10 Preschool Activities to do with Laurie Berkner Songs

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The people at Waldmania PR were kind enough to send us a free copy of this CD. All views and opinions are my own.

There are so many ways to use music in the preschool classroom. Combining songs with learning activities is a great way to invite young learners in and expand Laurie Berkner is one of the most relatable children’s music artists of our time. She’s fun, energetic, and oh so silly. One of her most recent CDs, is the The Ultimate Laurie Berkner Band Collection. Her music speaks to the silliness of kids, often encapsulating messages that ring true to their lives.

Here are some ways to use Laurie Berkner songs in the preschool classroom or just for fun at home:

Walk Along the River
Act out the lyrics in this catchy and repetitive song. Lay a couple of blue blankets/sheets/curtains out length out lengthwise on the floor. (You can get old ones from a thrift store.) Bend and curve parts of it to give it a flowing appearance like a river. Turn on the song and encourage the children to act out the actions to the song.

Bottle Caps

Use this bottle cap printable for kids to decorate, trade, and build their own paper bottlecap collection.

The Cat Came Back

Create a cardboard cat(s) that goes home with each child in the class for a weekend or during a school break. You may want to include a journal for the cat and its hosts to fill out about their experiences that weekend. The family can take a picture of the cat participating in an activity with them and email it or text it to you to share with the class and put in the journal. (Similar to a Flat Stanley) You can find some cat images that would work great for this here, here, and here.

Mahalo

Share all the different ways we can thank people (cards, words, gifts, actions, etc). Encourage children to make list of things they are thankful for. You can also print out this free Multicultural Thank You poster to display in your learning space.

Mouse in My Toolbox

Using shoeboxes, magazines, scrapbooking paper, fabric, and other craft materials, make a shoebox bedroom for a mouse.

These Are My Glasses

Use this song to introduce children to sign language by showing them the signs for the main words in the song: glasses, book, read, and look. As you sing along with the song, do the signs.

Running Down The Hill

Explore the scientific concept of gravity by creating ping pong ball flowers. Using sharpie markers, let the children decorate a ping pong ball so that they look like flowers. Create a ramp out of a wrapping paper tube cut in half lengthwise. Take turns watching their flower ball roll down the “hill” (ramp).

Googlehead

Create paper dolls with full body photographs. Cut out the person in the photo and laminate to add durability. Add google eyes onto photos to make them true googleheads!

My Family

This song is one of my favorites because the line “When you’re in my heart, you’re in my family” addresses the fact that family isn’t limited to bloodlines. There are so many activities that could be done with this Create a family tree using photos and scrapbook paper. Use small photo albums from the dollar store to create a child-narrated family story. For teachers, make a classroom book that contains pictures of each child with their family.

Magic Box

Provide cardboard boxes for kids to make their own magic boxes out of using art materials. For a special treat have a magic box drive thru where they can pick up their lunch/snack, park, and eat in their magic box while watching a movie.

You can find more great ideas on the Laurie Berkner Band website or follow her on Facebook for lots of great activities, ideas, and more.

Andie Jaye

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