NOW WINTER BEGINS
Into their hives the busy bees crawl. (Flap fingers for wings)
Into the ant hills, go ants one and all. (Wiggle fingers running up hill)
Caterpillars too, have hidden their heads, (Spin around )
Safely spun in their snug little beds. (Rest head on hands)
The squirrels have all climbed to their holes in the trees. (Climbing motion)
The bird nests are empty, no birds can we see. (Flap wings again)
The leaves have all blown away on the wind (Flap around like falling leaves)
Announcing to all – Now winter begins! (Hold hands like megaphone
Fires are built in the hearths of homes. (Rub hands together )
Hats are knitted and coats are sewn. (Pretend to knit or sew)
Harsh winds blow all through the night. (Blow)
Lights all flicker, what a sight! (Hold up arm and wave hand)
Everyone waits for the first sight of snow, (Cup eyes, like looking out window)
Then down it comes, soft and slow. (Fall gently, twirling to the ground)
The world is quiet, the world is white, (Cup ear)
Winter is here, a beautiful sight! (Fall back and pretend to make snow angles on floor)
Jean Warren
Adapted Traditional
Songs and Poems
Put on Your Mittens
Put on your mittens,
It's cold I fear,
It's that winter time of year,
Play in your yard,
But when you're done,
Pull off your mittens,
One by one!
Mitten Music (Where has my little dog gone) by Jean Rogers
Oh where, oh where did my NEW mittens go?
Oh where, oh where can they be?
Oh, I have looked high and I have looked low.
Oh where, oh where can they be?
sing and replace "NEW" with old, soft, warm, red, blue, etc. *****
Mitten Fingerplay
by Lucia Kemp Henry
Here is a mitten,
(hold up one hand)
A snug, fuzzy one-
(rub palms together)
With a place for my fingers
(wiggle 4 fingers)
And a place for my thumb
(wiggle thumb)
Here are two mittens,
(hold up two hands)
A colorful sight.
(hands back and forth)
One for the left hand
(hold up left hand)
One for the right.
(hold up right hand)
Here are OUR mittens,
(hold up two hands)
As soft as can be
(stroke the back of one hand)
A warm pair for you
(point to the neighbor)
And a warm pair for me
(point to yourself)
*****
Puttin' On Mittens
Tune: Farmer In the Dell
The thumb in the thumb place,
Fingers all together!
This is the song we sing
When it is mitten weather!
*****
Mitten Mates
Tune: If You're Happy And You Know It
Have pairs of mittens ready. Set all the left mittens along the chalk ledge. Keep all the right mittens in your hand in a pile. When you sing, hand a mitten to one of the children. He/She should walk to the chalk ledge to find the mate.
Each mitten has a mate, has a mate.
Each mitten has a mate, has a mate.
Can (child's name) find the pair?
(He/She) is looking here and there.
Can (child's name) find the mate.
Find the mate?
*****
Colorful Mittens
Sung to "Six Little Ducks"
Sing Along to this song! adapted by Mrs. Jones
Colorful mittens for me and you
Red ones, yellow ones, blue ones too.
But the one pair of mittens that rhymes with fellow,
They're my favorite mittens, they're the color yellow!
Replace with other rhyming pairs such as:
bed/red
bean/green
sink/pink
shoe/blue
crown/brown
tack/black
You're on your own for orange and purple!
*****
Dr. Jean's Mitten Song and Activities
http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2002/01_2002.html