout. (nod head, point to self)
When you water me, I will grow (make sprinkling motions w/ right hand)
Into a pretty flower, don’t you know! (raise left hand slowly up from
floor, make wide circle with hands or arms)

Download this instrumental version of I’m a Little Teapot to listen and practice offline.