SMMARTideas

SMMART MUSIC: THANKSGIVING TURKEY RHYTHM

Pilgrims, Wampanoag, Turkey and Tryptophan...

Here are a few fun activities for your little ones while you're busy baking the apple, pecan and pumpkin pies!

TURKEY RHYTHM SHAKER:

Help your child trace his hand on festive colored cardstock or construction paper. Make about 6-8 hands. Help him cut out his hand tracings and set them aside.

Set out a few Thanksgiving colors of paint and let your child paint the back of a paper plate. Help your child think about things that he's thankful for and encourage him to paint pictures of these things. Your child could color with crayons or markers, if preferred.

Fold the paper plate in half and have your children count as he drops in several pieces of dried corn, beans or rice. Your child can tell you something he's grateful for, for every corn kernal he drops into the paper plate. Place the traced and cut-out hands into the edge of the folded paper plate to look like turkey tail feathers.

Staple the two paper plate edges together and place masking tape over the pointy ends of the staples.

Now you have a turkey shaker.

NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN DRUM:

You'll need an empty cylindrical container...like an oatmeal cylinder, or a yogurt or cottage cheese container.

Wrap paper around the outside and secure it on the container with tape.

Let your child decorate the paper with markers, stickers, crayons or paint.

Cut out two felt circles that are slightly bigger than the top and bottom of your container.

Punch holes (1 inch apart) around the edge of the felt. Try to have the same number of holes in each circle. Be sure that the holes are not on the very edge, or else they will not be able to hold the tight yarn and rip.

Place one felt circle under the cylinder and one on top. Weave a piece of yarn from the top to the bottom felt circle, weaving through every other hole. You may wish to start the weaving pattern and then let your child help you finish. Tape the end of the yarn for easier threading.

Now you have a simulated Native American Drum for your child to keep the beat to the following songs and poem.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♪♫♪♫♪♪♫

Now, let your little one shake his turkey to the beat of a fun Thanksgiving song! Practice shaking to the rhythm as you sing or recite. You can count out the beat first before you begin singing/reciting.

Have you heard this cute little song and poem from

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/fall/pumpkinsongs.htm?

In this song, you can shake/beat to a 1-2-3 rhythm or just the 2-3 (duh, dum) beats. ("Have you" is an upbeat, so start shaking on "ever" for the first beat.)

"Pumpkin Song" (3 Beats)
(tune: Have you ever seen a lassie?)

Have you ever seen a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin,
Have you ever seen a pumpkin, that grows on a vine?
A round one, a tall one, a fat one, a small one.
Have you ever seen a pumpkin, that grows on a vine?

Recite this poem and have your child shake to the beat. When you say the words bobble-bobble or gobble-gobble, shake the turkey rapidly.

"Funny Turkey" (2 beats)

The turkey is a funny bird
Its head goes bobble-bobble;
And all he knows is just one word...
And that is GOBBLE-GOBBLE!
Now, try this little song...sung to the tune of "Christmas is Coming".

"Thanksgiving is Coming" (4 Beats)

Thanksgiving is coming,
The Turkey's getting fat.
Put a turkey feather in your pilgrim hat!
If you haven't got a feather, than a dried corn husk will do.
If you haven't got a dried corn husk,
Than God Bless You!

God Bless You!