January Circle Time

This January has been one of the coldest I’ve experienced since 1995, when I was in college in Maine.  That winter, I remember walking across our small campus, bundled up in my warmest L.L. Bean wool sweater and down vest, and having to retreat into buildings just to escape the cold.  This year, we’ve had several Arctic cold fronts move through, accompanied by high winds, so even if we bundle the kids up for an outdoor adventure, within minutes, they seem to get cold.

I’ve been very grateful for indoor adventures, such as a trip to Columbia where enjoyed their huge public library, or a field trip to a local hotel that let our community rent their indoor pool for a few hours, and especially for our ever-present homeschool cooperative gatherings on Friday mornings, where the kids have so much fun learning and playing with one another.

This month’s circle is a fun one, and I’m really enjoying the many winter songs and verses and fingerplays.  As usual, I pull from many sources – some online, some books, some published curricula – so it is hard for me to pin down the sources, since they seem to be cross-listed in so many different places.  But I draw from the Christopherus Kindergarten With Your Three to Six Year Old book, the Enki Education Kindergarten curriculum, and Lavender’s Blue Homeschool‘s curriculum.

January Circle 

Opening Songs:
Good morning dear Earth  (pat ground)
Good morning dear Sun (arms up)
Good morning dear Stones, and the plants every one.  (fists walk for stones, plants grow)
Good morning dear animals, and the birds in the trees. (stroke “fur”, flutter hands)
Good morning to you, and good morning to me!  (extend hands out, then to heart)

Come to the circle where dreams are found.
Take my hand, we’ll dance around! (Join hands and sway R and L)
Ha la ha la ha la ha la!  (Skip around the circle)
Round, and round, and round we go!  (spin around)

Fingerplay:
Here is a cave, inside is a bear  (Cupped hand is cave, curled in thumb is bear)
Ow he comes out to get some fresh air.  (stick thumb out)
He stays out all summer in the sunshine and heat
Hunting in the forest for berries to eat (thumb “eats”)
When snow starts to fall, he hurries inside  (back to the cave)
To his warm little cave, and there he will hide
Snow covers the cave like a fluffy white rug  (Snow flutters down, hand over cave)
But inside the bear sleeps, all cozy and snug.  (open hand a bit to show bear)

The North Wind Doth Blow
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,  (arms wave side to side, snow)
And what will the robin do then, poor thing?  (bird hands)
He’ll sit in the barn, to keep himself warm,  (sit  down nice and snug)
And hide his head under his wing. Ah! (hide head under arm, open both arms on AH!)

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, (arms wave side to side, snow)
And what will the dormouse do then, poor thing?
Rolled up like a ball, in a nest snug and small,  (curl up into a ball and sleep)
She’ll sleep ‘til the warm weather comes.  Ah! (jump up, arms up on Ah)

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, (arms wave side to side, snow)
And what will the squirrel do then, poor thing?  (squirrel hands)
She’ll climb up a tree, and look out to see,  (pretend to climb, look out)
And nibble on all of her food. Ah!  (eat food, arms up on Ah!)

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, (arms wave side to side, snow)
And what will the raccoon do then, poor thing? (mask)
He’ll waddle around, leaving prints on the ground,  (waddle around yourself)
And find a warm burrow to sleep. Ah!   (curl into a “burrow”, jump up on Ah!)

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, (arms wave side to side, snow)
And what will the rabbit do then, poor thing?  (ears)
She’ll jump and she’ll hop, she won’t want to stop,  (hop around)
‘cause that’s how she’ll keep herself warm.  Ah!

Oh Where Do You Come From?
Oh where do you come from, you little flakes of snow?
Falling, falling, softly falling to the earth below.
On the trees and on the bushes, on the mountains afar,
Tell me snowflakes do you come from where the angels are?

Fingerplay:
Chook chook chook  (one hand)
Good morning Mrs Hen!  (other hand)
How many children have you got?
Madam, I’ve got ten.
Four of them are yellow,  (4 fingers)
Four of them are brown  (hold up other 4 fingers)
And two of them are speckled red  (hold up thumbs)
The nicest in the town!

Chickadee
Trees are bare, everywhere
Snow is deep and skies are grey.
Yet one bird can be heard on the coldest day.
Listen close and he’ll reply,
Cocking up a rogueish eye:
Chickadee!  Chickadee!  Chick –a-dee-dee-dee!

Look Out, Look Out, Jack Frost is About! (Nursery rhyme by Cecily E. Pike)
Look out, look out  (jump right, jump left)
Jack frost is about  (arms and legs out and up)
He’s after our fingers and toes  (wiggle fingers, touch toes)
And all through the night  (open one arm)
This gay little sprite  (open other)
Is working where nobody knows  (three stomps, r l r)

He’ll climb a tree  (climbing)
So nimble is he
His silvery powder he’ll shake (shake something)
To windows he’ll creep  (make a window frame with your hands)
And while we’re asleep  (Sleep hands)
Such wonderful pictures he’ll make  (move hands around like drawing)
Across the grass,   (jump right, jump left)
He’ll merrily pass (open arms and legs)
And change all its greenness to white  (open one arm then the other)
Then home he will go (bring in arms, one at a time)
And laugh Ho Ho HO!  (arms over belly, and big laugh)
What fun I have had in the night!

Snow
See how the snow tumbles down
See how the snow tumbles down
It falls on the hills
It falls on the trees
It falls on the ground
See how the snow tumbles down

Closing Verse:
There’s a heart in my hands (hands together)
I hold it very near (bring to chest)
I share it with my family, and all my friends right here (gesture open)
Today our hands were busy (hands turn over)
Tonight we all shall rest (hands to face, as in sleep)
And every day I strive (one hand up, other hand across body)
To do our very best (slowly lower raised hand)

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