lyrics & activities

jack in the box #1

 

carnival parade


let’s have a party

let’s have a party

a celebration

a masquerade

let’s have a party

let’s have a party

let’s make a carnival parade


let’s get together

let’s be friends

and we can make this town a happy place

into your heart put a happy feeling

put a little make-up on your face


you can wear a costume

you can wear a mask

you can wear a smile

that’s not too much to ask

and decorations for all to see

a joyful colour jubalee


let’s have a party

let’s have a party

everybody sing a song so sweet

listen to the music

can you feel the rhythm

then clap your hands to the happy beat!


festivals to welcome spring

festivals for harvesting

fiesta any time of year

everybody cheer!


let’s have a party

let’s have a party

a celebration

a masquerade

let’s have a party

let’s have a party

let’s make a carnival parade


do a little dance

come take a chance

and wave your hands

high up in the air

a caribana, a carifesta

a junkanoo, see happy people there!


let’s have a party

let’s have a party

everybody sing a song so sweet

listen to the music

can you feel the rhythm

then clap your hands to the happy beat!


samba, la bamba, soca, ska

a carnival a mardi gras

festivals around the world

for every boy and girl!


let’s have a party

let’s have a party

a celebration

a masquerade

let’s have a party

let’s have a party

let’s make a carnival parade


activities

1) Make a classroom carnival by creating costumes, masks, and musical rhythm makers. 2) Sing the song and make up a dance routine. Wave your arms in the air for the chorus, “Let’s have a party…..


our school rap

(doing the school yard cha cha cha)

music & chorus lyrics by Jack Grunsky

p WOOD ROOSTER MUSIC, SOCAN

original lyrics: Louise Cullen  - p C&A Notes


Na na na nobody does it like our school

‘Cause our kids are superstars

Na na na nobody does it like our school

That dream will take us far


We’re dream makers, that we know

Working to star in our own show

Striving for the best that we can be

Living with pride and dignity


We’re number one, and we’re keen

It’s easy to ace that ‘learning scene’

Working together, learning how to share

Showing one another how to care


Doing the ‘schoolyard Cha Cha Cha’

Doing the ‘schoolyard Cha Cha Cha’


When you’re readin’ and a-rappin’

to a brand new beat

The hours fly by on ‘learning street’

It’s a snap like ‘A B C’

To know that music and kids go naturally


activities

With the use of ‘pom poms’ or other props, create a ‘cheerleader’ group and choreograph a performance of this ‘raising the school spirit’ song and rap.



iko iko

trad. arranged by Jack Grunsky

New original lyrics: Jack Grunsky

P WOOD ROOSTER MUSIC, SOCAN


Iko Iko Iko

Iko Iko all day

Jock-a-mo-ee-na-ee-na-nay             

Jock-a-mo-ee-na-nay                         

Talkin' 'bout, hey now - hey now      

Iko Iko all day                                     

Jock-a-mo-ee-na-ee-na-nay

Jock-a-mo-ee-na-nay


Say can you imagine

Let's go to the Mardi Gras

Where people come from miles around

For a "hoopla" and "yah yah" 

You can blow your saxophone

Pick your old guitar

Shake shake shake a tambourine

Be a super star


Listen to the rhythm

The music sounding sweet

Then put your hands together

Let’s clap the greatest beat

Clap your hands!     Alright!


Come on now everybody!

Put on your dancing shoes

With a wiggle and a jiggle

We'll dance away the blues

Reach up high, shake your hands

Bend down, touch your knees

Now find a friend to dance with

And give your friend a squeeze!


activities

Make a ‘Mardi Gras’ parade. Do the following actions: for ‘Iko iko iko’ wave your arms back and forth over your head. For ‘Jock-a-mo-eena-nay’ point your finger in the air on top of your head and turn around like a merry-go-round. For ‘Hey now!’ just call back the echo. For the rest of the song, follow the actions of the words.


samba  

                          

There’s a little song in my head goes round and round

There’s a little song in my head, aha

There’s a little song in my head goes round and round

It’s a happy tune like an old samba


Samba, samba

Samba, samba


There’s a little rhythm I feel down in my feet

There’s a little rhythm I feel, aha

There’s a little rhythm I feel down in my feet

It’s a happy rhythm they call samba


Samba, samba

Samba, samba


I’m singing

La la la, La la la

La la la la la la la la la

La la la , La la la

La la la la la la la la la

La la la ………….


There’s a great big joy in my heart  that music brings

There’s a great big joy in my heart, aha

There’s a great big joy in my heart  that music brings

There’s a great big joy when I sing samba


(first chorus)


activities

Discuss how music can make you feel happy. Do you sometimes hear a song in your head that you hum to yourself? Have you noticed it can keep you company like a close familiar friend?


pyjamarama                      


It’s a ‘peejay’ pyjamarama

See the animals in their pyjamas

It’s a ‘peejay’ pyjamarama

See the animals in their pyjamas


From Florida to the Bahamas

See flamingos wearing pink pyjamas

Look at the leopard wearing polka dots

The dairy cow, she loves her beauty spots


The zebra’s pyjamas look so fine

Black and white with stripes of bold design

If a pyjama with a pouch appeals to you

Stay awhile to see the kangaroo


Here comes the long-necked giraffe

In tall pyjamas, you can take a photograph

If pyjamas with a mask should be your style

The racoon is sure to make you smile


Penguins and polar bears together

Wear pyjamas for cold and freezing weather

The possum wears its PJ’s

Hanging upside down

And baboon likes to be pyjama clown


Here comes ‘Dandy’ the lion in his nighty

Shakes his mane and yawns

Loud and mighty

There’s the camel coming down the track

In pyjamas with a hump on the back


Let’s celebrate this big pyjama party

Let’s applaud their beauty loud and hearty

Hooray for the animals and all their worth

So dear and precious to the earth


activities

Have an animal dress-up pyjama party. Create a performance piece with all the animals represented and have each character step out to perform a little solo to go along with the words of the song.


mexican hat dance

trad. arranged by Jack Grunsky


activities

Learn the steps to the Mexican Hat Dance. Here is one version: Each child takes a partner. For the first part of the music, put your hands on your hips and facing your partner, skip to the beat. Clap your hands together when you hear the castanets. (ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, clap clap; ta-da-da-da-dah-da-dum, clap clap, etc.) For the next part of the music, lock elbows with your partner and swing around in a circle, first in one direction and then in the other.


cha cha cha                                        

Oh let me tell you about the fun

That we had one holiday

On an island in the sun

Where palm trees gently sway

When we arrived people came to greet us

They take our hand, point to our feet, and they say

"Put down your suitcase and your camera

Cause now we'll dance the Cha Cha Cha"


Then it's hee hee hee, ha ha ha

Everybody dancing the Cha Cha Cha

Then it's hee hee hee, ha ha ha

Even little children do the Cha Cha Cha   


Our teacher showed us how to dance

She get our feet to step in time, saying

"Don't be shy, just take a chance"

And then we joined in the chorus line

The conga drum plays the 'Cha Cha' beat

And the cowbell keeping time

Guiros scrape, maracas shake

And the music sounds so fine


Peeking out under the patio

I saw little crabs come to see the show

And like some people on a date

They danced the Cha Cha till very late

In my room when I woke up one night

And I turned on the bathroom light

There on the floor, oh me! oh ma! 

I saw cucarachas dancing Cha Cha Cha


activities

Learn to dance the simple steps of the Cha Cha Cha. Count aloud: ‘one, two cha cha cha, three four cha cha cha’. Now add the steps to the count: left, right, left, right, left and then; right, left, right, left, right. Practice makes perfect.


alligator stomp     


Two alligators in the swamp

Doing the alligator stomp

Two alligators in the swamp

Doing the alligator stomp


Now take a gator by the hand

Step to the music of a Cajun band

Clap your hands! Stomp your feet!

And walk your gator down the street.  Ayee!


You can roll your eyes, you can wiggle your nose

But you better not step on your gator's toes.  

Tippy toe

Swing to the left, swing to the right

We're nice alligators, we don't bite.    Ayee!


Now throw your hands up in the air

We're a little bit crazy but we don't care

One thing gators love to do

Is jump up high and shout "yahoo!"


Jump up high and shout, “yahoo!”


activities

You can dance along. For ‘two alligators in the swamp’ stretch out your arms and clap your hands to the beat four times, and for ‘alligator stomp’ stamp your feet four times. For the rest of the song follow the actions of the words.



supermarket tango                       

                                 

We shop for food and go to town

I push the buggy all around

Sometimes it makes a squeaky sound

We do the supermarket tango


My little brother in the baby seat

He points to things he loves to eat

Like strawberries and cream of wheat

We do the supermarket tango


We do the tango

We do the tango

We do the supermarket tango

From the papaya to the mango

We do the supermarket tango


We check to see what we have missed

From items on our shopping list

Tell baby grabs it with his fist

We do the supermarket tango


From peaches, pears and plums so nice

To cauliflower, corn and rice

We love to taste the samplers, twice!

We do the supermarket tango


From bread and milk and cottage cheese

To pizza, pasta, frozen peas

Sweet grapes that baby loves to squeeze

We do the supermarket tango


Now down the aisles that never end

I ride the buggy ‘round the bend

I hold on tight and I pretend

To do the supermarket tango


Then to the cashier, the check out aisle

We promenade in single file

It’s so much fun to shop in style

We do the supermarket tango


activities

Make a ‘food book’ collecting pictures and descriptions of as many different kinds of food you can explore. Take a field trip to a supermarket and record and make notes of the ways items are grouped and categorized. 



something new

Everyday is a special day

When I discover something new

Finding out what it's all about

That's what I really like to do


Treasures and surprises

Come in all shapes and sizes

I'll just take a look and see

Under close inspection

Something for my collection

It might be of use to me


I look for clues and traces

Find them in all kinds of places

Something will surely catch my eye

This investigation

Stirs my imagination

Learning more as time goes by


It's a very special day

When I discover something new

Something new, something new


activities

1) Create a ‘road to discovery’ chart. Each day for one week, record what you have discovered. At the end of the day share it at discussion time.

2) Learn to sing the song.


songbirds

                   

The crow, the quail, the nightingale                    

The skylark, the hummingbird                             

Chickadee, chickadee, chickadee, chickadee   

 

Let's sing a song together

So happy and so free

Like songbirds altogether

We'll sing in harmony


Now crows, quails and nightingales

Sing your part

Over and over

Sing it from the heart

The crow, the quail, the nightingale  (repeat)


Now skylarks and hummingbirds

Sing your part

Sing along with Cosima

And sing it from the heart

The skylark, the hummingbird  (repeat)


Now all of the chickadees

Sing your part

Sing it over and over

Sing it from the heart

Chickadee, chickadee, chickadee, chickadee  (repeat) 

Let's fly

           [chorus]


Now all the birds together

Get ready to sing your part

Sing it four more times 

Straight from the heart                [chorus]


activities

1) divide your students into 3 groups and teach the song in 3 part harmony

2) for the solo section in the music, spread your arms and imagine ‘flying’



siyanibingelela

           

Everybody I know

Has a special way to say "hello"

To say "hello", say "hello"

Here's a Zulu greeting

That I heard in Africa

It's a word from Africa


Siyanibingelela

Siyanibingelela

Siyanibingelela, eyo!


Every greeting I hear

Is like a song from the heart

It's a song from the heart

And it's a wonderful way

To make new friends everyday

To meet new friends everyday


- some “hellos” from around the world:

"Bonjour"    [bohn-ZHOOR]- French     

"Hola"        [OH-lah]- Spanish

“Guten Tag” [GOOT-en Tahk] - German

“Shalom”     [Sha-LOHM]      - Hebrew

“Konichiwa” [Koh-NEE-cheewah] - Japanese

"Buon giorno"[bwohn JOR-noh] - Italian

"Dzien dobray" [dzien-DOH-bree] - Polish 

“Dia dhuit”    [DEE-ah-dhWEET] - Irish

“Aloha”        [Ah-LOH-hah]  - Hawai’i

“Kalimera”    [Kah-lee-MEH-rah] - Greek

"Namaste"   [Nah-mah-STAY]    - Hindi

[Oh-see-YOH]        - Cherokee

"Jambo"       [JAM-boh]        - Swahili

“Ni hao”       [Nee-HaOW]    - Chinese

“Hi”


Everybody I know

Shares the laughter and the joy

Every girl, every boy

And it's a wonderful sound

To hear the special way

You say "hello"


activities

Collect and share other greetings from around the world and create a multilingual scrap book with pictures representing different heritage groups. Celebrate our differences and point out our commonalties. Merhaba – Turkey, Labas - Lithuanian


with my own two hands                          

Look at what I made in school today

A tiger mask made out of paper mache

With paints and paper, scissors and glue

It's a gift I made for you


With my own two hands

I made it with my own two hands

With my own two hands

I made it with my own two hands


An ‘ojo de dios’ is a pretty thing

A ‘god's eye’ woven out of sticks and string

It's my own design,  a pleasure to do

And I made it just for you


Beads and baubles on a fancy chain

Lace them, loop them, tie them up again  

It's gold and silver, purple and blue

I made it specially for you   


I made some rhythm makers yesterday

Home-made instruments that we can play

Shakers, scrapers, these are a few

That I made for me and you


activities

Make a tiger mask, an ojo de dios, string of beads or rhythm makers. Sing along to the song and for the chorus part and gently wave your hands back and forth in the air.



i can read

                               

I can read about history

Mother Nature and her family

The world so full of wondrous things

Fill my thoughts and give them wings

Read a book or a magazine

Or the words on a computer screen

The more I read, the more I know

And the more I grow


Well come along

You can join me

Going to the library

‘Cause I can read, I can read


I can read fairy tales

Friendly dragons, giant snails

Characters that cast their spells

Amazing journey’s, wishing wells

Imagination is the key

It opens up a world of fantasy

The more I read I realize

I see the world with brand new eyes


Jokes and riddles, poetry

Word magic does it for me

I love to sit in a quiet nook

With an interesting story book

I can read anything

I feel good and it makes my heart sing

The more I read, the more I know

And the more I grow


activities

Create an accordion book with pictures and words from this song. Then read along as you sing it with Jack.


if you believe

                               

if I were a little fish at sea

I’d learn to swim so fancy free

if I were a little fish at sea

I’d swim around

you could look at me

in the great big sea

I’d swim around

so fancy free


if I were a little bird up high

I’d spread my wings and away I’d fly

if I were a little bird up high

I’d spread my wings

and away I’d fly

away up high

in the big blue sky

away I’d fly


if you believe

oh if you believe

anything is possible

if you just believe

if you believe

oh if you believe

anything is possible

believe


just like that little fish at sea

just like that little bird up high

you could learn to do most anything

all you have to do is try

day by day

learn to spread your wings

and you can fly


activities

Create a time-line chart to show at what stage in your life you learned a certain skill. Example: tying your shoe-laces, or learning how to read.


wave after wave                    

                                         

Rise up every morning, it's a happy day

Wave after wave, travel on your way

Rise up every morning, it's a happy day

Wave after wave, travel on your way


Can you imagine you’re sailing away

On a magical journey each and every day

Follow your heart, hold on to your dream

It's the wind in your sail as you travel down the stream


We can help each other, so much we can do

To make the world a better place now

It's up to me and you

We can sail together until the day is done

We're all in the same boat under the sun


May children live to be free

In love and harmony

Wonders they will bring

For all the world to see


Hear the children's voices, a pure sounding ring

They can teach us a song

that the whole world can sing

Sailing together, we're sailing away

On waves of wonder, into the brand new day


activities

Wave colorful silk scarves or streamers in the air as you dance around the room. What different kind of wavelike motions can you make?



all the rivers flow down


Paddle up the Amazon

The Parana and the old MeKong

The Blue Danube and the grand NuJiang


All the rivers flow down to the sea

All the rivers flows down


The Yangtzi, Po, Orinoco

The Rhine, the Seine, Rio Negro

The Ganges, Congo, the cool Ebro


The Shinano, the St.Laurent

The Fraser and Saskatchewan

The Nile, Missouri, Rio Grande


The Yukon, Hudson, Susquehanna

Volga, Rio Magdalena

MacKenzie, Neva, Ob and Loire


The Orange, Red, the Niger streams

Down the Mississippi to New Orleans

The Arno, Thames, the Zambesi


The Euphrates, the Senegal,

The Pilcomayo, Han and Vaal

The Darling and Columbia


activities

1) Make a ‘River flow chart’ with a big ocean in the middle. Have all the rivers flow into it and name them. Can you find any other rivers from a map of the world? With a tray or tube and some water, demonstrate how gravity pulls water downwards.

2) Create a performance piece using paddles, blue streamers, signs with the names of the rivers in the song, etc.



moose & caribou    

                    

Way up north a lonesome wolf cries

Piercing white and icy blue

Woods and tundra of the northland

Roaming moose and caribou


People live the longest winter

People sleep the longest night

Mystic spirits of the northland

Roaming moose and caribou


activities

Create a Northland mural showing the tundra, ice and snow, herds of moose and caribou and other arctic animals. Include images of the Inuit involved in various activities.



gift of wings


Show me days of wonder

New roads to travel on

Help me make discoveries

Teach me a brand new song

Show me where I come from

So much to realize

Show me where I’m going to

And open up my eyes


If you will take me heart

If you will teach me all these things

You’re giving me the gift of wings


Show me all the beauty

Everywhere to see

Open up the gate

Set my imagination free

Teach me to express myself

In many different ways

Build my sense of worthiness

For all of my days


Help me find my colours

Help me bring them to the light

So that I may paint my dreams

Strong and beautiful and bright

Teach the joy of learning

To make the magic last

I’ll take into the future

All the love in my past


activities

  1. 1)Make some paper wings and on them, write down what you have learned from your teacher.

  2. 2)On a paper cut-out of yourself, add a new wing every time you learn something new.

all music & lyrics written by jack grunsky  p WOOD ROOSTER MUSIC, SOCAN

except where noted

cut & paste lyrics into your word file to print out