At our Christmas Carols Concert tonight our children will be singing a selection of Christmas songs, one of which is called “10 little angels”.

In order to include everyone in the performance we have run off our ever popular song cards. One to represent each of the ten angels.

Ten children are given an angel card …

and one by one, as we go through the song they hold up their card …

Children without a card …

count the number of angels on their fingers as we sing.

Through the chorus the angel card holders wave the cards back and forth …

while the rest of the children take up their instruments and play.

Our version of the song goes like this …

(One by one the children raise the angel cards as we sing.)

There was 1, there were 2, there were 3 little angels.

There were 4, there were 5, there were 6 little angels.

There were 7, there were 8, there were 9 little angels.

10 little angels in the band!

(The children pick up their instruments and play)

Oh wasn’t that a band on Christmas morning,

Christmas morning,

Christmas morning.

Oh wasn’t that a band on Christmas morning,

Christmas morning soon!

You can listen to the tune here if you like!

We love that this song is another great opportunity to reinforce the children’s numeracy skills.

When the cards are handed out …

it is up to the children to assemble themselves into the correct numerical order …

something they do extremely well at this time of year!

At the end of the year we have a mini concert for our parents. We like it to be a reflection of our year – no big deal!!! We sit down with the children and discuss with them what songs they would like to perform for their families. When we come up with a list, we go over them a couple of times over a few weeks and do one run through in our positions. We do tend to teach them a couple of new songs - Australian Christmas songs to finish off the grand finale.

All the children know “Jingle Bells” so “Aussie Jingle Bells” is easy to teach, particularly with our faithful song cards to help us.

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden ute, kicking up the dust, Esky in the boot.

Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs,

It’s Summer time and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

Christmas in Australia on a scorching Summer’s day, hey!

Jingle bells, jingle bells Christmas time is beaut,

Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden ute, hey!

And of course we can’t forget another favourite Christmas song – We wish you a merry Christmas, only once again we like to put an Aussie spin on it by singing,

We wish you a ripper Christmas,

We wish you a ripper Christmas,

We wish you a ripper Christmas,

and a snappy New Year.

May the kids have a hoot.

May the pressies be beaut.

We wish you a ripper Christmas…….and a snappy New Year!

A song which the children enjoy doing in a large group is the old favourite, “Bingo” – you know the one -

There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o,

B-I-N-G-O,    B-I-N-G-O,    B-I-N-G-O,

and Bingo was his name-o!

Five children hold prop cards which Sherry made with the letters on them and gradually turn them around …

… as the sounds are replaced by claps (adding an extra clap into each verse).

clap - I – N – G – O,    clap – I – N – G – O,    clap – I – N – G – O

and B – I – N – G – O was his name-o!

clap – clap - N – G – O

clap – clap – clap - G – O

clap – clap – clap – clap - O

clap – clap – clap – clap – clap

The children picked up the idea of turning the cards around very, very quickly!

At this time of year, with the children being a little older we can give them the letters in the wrong order.

Either the children with the cards sort themselves out, or other members of the group soon call out the correct order.

Not only good for literacy, but also great group cooperation!