MY BONNIE BOUNCE

You probably all know the song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." You'll be surprised how much exercise you get as you stand up or sit down every time you say a word that starts with the /b/ sound. Join me on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONWTT-JFu8

Warning! One teacher said her kids loved it so much they kept begging to do it over and over. She said she could hardly walk up the stairs when she got home!

My Bonnie Bounce (Tune: “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean”)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
Lies over the sea.
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
To me.
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Oh, bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
To me, to me.
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie to me. (Sit down.)

A little faster…
Super fast…


You can also move and release wiggles in a confined space with this song.

Chair Can Can

Have children sit in their seat, bounce their feet to the beat, and make the following movements.

Bend right knee and then kick. (Right leg up and kick out.)
Bend left knee and kick. (Left leg up and kick out.)
Cross kick right and then cross kick left. (Kick feet in opposite directions.)
Rainbow arms from left to right. (Swish arms in a big arch.)
Bounce your feet up and down as you rainbow your arms.
Right heel up. (Put up right heel.)
Left heel up. (Put up left heel.)
Open and close arms like an elevator door. (Open arms out and together.)
Hands on the sides of your chair and lift and sit. (Lift body.)
Lift, hold, hold, sit. (Lift, hold for several seconds, and sit.)
Kick right leg out straight and the left leg out straight. (Kick straight leg.)
Wave arms high in the air. (Arms up and move back and forth.)
Take a bow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOSRvmYp94

How about a new video from Alex May?

https://bit.ly/drJNeurobics

DANCE PARTY

“Dance with the stars” in your room and activate the brain at the same time. All you need is some good music and a little enthusiasm.

Hint! Model these moves and then invite children to join in.
*Children can do these standing up or sitting in their chairs.

Disco Dance – Put right index finger in the air and point to the left. Bring right index finger down by your side. Place left index finger in the air and point to the right. Then bring down by your side.

Swim - Pretend to swim by stroking arms. Can you backstroke? Sidestroke?

Funky Monkey - Fists out in front and move them up and down to the beat.

Hitchhike - Right thumb up and move across your body. Left thumb and move across the body.

Twist - Elbows by waist and rotate upper body.

Chicken - Hands in armpits and flap like wings.

Pony – Pretend to hold reins as you bounce up and down.

Batman – Make “v” with index and middle fingers and swoop them across your eyes.

Salsa - Left arm bent with index finger up in the air. Right arm bent with finger in air.

Bollywood – Right palm up in the air like you’re screwing in a light bulb. Left palm down like you’re turning on a water spicket.


Dance with Me!

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

Chair Can Can

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOSRvmYp94

My Bonnie Bounce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONWTT-JFu8

BANANA DANCE/ AKA AVOCADO GUACAMOLE

All I can say is I LOVE GUACAMOLE! Who would have thought that a silly camp song would turn into a YouTube hit with teenagers? I realize that they are making fun of me, but if I make them smile and give them a happy memory of their own childhoods then it's all good!

Click to view

Form the banana, form, form 

the banana. (Bring your right arm up)
Form the banana, form, form the banana. (Bring your left arm up.)
Peel the banana, peel, peel the banana. (Bring your right arm down.)
Peel the banana, peel, peel the banana. (Bring your left arm down.)
Go bananas, go, go bananas. (Jump around and act crazy!)
Go bananas, go, go bananas.

Form the corn, form, form the corn. (Bring your right arm up.)
Form the corn, form, form the corn. (Bring your left arm up.)
Shuck the corn, shuck, shuck the corn. (Bring your right arm down.)
Shuck the corn, shuck, shuck the corn. (Bring your left arm down.)
Pop the corn, pop, pop the corn. (Jump on the word “pop.”)
Pop the corn, pop, pop the corn.

Form the mango…
Do the tango! (Dance with a partner.)

Form the orange…
Squeeze the orange! (Hug a partner.)

Form the tomato…
“Th” the ketchup! (Thumb down and pretend to shake a ketchup bottle.)

Form the carrot…
Feed the bunny! (Fingers over head like ears.)

Form the avocado…
Guacamole! (Shake your head and arms so your cheeks wiggle.)


WANT MORE?
Marc Lewis created his own version called "Go Bananas"!

Click to view

The "Banana Dance" was so popular that we made variations for Halloween and Christmas.

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

DANCE WITH YOUR BRAIN

“Dance with the stars” in your room and activate the brain at the same time. All you need is some good music and a little enthusiasm. 

Hint! Model these moves and then invite children to join in. 

*Children can do these standing up or sitting in their chairs.


Disco Dance – Put right index finger in the air and point to the left. Bring right index finger down by your side. Place left index finger in the air and point to the right. Then bring down by your side.

Swim - Pretend to swim by stroking arms. Can you backstroke? Sidestroke?

Funky Monkey - Fists out in front and move them up and down to the beat.

Hitchhike - Right thumb up and move across your body. Left thumb and move across the body.

Twist - Elbows by waist and rotate upper body.

Chicken - Hands in armpits and flap like wings.

Pony – Pretend to hold reins as you bounce up and down.

Batman – Make “v” with index and middle fingers and swoop them across your eyes.

Salsa - Left arm bent with index finger up in the air. Right arm bent with finger in air.

Bollywood – Right palm up in the air like you’re screwing in a light bulb. Left palm down like you’re turning on a water spicket.


This has to be one of my all time favorite brain breaks!

Hand Jive
Materials: familiar music
Directions: Play a broadway tune, college fight song, country music, rock and roll, or anything that YOU like that has a strong, steady beat.
Slap thighs four times
Clap hands four times
Shuffle right palm over left palm four times
Shuffle left palm over right palm four times
Thump right fist on left fist four times
Thump left fist on right fist four times
Hitch hike with right hand
Hitch hike with left hand…
Continue the pattern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nowpqdzZMYk

Hanky Panky
Tell the students when you throw the handkerchief (or tissue) up in the air they can start doing a silly dance and make funny noises. When the hanky hits the ground they must freeze. Do this several times to get rid of wiggles.

SHOW TIME

This time of year many of you are getting cranked up for and “end of the year” program. This can be frustrating, or it can be an exciting time for the children to sing and dance. My advice is “keep it simple.” The parents will be entertained and love whatever their children do. Here are a few ideas that might get you going!

Happy Birthday Letters
Have children bring in baseball caps and sunglasses. Make microphones out of toilet paper rolls wrapped with aluminum foil. Turn the caps backwards as you sing:

Yo A, it’s your birthday.
Let’s all read like your birthday.
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
You B, it’s your birthday…

 

 

Click to view video

Click to download printable cards

Who Let the Letters Out? 

Staple ovals to a strip of paper to make doggie headbands. Let children decorate large cardboard letters with glitter and bling bling. Punch a hole in the top and tie on a string to make rapper necklaces. Make a large doghouse to pin on the stage curtains. (Square with an arch cut out. Triangle roof.) As you sing the song children come out of the doghouse dancing and wearing their letters.

Who let the A out?
/a/ /a/ /a/ /a/ /a/
Who let the B out…

Click to view video

Alphabet Remix 
Let children wear glasses, caps, letter necklaces as they do this activity.
Sing the regular ABC song. (Fold hands and sing sweetly.)
“Remix!”
I say, A B C D E F G! (clap twice) (Dance from side to side.)
H I J K L M N O P (clap twice)
Q R S, (clap)
T U V, (clap)
W X Y and Z.
Now I know my ABC’s.
Next time, won’t you rap with me? (Make rapper hands and dance.)
A (blow out of the side of your mouth)
B (blow) C (blow)….Z
Now I know my ABC’s (blow).
Now you’re ready to read with me! (blow)

*Alphabet Party – Even if you don’t have to do a program for parents, it might be fun to do these songs for another class. Or, have an alphabet party just for your class!

The Very Hungry Class
This is a take off on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Choose a song, finger play, or poem that you’ve used for every month in the school year. It will bring back fond memories for your students and will be an easy program to put together for the parents. It might go something like this:

When school started we were a very hungry class eager to learn.
In September we learned our rules -THE RULES RAP.
In October we learned the days of the week – DAYS OF THE WEEK.
November was when we said our letters and sounds – ALPHARDY.
In December we learned the months in the year – MACARENA MONTHS.
January was our Hundreds Day Celebration – ZERO THE HERO STOMP.
In February we learned about money – THE MONEY SONG.
March was time to learn to spell – COLOR FARM.
In April we learned to recycle – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
May was a time to study (plants, dinosaurs, caterpillars, or another song that reflects your standards).
Now, before we say good-bye,
We’ll sing our favorite song for you.
Please stand up and join along
And you can learn to “Tooty Ta”, too! (The audience stands up and does the “Tooty Ta” with you.)




Author's Tea
After writing and editing original stories, invite parents to a party where each child gets to share her book and read a few pages.

WIGGLE WILLY, BONNIE BOUNCE, AND BANANA DANCE

Need a smile? Got wiggles? Try one of these songs.

Wiggle Willy
Directions: Have children stand and tell them that you have a song about a little boy who has the fidgets just like them sometimes. His name is 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.)

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

Warning! One teacher said her kids loved it so much they kept begging to do it over and over. She said she could hardly walk up the stairs when she got home!


My Bonnie Bounce (Tune: “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean”)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
Lies over the sea.
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
Lies over the ocean.
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie (Sit down.)
To me.
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
Oh, bring (Stand up.)
Back (Sit down.)
My Bonnie (Stand up.)
To me, to me.
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
Oh, bring (Sit down.)
Back (Stand up.)
My Bonnie to me. (Sit down.)

A little faster…
Super fast…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONWTT-JFu8


The Banana Dance (Aka Guacamole song)

Form the banana, form, form the banana.  (Bring your right arm up)

Form the banana, form, form the banana.  (Bring your left arm up.)

Peel the banana, peel, peel the banana.  (Bring your right arm down.)

Peel the banana, peel, peel the banana.  (Bring your left arm down.)

Go bananas, go, go bananas.  (Jump around and act crazy!)

Go bananas, go, go bananas.

 

Form the corn, form, form the corn.  (Bring your right arm up.)

Form the corn, form, form the corn.  (Bring your left arm up.)

Shuck the corn, shuck, shuck the corn.  (Bring your right arm down.)

Shuck the corn, shuck, shuck the corn.  (Bring your left arm down.)

Pop the corn, pop, pop the corn.  (Jump on the word “pop.”)

Pop the corn, pop, pop the corn.

 

Form the mango…

Do the tango!  (Dance with a partner.)

 

Form the orange…

Squeeze the orange!   (Hug a partner.)

 

Form the tomato…

“Th” the ketchup!  (Thumb down and pretend to shake a ketchup bottle.)

 

Form the carrot…

Feed the bunny!  (Fingers over head like ears.) 

Form the avocado…

Guacamole!  (Shake your head and arms so your cheeks wiggle.)

http://bit.ly/drjean_guac