Yesterday was officially the first day of Fall! Truly one of the coziest and happiest times of the year for me. Everything just looks so magical and golden in the autumn. It’s like I’m walking around with the Gilmore Girls “la la la….” soundtrack playing in my head.
It’s Folk Song Friday and today’s sweet little folk song is a simple sol-mi song for children to sing about what happens in the fall–some birds fly away to warmer places, and flowers make way for crunchy golden leaf piles.
The traditional game for this song is so sweet to me: The children decide if they are a bird or a flower and (pantomiming/while still singing) “act out” their part as you sing the first verse. Then the sweetest game of nature-based hide and seek ensues, and all the little birds and flowers hide until spring arrives, when they all come out and celebrate that spring is back. My students always LOVED this game, and I think one of the reasons is because it helps them understand their world around them and process the great big change happening on the earth during Autumn. That connection to nature is so important for all of us, but especially for young children.
In addition to being a fun game for kids to play, the song is also perfect for working on reading/writing sol-mi and eighth notes, as well as in tune singing.
I’m planning something special for this little folk song in the coming week, so check back soon! Happy Singing!
