BACK TO SCHOOL HAPPIES

What is a HAPPIE?
Several years ago when I was doing a workshop a teacher walked in with a cup of coffee from specialty coffee shop. I said, “Don’t you just love that coffee.” She replied, “Yes, it’s my happie.” When I asked what she meant she explained, “You know every day is not totally happy. You have to do a little something special for yourself each day - something to make you happy. That’s what a ‘happie’ is.”

The more Carolyn Kisloski and I talked about this the clearer it became to us that we needed to put some “happies” back in the classroom day as well. Teachers are overburdened with standards, assessments, and expectations from administrators and parents. That’s why Carolyn and I wanted to create something to make teaching and learning more FUN! And, yes, we back up our playful and meaningful activities with research and the curriculum trends.

We have put together “the best of” our 60+ years of teaching experience for each month with tried and true ideas. There are over 100 pages of hands-on learning activities with cheers, handshakes, attention grabbers, transitions, management tips, brain breaks, finger plays, math, literacy, science, and seasonal lesson plans. There are also 15+ song downloads with books and visuals each month.

The good news is that you will be able to download a FREE year full of HAPPIES over the next week. The links will only be available for a month, so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity. (You might even let your bestie teacher friends know about this!)

We promise/hope your new school year will be more FUN for you and your children with our HAPPIES!

WOW!  TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE HAPPIES TO START YOUR YEAR!

01-Back to School

https://bit.ly/drJFreeBack

 
Good Morning Sign-In Graph………………………………….8
Rise and Shine……………………………………..…………...9
QR Code Demonstration Video…………………..………..10
Handshakes: Thumb Kiss, Hand Hug……………….....…. 11
Cheers: Firecracker, Pat on the Back, Cowboy….…….12
Attention Grabber: Tootsie Roll…...………………….…….13
Transition/ Rules Rap……………………………………    14
Management Our Class Rules Book Covers…………15, 16
I Can Classroom Rules…………………………………....….17
Learning through Play...………………………………....…..18
Building Blocks………………………………………...….……19
Everything in its Place..………………………………….……20
Making Groups………………………………………….……..21
Brain Breaks Cool Bear Hunt…………………………………22
Tooty Ta...…………………….…………………………….......23
If You’re Happy and You Know It………………………….24
Finger Plays Little Girl and Little Boy………………………25
Five Little Hotdogs……...……………………………………..26
Calendar Days of the Week……………………………………27
Math Over in the Meadow……………………………………28-34
The First Twelve Days of School…………………………….35-40
The Numbers of Me………………………………...………...41-44
Punch it Out……………………...…………………………….45
Math Mats……………………………………………...………46, 47
Cereal Math……………………………………………………48
Game My Messy House……………………………………….49
Literacy Letter Anchor Charts……………………………….50
Letter Food Ideas…………………………...…………………51
Letter Puppets………………………………………………….52
Alphardy………………………………………………………...53, 54
Nursery Rhyme Rap…………………………………………...55
Nursery Rhymes…………...…………………………………...56-69
Who Will Help Me Bake the Bread.....................................70
Body Writing…………………………………………………….71
Talk and Listen Sticks…………………………………………..72, 73
Predictable Morning Message……………………………...74
Name Activities………………………………………………...75-78
Katalina Matalina……………...………………………………79-82
Science Colors Prezi………………….……………...………….83
Color Box…………….…………………………………………..84
Color Train……………………………………………………….85
Our Colorful Class……………………………………………...86-99
My Colorful World………………………………...……………100
Mixing Colors……………………………………………………101
Color Balls…………………………...…………………………..102
Mouse Paint Color Mixing……………………………...…….103
Sort the Rainbow…………....…………………………………104
Seasonal Fall Prezi……………………………………………105
Super Star Chant……………………………………...……….106-108
Gray Squirrel………………………………………...……....….109
Apple Tree………………...…………………………………….110, 111
End of the Day It’s Time to Say Good-Bye…………………112

SONGS IN SPANISH

Songs can be a powerful bridge for learning a new language.

TODAY IS SUNDAY

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THE WEATHER SONG

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OPPOSITES

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FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS 

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COUCH POTATO POKEY

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COLOR FARM

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Cheers in Spanish

I’m so excited to share these cheer cards that Carla Ureno (El Paso ISD) created! It’s not easy to translate some of these things into Spanish, so Carla needs to KISS HER BRAIN!

P.S. And thanks to Teacher Toni for updating the graphics. She made them the perfect size to put on a ring.

SPANISH CHEERS

Click to download

PIZZA HUT

I have had complaints about this song because it is "commercial" and it "teaches children bad health habits." When I sing the song with children I use it as a “teachable moment” to talk about making good food choices. I say, “Boys and girls, this is a silly song, but I want to tell you the truth about fast food restaurants. It’s not good to eat that food all the time because it’s got a lot of fat, sodium, and chemicals in it. What are some good healthy foods that we can eat all the time?”

You know, you could probably find something wrong with every book, every song, every story, every rhyme…. The bottom line is that if you don’t like a song or if a parent complains, you don't need to use it.

Silly songs are meant to make children smile. In the crazy world we live in sometimes you just have to shut your door and SING LOUD!

Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, (Arms out in a circle.)
Kentucky Fried Chicken (Flap arms like a chicken.)
And Pizza Hut.
Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And Pizza Hut.
MacDonald’s, MacDonald’s, (Hands together in front and then up and
Kentucky Fried Chicken over like an arch.)
And Pizza Hut.
MacDonald’s, MacDonald’s,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
And Pizza Hut.

Burger King and Taco Bell (Make crown with hands on “King,” and
shake head on “Bell.”)

Dairy Queen and Arby’s (Pretend to milk a cow on “Dairy Queen” and
twirl hand in the air like a lasso on “Arby’s”.)

Red Lobster and Wendy’s (Hands like pincers on “Lobster” and pretend
to make a hamburger patty for “Wendy’s.”)

More! For additional verses, let children suggest other restaurants and movements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6U7Ey8EAEU

DINOSAUR BOOGIE

Grrrr! Let's do the dinosaur boogie so the kids can growl, wiggle, and release all that energy. Jumping up and down is a great way to get oxygen going to the brain and as the children dance they will be developing motor skills and self-regulation.

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Dinosaur Boogie

Pterosaurs had wings and could fly. (Stretch out arms.)
He’d swoop in the swamp then up in the sky.
The ancestor of birds they say,
I wish it were here today.
Tyrannosaurus Rex, king of the swamp.
He growl and snarl, and then he’d go chomp. (Clap hands.)
He ate meat, he was a carnivore.
They’d all hide when he would roar.

Chorus:
Do the dinosaur boogie start - bounce around. (Bounce.)
Hands like claws, make a growling sound –Grrr! (Make hands like claws.)
Stomp, stomp, stomp the ground. (Stomp feet.)
Then wiggle and turn around. (Dance and turn around.)
Let’s do the dinosaur boogie…

Brontosaurus was the largest of all. (Point up high.)
He moved slowly so he would not fall.
He ate plants, he was an herbivore. (Pretend to pick a leaf and eat.)
He ate and ate and then ate some more.
Triceratops had three horns on his head. (Put 3 fingers up on head.)
I’d like to see one, but now they’re all dead.
Where, oh, where, did the dinosaurs go? (Hold up palms and shake head.)
I guess we’ll never know!
(Chorus)

Vocabulary

What does carnivore mean? Herbivore? Are you an omnivore?
Apatosaurus is another name for brontosaurus.

Art

Give children paper, paint, markers, and other art media to create original dinosaurs.

MOTHER GOONY BIRD

Here are some silly songs that can release wiggles and put a smile on your face.

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Mother Goony Bird

Mother Goony Bird had 7 chicks. (Hold up 7 fingers.)
And 7 chicks had Mother Goony Bird.
And they couldn’t swim – NO! (Extend left hand and shake head.)
And they couldn’t fly – NO! (Extend right hand and shake head.)
All they did was go like this – right arm. (Flap right arm.)

Add left arm…right foot…left foot… (Add other movements.)
Nod your head…turn around, sit down!

Activities: Choose children to be the chicks and Mother Goony bird and act out the song.

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Wiggle Willy

I know a little boy. (Dance from side to side to the beat.)
His name is Wiggle Willy.
He is so very nice, but oh, he is so wiggly!
And so go his fingers and his fingers go like so
And his fingers are always soooooo… (Wiggle fingers.)
And so go his arms…(Wiggle arms and fingers.)
Legs…(Wiggle legs, arms, and fingers.)
Head…(Wiggle head, legs, arms, and fingers.)
Tongue…(Move tongue back and forth along with the other body parts.)
Wiggle Willy!

Activities: Why is Willy so wiggly? What makes you wiggly? What can you do about it?

Have the children brainstorm how they can get rid of wiggles on the bus, in the car, sitting in their seat at school, etc.

GOING CRAZY

Don't go crazy - sing this song!

When I would be about to explode, I would sit down in a chair and start singing this song. At first my class really thought I was going crazy, but eventually they saw the humor and we would all end up laughing. It became a great attention grabber and a fun way for all of us to relax and smile.

Click to view video

I Am Slowly Going Crazy
(Tune: "Reuben, Reuben, I’ve Been Thinking")

I am slowly going crazy, (Cross right ankle on left knee. Place right
elbow on right knee and place chin on palm.)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, switch. (Cross left ankle on right knee and place
chin on left palm.)
Crazy going slowly am I, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, switch.
Continue singing faster and faster.

*Brainstorm other things you can do when you feel like you’re going crazy!

*Make a class book of “Things That Drive Us Crazy!”

Note! It surprises me when I go to schools to do my free concerts that this is often one of the songs that the children request. Just a reminder how teachers and children can be silly together!

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

Here's one of my favorite "oldies but goodies."  I think this song is even older than me!

The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus (Move hands in circular motion.)
Go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus
Go round and round,
All around the town.

Wipers – swish, swish, swish… (Palms up and move back and forth.)
Horn – beep, beep, beep… (Pretend to beep horn.)
Lights – blink, blink, blink… (Open and close fists.)
Doors – open and shut… (Palms together, then spread apart.)
Driver on the bus…”Move on back”… (Stick up thumb.)
Children on the bus – bounce up and down…(Bounce up and down.) 

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The Letter Bus

The letters on the bus all make their sounds,
Make their sounds, make their sounds.
The letters on the bus all make their sounds
All around the town.
The A on the bus goes /a/ /a/ /a/
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
The A on the bus goes /a/ /a/ /a/
All around the town.
*Continue singing different letters and making their sounds.

*Place magnetic letters in the outline of a bus as you sing the song.

*If you have a toy bus, write the letter on an index card and tape it to the bus as you sing. 

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Blank Rhymes

Your students can follow along and fill in the blanks.

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Humpty Narrated with Rhymes

No blanks.

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