Jingle Bells (Learn & Sing) Lyrics and Actions

Key Gestures
Snow - Move both open hands downward with your fingers wiggling.
Sleigh - Make V shapes with your index and middle fingers on both hands. With your palms facing your chest, move your hands down and forward, like a sleigh sliding on snow.
Jingle bell - Pretend to ring a bell.

♫ Dashing through the snow, [Snow gesture.]
in a one-horse open sleigh. [Sleigh gesture.]
O'er the fields we go, [Move your flat right hand over your flat left hand.]
laughing all the way. [Pretend to laugh.]
Bells on bobtails ring, [Jingle bell gesture.]
making spirits bright. [Starting with your closed hands in front of your chest, open your hands up and outwards.]
What fun it is to ride and sing [Clap your hands and sing with a big smile.]
a sleighing song tonight. [Sleigh gesture.]
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, [Jingle bell gesture with one hand, then with your other hand.]
jingle all the way. [Jingle bell gesture with both hands.]
Oh what fun it is to ride [Clap your hands and sing with a big smile.]
in a one-horse open sleigh. [Sleigh gesture.]
Hey! Jingle bells, jingle bells,
jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh.
Okay, everyone together now!
(repeat) ♫

What Do You Want For Christmas? Lyrics and Actions

Key Gestures
Christmas tree - Make the shape of a Christmas tree with your hands.
Santa - Pat your big, round tummy.

♫ What do you want for Christmas? Christmas? Christmas? [Shrug your shoulders to indicate a question. Christmas tree gesture.]
What do you want for Christmas?
Santa's on his way. [Santa gesture.]
I want a train. [Make locomotive actions with your arms.]
I want a train.
I want a great big train. [Make BIG locomotive actions with arms.]
A train?
A train! [Move around the room like a train!]
What do you want for Christmas? Christmas? Christmas?
What do you want for Christmas?
Santa's on his way.
I want a rocket. [Put your hands up over your head making a rocket shape.]
I want a rocket.
I want a great big rocket.
A rocket?
A rocket!
Prepare for lift-off...5, 4, 3, 2, 1, LIFT-OFF! [Crouch down, with hands overhead like a rocket and count down. At "Lift-off," shoot up like a rocket and spin around!]
What do you want for Christmas? Christmas? Christmas?
What do you want for Christmas?
Santa's on his way.
I want a robot. [Make robotic actions with your arms.]
I want a robot.
I want a great big robot.
A robot?
A robot! [Move around the room like robots.]
What do you want for Christmas? Christmas? Christmas?
What do you want for Christmas?
Santa's on his way.
I want a teddy bear. [Stick both arms out in front of you like a teddy bear.]
I want a teddy bear.
I want a great big teddy bear.
A teddy bear?
A teddy bear!
Right leg. Left leg. Right arm. Left arm.
Oh no! [Sit down and one at a time, put out your legs and arms, posing like a teddy bear. Then, on, "Oh no!" fall over like a teddy bear might, staying frozen in the teddy bear position. Kids love it!]
What do you want for Christmas? Christmas? Christmas?
What do you want for Christmas?
Santa's on his way.
Santa's on his way! ♫

Classroom Benefits

"What do you want for Christmas?" is a question that many children are faced with at some point. So, we decided to make a very simple, very active song to help kids talk about their Christmas wishes. It's a great way to introduce, "I want _____."
This is also a nice, easy song for young children to sing at Christmas pageants.

Five Little Monkeys Lyrics and Actions

♫ Five little monkeys [Hold up five fingers.]
jumping on the bed. [Jump up and down.]
One fell off [Hold up one finger and then roll your hand down towards the floor.]
and bumped his head. [Tap your head with your fist.]
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, [Put your pinky to your mouth and thumb to your ear like a telephone.]
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" [Put one hand on your hip and wag your index finger.]
Four little monkeys [Hold up four fingers.]
jumping on the bed.
One fell off
and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
Three little monkeys [Hold up three fingers.]
jumping on the bed.
One fell off
and bumped her head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
Two little monkeys [Hold up two fingers.]
jumping on the bed.
One fell off
and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
One little monkey [Hold up one finger.]
jumping on the bed.
She fell off
and bumped her head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" ♫

Preparation

Kids love this popular chant and will really enjoy this super simple song. There are a number of storybook versions of this chant available. We suggest introducing this song by reading one of those storybooks first so the children can fully understand what the song is about. Or, watch the above video with them. Then the fun begins! Make a circle with the students. During the intro music you can all move around the circle acting like the silliest monkeys you can! The music is very "monkey-ish" ^_^.

Classroom Benefits

"Five Little Monkeys" is a song you can use any time children need to get up and be active. Children love this simple rhyme, and it's great for introducing the expression, "No more _____!" (language that can come in quite handy for teachers and parents ^_^).