I am not a dino, so I sing, sing, sing!
With the melting snow come so many thoughts, feelings, sensory experiences and chores tumbling 'ass over teakettle' all in the space of a few short days. The thickest, most stubborn acres of ice on lawn and driveway have barely begun to melt, and suddenly any outerwear is too much outerwear and going inside seems like a punishment.
Within hours of the first really warm rays of sunshine, it seems unimaginable that we were ever cold, and freezing cold mud between my toes as I feed the chickens and gather eggs bare foot, feels like the most luxurious spa treatment!
Springtime at Oak Hill follows of course on the heels of months of little limbs practically unbendable from the outerwear layers, tiny fingers stuffed over and over again into mittens, and more foot warmers shoved into bogs than any human could count. The joy of watching the little ones turn towards the sun on these first warm days, and shedding their protective layers, is balm for the soul. Living so close to the ground, and feeling the seasonal transitions so up close and personally as these hardy little ones do, every nuance of the winter to spring transition is perceived, shared and delighted in.
During our moments of stillness, as with eyes closed, we breathe together and listen, the children are invited to turn towards the sun to feel the warmth on their faces.
"The wind is SO warm today!" one of the children notices at our morning circle.
"That's because it isn't coming from the North Pole any more!" another friend responds.
"I can hear the creek!"
"That's because all the snow is melted and it is SO full!"
"So many birds singing!"
"That's because they are BACK from migration!"
"Yes and now it's time for them to build their nests!"
These 'back and forths' between the youngest and the older friends are a central piece of the mixed age preschool environment. Sage 5 year olds sharing knowledge with the youngest friends, cementing the information firmly in their own memories, as they initiate the next generation.
Yesterday, on March 20th, we asked who still has snow at their house. A few raised hands, and children calling out, "We still have snow on our back deck!" and others... "That must mean your deck faces north, it might take a few more days for the sun's warmth to melt that snow" I said. And then others chimed in "Yes! And my daddy's shed faces north! There's still snow there too!"
The ease with which knowledge is shared and fully internalized, when we are standing outside amidst the warm southerly winds, is undeniable. Children pick up these threads, quickly make inferences and carry the information on into another scenario, passing it around the circle naturally and conversationally. Suddenly every child is chatting about the effects of directional orientation and solar energy as if it were the most exciting and natural thing for a circle of 3-5 yr olds to be pondering.
The springtime brings clean up chores; loading downed sticks and branches onto the wagon and heaving them all to our bonfire spot; gathering muffin tins, buckets and shovels from their winter hibernation spots under snow and ice; rounding up the snow shovels, sleds and wheelbarrows that were abandoned amid icy blasts of wind and then buried by the ensuing blizzard or ice storm after we had rushed indoors to the sanctuary of the classroom.
Shaking out and airing the rugs, dolls and play cloths from inside, letting them bake in the sun on the picnic table for a day. For the children these activities are an exciting change. They pick up on the energy of changing seasons. Everyone is busy and literally buzzing with the anticipation of newness to come.
The changing seasons also means observing the cycle of so many songs and circle time finger games. Announcing that "This is the last time we will be singing this song!" as the children beg for yet another round of "Yellow the Bracken" or "Down with Darkness" always brings a few sad groans. But then we revive "All the Birds Sing up in the Trees" and after the first couple of lines, older friends remember, and we hear them slowly adding their voices to the "Tweet tweet tweet" chorus. Cautious younger friends quickly pick up on the excitement of a new song, and start singing any syllables they can think of to the melody.
And who can stay sad about putting the winter songs to bed when it means that it's time for "Bunny In The Garden"? This is a German nursery rhyme that I translated a few years ago. It has the children 'sleeping' on the ground in the middle of the circle until "Bunny HOP" has them hopping around with wild exuberance, and sometimes the energy of a teenage mosh pit! By the way, this is a great song for really pushing self regulation, as the children have to wait to move until I sing "Bunny HOP. I love to draw it out and extend that moment of calm before the storm. The kinetic energy in that little circle of 'sleeping' bunnies is palpable.
Here are a few more of our favorite spring songs, along with their origins. I am always happy to provide lyrics if you'd like to sing along at home.
'All the Birds Sing Up in the Trees', a perennial favorite, is an old nursery rhyme translated from German.
Our pussy willow song, 'I know a Little Pussy, her coat is pearly grey', is from the Waldorf song book 'Come Follow Me' This song along with the hand motions thought up by my mentor, Deirdre Harris over 30 yrs ago, has been a tradition in my household for all of my children growing up. It never gets old!
Daffodilies Down in the Meadow Green, a song by A.W.I. Chitty, is from our song book 'Sing Through The Seasons'. The children earnestly lifting their faces towards the sun as they belt out 'raise your trumpets to the sky' always puts a lump in my throat!
'Groundhog Sleeping Underneath the Ground', a song and action game that wakes up any animals still in hibernation mode!
'Bells in the Springtime' is a song I wrote a few years ago about all the bell shaped spring flowers. The melody mimics the church bell chiming that I would hear from my bedroom in England as a child. I would listen to the chimes every Wednesday, when the bell ringers practiced. 'Ringing the changes' was a particular favorite of mine. I can remember noticing that my heart rate would race along as the bell ringers ran through all the possible permutations of chimes, switching up the order of rope pulling' This memory inspired the song.
'I'm Going to Make a Garden Grow', is a poem I wrote a while ago, and then set to an old German folk song "Die Blümelein sie Schlafen" by Johannes Brahms. I didn't realize until after the poem was written that it worked with that particular melody, and very few tweaks were necessary to make it work seamlessly.
Alongside the many finger games about ladybugs, caterpillars, butterflies and other creatures, our most recent addition to the spring songs is a song I was inspired to write by one of my most bright eyed and enthusiastic circle time participants. Most of my writing is inspired by specific children and their obsessions, interests and even requests! And this particular song came to me fully formed at 3am, melody and all. I had to get up to write it down so I wouldn't forget it. Two days later the children were singing it full throated and, yes, my muse joined in loudly with his brightly sparkling eyes!
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