Chants, Games, and Songs

I usually spend some time in the morning playing with the younger students and I have learned quite a few different hand games, chants, and songs.

First there is "My Mother/Your Mother". This is one of those clapping hand chants that we all remember from elementary school and goes like this:

My mother your mother live across the street

Eighteen nineteen blueberry street

If there was a fight, this is what they'd say

Boys are rotten made out of cotton

Girls are handy made out of candy
Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider
Girls go to college to get more knowledge

Boys drink rum to get more dumb

Girls drink Pepsi to get more sexy

Ipsy dipsy do, ipsy dipsy da

Ipsy dipsy do, say "I love YOU!"

Then there is "Mama Mama can't you see..."
another hand game:

Mama Mama can't you see

What the baby has done to me

She took away my MP3

Now I'm watching "Barney"

"Barney" is for babies

Tic tac toe three in a row

If you stop I'll give you a pluck 

(and then the clapping pattern continues until one person stops)

The two games we play the most are "Simon Says" and "There's a Brown Girl in the Ring". I hope that most people in the States can grasp the concept of "Simon Says"... if you should probably consult anyone else in the country to explain it to you. "

There's a Brown Girl in the Ring" is specific to St. Lucia as far as I know so I'll explain it. First, The students make a large circle in the courtyard of the school, one girl/boy is chosen to be in the middle. The student in the circle skips around ring as everyone sings:

There's a brown girl in the ring tra la la la la (x3)
'Cause she likes sugar and I like tea.
(During this verse a student skips around the ring)

Now show me a motion tra la la la la (x 3)
'Cause she likes sugar and I like tea.
(During this verse the student does a dance move and the other students around the ring imitate it.)

Now hop and pick a partner tra la la la la (x3)
'Cause she likes sugar and I like tea.
(During this verse the student hops around until he/she finds someone to replace them in the center.)

This game is particularly entertaining for me because the students love to pick me as their partner but whenever I am in the ring they stumble on what to sing because there is not a brown girl in the ring but a white girl... they are quick to correct themselves, but it is still funny, and the song sounds even sillier with the lyrics "There's a white woman in the ring" so I always get a little laugh.

All of the students love to sing! The Grade Six classroom is right next to the music room so we are blessed/cursed with being able to hear all the music classes throughout the week. The song we hear most frequently is "I Hope You Dance" but Lee Ann Womack. All of the students and teachers love this song, luckily so do I! They also sing a couple of my favorite songs from my Camp WOW days which always make me smile.

The last song I'm going to share is their birthday song. I love it so much! The lyrics are just better and more meaningful and the tune is way more interesting!

Happy Birthday to you                                           Happy Birthday to you
This is your day                                                      You are so young

Always there for you                                              Age is just a number
We're gonna love you in every way                        Don't you stop having fun

This is your day, your day                                      This is your day, your day

Happy birthday to you, to you.                               Happy birthday, happy birthday to you!

Greatest side note ever! In searching for the lyrics to the school's birthday song I've discovered that it was recorded by New Kids on the Block. I am so happy right now. I even found it on youtube for you all! Keep in mind that although the lyrics are the same the tune is slightly different here (more upbeat) and they only use the first two verses.