A group of fellow bloggers are posting each day in July to gear up and rev our engines for the start of a new school year. Find us on facebook at Music Ed Blogs. Amazing group of teachers with fabulous blogs!! Names, names, oh how special they are! And how tough for us music, art, PE, library, etc. teachers to learn the hundreds of them each year. Here are a few activities to help you the first few weeks of school, and these are SO fun!! Pinkie swear promise! 1. Jump In, Jump Out There are many versions of this. I use the one from Laura at Make Music Rock.. She has a great blog post about this game! My older students love this one - maybe not for the very first activity the first day, but definitely sooner than later in the first lesson. Here is a video of Laura's kids performing the game. I love it - fun and a little sassy. Another version - love the Australian accent! I also love the beginning talk about the hand holding- very interesting! 2. Up the Ladder From Randy and Jeff's Gameplan Curriculum, Grade 3, available here. And check out the great extension using drums or UPP - again from Laura at Make Music Rock. 3. Hey, Children, Who's in Town? 4. Ickety Tickety 5. Name Game - The Original! Remember this one? I do!!! Katie, Katie, bo-ba-tee, Bo-na-na fan-na, fo-fa-nee Fee fi mo-may-tee Katie! 6. Dry Bones Come Skipping 7. I Can Say Your Name 8. Mrs, Macaroni 9. Names in Three 10. Willoughby Wallaby Woo! By Raffi Willoughby wallaby woo An elephant sat on YOU (point finger toward child whose name will be sung next) Willoughby Wallaby Wistopher An elephant sat on Christopher 11. Pig on Her Head by Laurie Berkner Use the chorus of the song. A box of beanie babies are the perfect accompaniment for this one! Let each child choose; I usually put four or five on the floor at a time and invite three children up at a time (more choices than children, always). Begin by having the animal on children's heads, then sing, "Blakely has a goose on her hand....", and the next verse, "Thomas has a dog on his knee.. " etc. I love Laurie Berkner, if you don't already know "I Have a Chicken" you need it in your repertoire to use with shaker eggs. Hilarious!!! Hope you have fun with these! If you know others, please share them in the comments below. Happy back to school!