 |
| Parent/Child class enjoying the Stretchy Band! |
Hi! Miss Carole from Macaroni Soup back with my
new-found favorite prop – the Stretchy Band!
Ok, it may have been around for a while, but I just picked one up this
summer and started working with it in my classes – it’s a BIG HIT!!!
Disclaimer – I am not in any way connected to the manufacturer.
Here’s the scoop:
I bought
my Medium-sized band (10’) from West Music at the ECMMA national conference in
Wisconsin. It sat in the bag until
September rolled around. To my dismay,
it came with little in the way of suggestions for use with children from the manufacturer,
Bear Paw Creek. Actually, they ask for
activity suggestions from users – a good idea!
You can purchase the Stretchy Band from either company at the same price
- $56 for the Medium. It’s an
investment, to be sure – but worth it to me!
 |
| Waa waa waah! |
I
have found I can put 18 children around my medium band – more than that is quite
crowded. But even 8-10 kids is very fun, too!
I have had great success with children 2 - 6 years old - you can, too!
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
The Wheels on the Bus with a Stretchy Band
Put the Stretchy Band on the floor, loosely
forming a circle. Children sit
cross-legged around the band, about 12 –
18” outside the band. On your
instruction, they reach forward with one hand and grasp the band in front of
them and pull it back to where they are sitting. Grasp band with both hands. Now you’re ready to sing and move – and the
fun begins!
 |
| windows - up and down! |
Sing “The Wheels on the Bus” as you know it,
but with the following movements with the Stretchy Band:
1. wheels go round
and round – move band in circles away from body – a rowing motion.
2. windows go up
and down – move band up’n’down on
the words “up” and “down”
3. doors go open
and shut – lay back, sit up (yup,
it’s sit-ups!)
4. wipers go swish
swish swish – move hands from side to side
5. people get
bumped around – shake it, baby, up and down - quickly!
6. babies cry waa
waa waah – knock fists together, then apart quickly, 3 times
7. parents say sh! sh!
sh! – while grasping band, hold up pointer finger to lips on the sh’s!
8. repeat
first verse!
Some
notes from experience:
- Keep the tempo reasonable, even slower than usual.
- Most children don’t have well-developed abdominal muscles, so “doors” will be challenging! Also, demonstrate how to lean back without knocking your head on the floor too hard!
- Stop between verses to demonstrate the next verse.
- Bring the controlled chaos of the “people get bumped” down by singing the “babies” verse a little sadly, then the “parents” verse in a hushed voice.
 |
| doors - open and shut - whoa! |
I
have found this to have similar skills and feel to parachute activities. OT/PT folks tell me it’s great with their
populations, too! In my classroom, not a
single child declined to participate – everyone has a blast.
Other activities I have tried: Standing inside the band facing out, we take
a giant step away from the center, then let the band gently push us back in
while sliding our voices from high to low.
Then increase to two steps, repeat.
I am just starting to add the use of recorded music for activities. The Stretchy Band is great for ocean waves,
wind, etc.
If you have suggestions, please
comment! One of my friends is trying to
make her own band – I’ll let you know how that comes out when she figures it
out!
Yours
for a Stretching Song!
Miss
Carole
That looks like so much fun, Carole! I pinned your post to my Educational Songs Pinterest Board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/educational-songs-rhymes-fingerplays/
ReplyDeleteThank, Deb! It IS fun - and good for kids on SO many levels - as exercise, as community and cooperative play! And it's inclusive. We did it in a class with a child in a wheelchair - we sat tall on our knees so that she could participate, too, and it worked! Love, love, love the stretchy band!
ReplyDelete