Fern Michonski / Fern’s Music
Pre-School Music Education Expert: The Children’s Advocate for Love and Kindness, Inspiring Creativity and Joy.
March 14th, 2012—Cute Things Kids Say.
While teaching my preschool music and movement classes during the month of March I usually focus on songs about spring, baby animals, bunny rabbits, frogs, peepers, and what new things we see during this exciting season of rebirth. It is fun to ask the children what they think happens during the spring.
I brought in a couple branches from a pussy willow bush. It had lovely, soft pussy willows on it. I asked the children what they thought I was holding. The first comment was simply, “sticks.” Then I suggested they look a bit closer. Yes, I was holding a couple of sticks, but what was ON the sticks. Everyone in the class became silent. Suddenly one little boy raised his hand and exclaimed, “I know Miss Fern, I know! They are marshmallows!” Everyone in the group instantly agreed that they must be marshmallows. I got a kick out of that answer. Imagine if they really were marshmallows. Yummy! I explained that they were pussy willows and that we only see them on pussy willow bushes in the spring. Everyone was intrigued and felt the soft, fluffy pussy willows, signaling that spring is indeed close at hand.
At this point I had the children in the mode of being very observant. One of them asked, “Miss Fern, what are those green things you have in your ears, and on your socks, and on your shirt and on your guitar? Are they leaves?” No! However, that’s a good guess. They are shamrocks, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! I just couldn’t let the month of March pass without doing the Irish Jig with my students. Even the little 2-year-olds did their very best, attempting to perform the Irish Jig. I was impressed.
This coming Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day and I wish all of you a wonderful day of wearing the green, corned beef and cabbage and celebrating with the Irish. At this time of the year we all have a little bit of Irish in us.
Enjoy the celebrations and start doing the jig to add to the merriment!
