Any season has fun activities for kids and kindergarten readiness but spring seems especially appropriate. After all, it’s the season for new growth.
And speaking of new, lots of baby animals are born in the spring. Kids seem fascinated with baby animals, even just in pictures. One of my favorite spring songs is all about many of them. Kids love it because they get to make the animal sounds. An added bonus (?!?) is that the verses are almost unlimited. Sing to the tune of London Bridge.
Little chicks go peep, peep, peep. Peep, peep, peep. Peep, peep, peep. Little chicks go peep, peep, peep in the springtime.
Little lambs go baa, baa, baa. Baa, baa, baa. Baa, baa, baa.
Little lambs go baa, baa, baa in the springtime.
Little kittens go mew, mew, mew. Mew, mew, mew. Mew, mew, mew. Little kittens go mew, mew, mew in the springtime.
Little goat kids go maa, maa, maa. Maa, maa, maa. Maa, maa, maa. Little goat kids go maa, maa, maa in the springtime.
Continue with little puppies, little calves, little ducklings, little piglets, and any other baby animals you and your child can think of. Little bunnies only wiggle their noses.
Songs and singing support many different kinds of learning and readiness for kindergarten areas. This song has lots of new words for the names of baby animals. All that repetition is a way to practice the right order for words. Songs have patterns which prewire the brain for all kinds of other patterns, especially in math, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h kids’ memory for things that they hear. In addition to memory, there are important skills and strategies such as auditory discrimination, rhythm, listening skills, and basic concepts. Singing is a social activity helping kids be aware of others as they sing together.
(My kids especially loved visiting my sister’s sheep farm in the spring but talk about noise! While a few lambs sound kind of cute, there were often over 700 of them and they were so loud we had to shout to hear each other in the yard. The house would have the ‘pets’, the ones that needed extra attention; some would be wrapped in towels in the bathroom to keep warm, some in the kitchen for bottles, and some sleeping in boxes. Spring days were filled with new ones every day.) What do you remember and love about spring?