Hint! The best attention grabbers engage the children’s hands as well as their eyes and ears!
Hocus Pocus
Teacher says:
“Hocus Pocus!” (Stick out index finger and circle around like a wand.)
Children respond:
“Everybody focus!” (Make circles around eyes like spectacles.)
If You’re Ready to Get Started (Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re ready to get started say, I AM! (Children say, “I am!”)
If you’re ready to get started say, I AM! (Children say, “I am!”)
If you say that you’re not,
You’re going to miss out on a lot.
If you’re ready to get started say, I AM! (Children say, “I am!)
Tootsie Roll
Tootsie roll, (Roll hands around each other.)
Lollipop. (Pretend to lick a lollipop.)
We’ve been talking, (Open and shut fingers.)
Now let’s stop! (Make sign language sign for “stop.”)
Student Heroes
5-4-3-2-1-zero (Hold up hand and put down one finger at a time.)
I’m looking for my student heroes.
(Make circles with index fingers and thumbs and place around eyes like glasses.)
Note! It’s interesting that when children put their “focus goggles on” (fingers around eyes) it will actually help them attend to the information and store it in their brains.
P.S. This is similar to my kindergarten teacher telling us to “put on our thinking caps” 65 years ago. Good teaching is good teaching!!!
Drum Roll, Beethoven, Toot-a-Roo
Teacher says: Give me a drum roll. (Children pat legs like a drum.)
Teacher says: Give me a Beethoven. (Children pretend to hold a cello and hum Beethoven’s 5thSymphony.)
Teacher says: Give me a toot-a-roo. (Children cup hands around mouth like a trumpet and salute.)
*Let children make toot-a-roos by decorating paper towel rolls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRVtrnnw-w&t=1s