This year, until Santa Claus gets on the roofs of our houses, he’ll make a musical journey with many melodic stations! Each station and a Christmas song will give joy to the beloved Santa, but also give children the chance to sing, move, dance and play with their small musical instruments in their classroom!
It all starts with a map of the route which Santa will draw from the North Pole to the area where our students live . On the way Santa Claus will make eight stops, as many as the Christmas songs which we have chosen. Each stop has a sign that says the song title and it’s location in the cd, eg. Track 1, so that children can find it for themselves in the cd player.
At each stop, after the musical activities, a group of children make a musical booklet: on the cover they write the song title, inside they draw images that comes to their mind from the lyrics of the song, and finally they draw something from the activities that followed the song.
1st STATION
“Silent Night”
(Song)
1) The children sit in a circle. A star is passed from hand to hand. The music starts and when we hear the first verse, the music stops. The child that holds the star on that moment must repeat the verse singing.
2) The children are divided into 4 groups with distinctive colored ribbons on their hand. The music starts and at the sound of the first verse the teacher holds up a colored ribbon, so the team with the same color, prepares itself and when the music stops they repeat the verse they just heard. / In the next round the teacher does not stop the music at all but in each verse raises a ribbon and the corresponding groups of children sing each verse, like a chorus with its conductor!
2nd STATION
“White Christmas”
(Dance)
1) Children in couples dance to the music. When the music stops couples are swapped, so that in the end everyone will danced with everyone.
2) Music train: Children dance in couples. The child who is the “trian driver” moves among them. Each time he or she chooses a couple and gives two tickets for the train. Then these children hold the driver from behind and follow him, so that in the end all children will be a musical train.
3rd STATION
“Jingle Bells”
(Musical Instruments)
1) Place on the floor musical instruments, as many as the children. When the music starts the children will move around the musical instruments, like “musical chairs”. When the music stops everyone grabs an instrument (it is recommend to grab the closest to each child in order to avoid collisions!). When the music starts again remove an instrument from the circle, so a child will be left without a musical instrument when the music stops. This child gets out of the game after getting a musical instrument of his choice, which will accompany the song that plays while the other children are playing. So towards the end of the game we will have formed a small orchestra with percussion instruments, to accompany the song up to the winner!
2) The children are divided into two groups. One group holds wooden musical sticks and the other bells. The first group, with wooden musical sticks , accompanies the song and on “Hey!” the team with the bells stands up and makes a strong chime. / When we repeat the song the teams switch instruments.
4th STATION
“The Little Drummer Boy”
(Rhythm – Musical Instruments)
1) Children are seated in a circle. The song is played and a drum is passed from hand to hand. In “ra pam pam” whoever holds the drum at that moment, plays this rythm to the drum.
2) The teacher holds images showing moves that the children should make eg finger snapping, clapping, hands hitting the legs, feet hitting the floor etc. The song is playing and on the “ra pam pam” the teacher holds up a picture and the children must do whatever the picture shows following the rhythm.
5th STATION
“Snow on the bell tower”
(A classic greek christmas song! You can hear it, here)
(Motion – Musical Instruments)
1) The children are scattered and seated on the floor. A fairy (one of the children) with a magical wand moves among them, while the song is playing. On “Din Din dan” the fairy touches the heads of some children, one for each and every Din dan. The children that are touched must immediately stand up and stay upright. At the next pass the fairy does the opposite thing, touches the standing children and they should sit down etc. so all children are involved.
2) The children are holding a musical instrument and move in the area without playing their instruments, while the song is playing. When they hear the “Din Din dan” they stop and play in the rhythm with their instruments.
6th STATION
“O Christmas tree”
(Motion – Dance)
1) They listen carefully to the lyrics of the song and every time they hear the words “O Christmas tree”, they make a predetermined move, eg hitting toes on the floor or stand by their seats and clap or even change positions.
2) The children are dancing freely in the area and when they hear the words “O Christmas tree” they turn around themselves.
7th STATION
“We wish you a merry Christmas”
(Musical Instruments – Song)
1) The musical instruments are on the floor. The children while the song is playing move among them. On “We wish you a merry Christmas” they take the instrument that is closer to them and accompany the song with chimes singing. Once the “We wish you a merry Christmas” has finished they let them down and continue moving.
2) Every child holding an instrument and all together accompany the song while it is playing. On “We wish you a merry Christmas” they stop playing their instruments and sing the song.
8th STATION
“Santa Claus is coming to town”
(Musical Instruments – Motion – Dance)
1) A child is dressed as Santa Claus and in his pouch has musical instruments. The children sit in a circle on the floor. Santa Claus moves around the circle and occasionally leaves behind a child an instrument. This child should get the instrument, get up and follow Santa Claus while playing the instrument. Santa Claus and his escort is here!
2) A big hug! Children dancing freely in the area. The kindergarten teacher moves among them holding Santas beanie. Unexpectedly wears the beanie on the head of a child and then all children hug him / her (with caution as possible!). The song continues, the children dancing and another child becomes Santa Claus and receives a big hug from his friends!
