Clap for Classics!

For this activity you can grab some rhythm sticks, a scarf, and a pillow! We’ll be enjoying Vivaldi’s “Autumn” the whole first movement. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you and your kids will have while engaging with this beautiful music. Get your hands on the free printable now at www.clapforclassics.com/episode28 . It is a PDF with a listening map for this classical music...

Happy Classical Music Month!  We are sharing one of our very favorite classical music activities with you,   Beethoven’s 5th: a Dragon Story .  We made up our own story inspired by the beginning of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Grab the free printable now at   www.clapforclassics.com/episode27 .  It is a PDF with images that accompany the story we will be telling through the m...

Today’s podcast features my friend Adeline, and a wonderful song: “This Little Light of Mine”. This little light of mine (tap knees), I’m gonna let it shine, (arms: up down up down) This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. (dance in a circle) This iconic American gospel song has been energizing and...

Today’s podcast is a fast, fun song from the wetlands of Ireland! Grab an egg shaker and get ready to learn “Hi Ho the Rattlin’ Bog” with me and my young friend Calvin.  Grab the free printable that accompanies this episode at www.clapforclassics.com/episode25 . It is a PDF with extra lyrics, ukulele chords and extension ideas to continue the learning and fun with this song. Chorus : Hi...

Today’s podcast is short, sweet, and familiar! My friend Evelyn and I share Row Row Row Your Boat with some fun and silliness! Hopefully this sparks your creativity to write some more silly verses. We use our imaginations to pretend we’re in a boat, or sit facing a partner holding hands and rocking back and forth as if in a boat. Row row row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily merrily merrily...

Today we’ll be listening to and learning about a famous piece of music by George Frideric Handel, part of his iconic "Water Music". Grab some rhythm sticks and the free printable if you’d like to extend the activity for a little more interaction. To grab the free printable that accompanies this episode go to www.clapforclassics.com/episode23 . It’s a set of images of the string family and the bras...

Join Ms. Elizabeth, Wilder, and Riff the Pig as we share a wonderful piece of music from american composer George Gershwin. Grab some rhythm sticks and our free printable to extend this activity. The printable includes images of the instruments that we’ll identify as we listen to this piece. Print them on cardstock and mount on popsicle sticks for puppets, or print two sets and use them to play me...

Learn this fun call and response song from El Salvador! Ms. Elizabeth and Abbey will teach a few words in spanish and then introduce a fun way to sing this song Tortuga Concha, it’s time to sing No tengo manos, no tengo pies Tortuga Concha, it’s time to read No tengo manos, no tengo pies Tortuga Concha, it’s time to dance No tengo manos, no tengo pies Tortuga Concha, it’s time to write No tengo ma...

If you have rhythm sticks you might want to grab them for this episode. In today’s episode we demonstrate a bunch of fun ways to put a twist on any simple song that you sing with your child.  We hope this will give you some fresh new ideas on how to spice up the songs you’re asked to sing on repeat and make more of your musical play at home.   We take 4 simple, familiar songs and sh...

Let’s meet the characters and the instruments in Peter and the Wolf.  We take our time and talk about Peter, the Cat and Grandpa to give you a little taste of the fun of this wonderful symphonic fairy tale. Grab 3 free coloring pages to correspond to these 3 characters from the story at www.clapforclassics.com/episode19 Inside our All Access Membership we share this whole wonderful symphonic...

In this episode we share 3 activities that come from our Fairy Tale Course inside of our All Access Membership .  Grab a drum and some rhythm sticks and let’s enjoy these musical stories together. Old King Cole : for this one you need your drum and a mallet to keep a steady beat and do some actions.  We’ll also be learning about the musical concepts of staccato and legato during this act...

Click here to grab your free Sheep lesson plan that includes songs and lyrics for the songs we’ve shared, a Mary Had a Little Lamb printable as well as a bunch of extension ideas to keep the learning going beyond the music! www.clapforclassics.com/episode17 We begin with a beautiful, calm piece about sheep by Bach. The Sheep Safely Graze. The recording we use on the podcast is in the public domain...

Today’s episode is a sneak peek into our Four Seasons: Music and More Spring Curriculum! We share 4 different audio clips from our music, art, poetry, and STEM sections. We know you'll love these nature-themed activities. To find out more about our Four Seasons Curriculum for kids ages 8 and under, go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons Music : Maytime Magic  by Mabel Watts, melody by Kath...

Come and celebrate the beauties of the earth through music! You don’t need any extra props for today’s episode, just press play and enjoy! Musical Selections included in today’s episode: Go In and Out the Window: Children’s music standard, written by Lew Pollack (1895-1946) Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, 1st movement: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68. I. Allegro ma non troppo I Love the Mountains...

Have you grabbed our 5 Under 5 Musical Play Series yet? Sign up and we’ll send you 5 days of musical fun for you and your little one in under 5 minutes each day. We share some of our favorite musical activities that require no preparation, but are packed full of fun and learning! Go to www.clapforclassics.com/5under5 to sign up and get started! For today’s podcast episode you will need to grab an...

If you’d like to help your little ones develop an appreciation for classical music, make musical memories with your family, enjoy flexibility of an at-home program, and learn right alongside your kiddos, come join us in our All Access Membership. Check out details and get signed up at www.clapforclassics.com/join Today’s episode is all about birds! Grab a scarf and let’s get started! We’ve created...

In this episode we introduce you to a few activities from our free “5 Under 5” musical play resource we created for you. We’ll be sharing 3 of our favorite songs and activities: 1. Baby Kangaroo : a Clap for Classics! Original and one of our favorite movement songs. (Found in our Carnival of the Animals course) 2. Hey Diddle Diddle , a classic nursery rhyme with a twist 3. Classical Music Freeze d...

Do you have a little one who loves space? You won’t want to miss this episode that is out of this world! In this episode we share 4 musical activities and a free printable! 1. A nursery rhyme song about the man in the moon 2. 2 contrasting movements of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and compare them to the dark and bright sides of the moon! 3. An asteroid chant and learn about asteroids and meteorit...

Grab some rhythm sticks (or 2 wooden spoons, or 2 blocks, etc) and let’s learn about beat and rhythm with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion! Let’s explore the many ways we can play with one of our favorite instruments for kids: rhythm sticks. This is The Way We Tap Our Sticks This is the way we tap our sticks, tap our sticks, tap our sticks, This is the way we tap our sticks: tap tap tap. This is t...

Grab a scarf or clear some space to move your body while you learn about the difference between staccato and legato with Ms. Elizabeth and Forte. We’ll be experiencing this musical concept with our voices and with our bodies and then we’ll compare and contrast two different classical movements from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals to reinforce the idea. We often share free printables to accomp...

Join Ms. Elizabeth and Forte as we use pots and pans and kitchen utensils to make music! We begin the episode by gathering some kitchen items to use as percussion instruments. Gather a variety of sizes and materials: pots, bowls, bins, pans. Don’t forget the utensils: wooden spoon, metal spoon, spatula, whisk, etc. Steady Beat Steady Beat, steady beat, Can’t beat that steady beat, Steady beat stea...

Let’s learn about the string family of the orchestra! We will meet each member of the string family, learn about how the instruments make sound, and hear a beautiful example of each instrument from our professional musician friends. Optional props and resources to enhance your listening: 1. Printable orchestra map puzzle resource : www.clapforclassics.com/episode7 2. Rhythm Sticks (can also use bl...

It is February, and it is Black History Month! Today we’re sharing music we love by black artists of the 20th century. 1. Hello, by Ella Jenkins Hello hello hello and how are you I’m fine I’m fine and I hope that you are too Sing this song with any variation you can think of, soft, loud, humming, whistling, la la la-ing! Ella Jenkins has been dubbed the “The First Lady of the Children's Folk Song....

This is an episode with love songs for our little ones. We include one folk song, one Clap for Classics! original song, and the beautiful Waltz from Tchaikovsky's ballet, Sleeping Beauty. Love Somebody This is an Appalachian folk song, originally a fiddle tune. Love somebody yes I do, Love somebody yes I do, Love somebody yes I do, Love somebody but I won’t say who.   Love my mommy yes I do,...

Join Ms. Elizabeth and Forte the Lion while they share two favorite nursery rhyme activities and two movements from Bizet’s Jeux D’Enfants or Children’s Games . We begin by practicing steady beat and learning 1,2, Buckle My Shoe with rhythm sticks. We meet Presto the Wild Donkey and Adagio the Tortoise and learn the musical concepts of presto and adagio while singing a favorite nursery rhyme, Wind...