Laptime Songs for Mommies

It's here! It's finished! And I'm so excited to share my joy with you! My very first eBook is finished and ready for purchase. Laptime Songs for Mommies captures the essence of Musical Development, which is combining the melody of familiar songs with traditional and new variations of lyrics. Music is a great way to bond with your little one as well as a way to keep kids active and engaged. Having the right tools makes your part easier and maximizes the benefits for your little one.

Laptime Songs for Mommies includes

• Full-Color, Interactive PDF
• Intro to Laptime, including explanations of development and adaptations with little ones
• 6 Traditional Songs
• Over 50 Rhymes
• 4 Original Rhymes Written Just For This Book
• 4 Themes or Topics for a Complete Laptime Experience
• 4 Craft Ideas with 3 Printables

As a bonus, I've also included a printable version of the book that has all the color removed and the graphics minimized to help save on ink. There's also the MP3 version of each song included in the book.

I'm really excited that this project came together so nicely and is finally all the way finished. I'd love to hear what you think of it. Go check it out!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Crafts

I've noticed lots of people searching for crafts to do with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and thought today would be a perfect day to share the ones that have been a huge success at our house.

Star on a Stick Craft
Cut out 2 star shapes from heavy paper.
Have little one decorate the stars: color, glitter, buttons.
Glue one star on each side of a craft stick.

Starry Night Craft
Cut out bits of yellow construction paper. These are the "stars."
Put drops of glue on a piece of dark blue construction paper.
Have little one place yellow "stars" on top of the drops of glue.

Star Mobile Craft
Cut out various sizes of stars from heavy paper.
Have little one decorate stars in different ways.
Punch a hole in the top of each star.
Use plastic department store-style hanger that spins and tie stars to the arms of the hanger.

What are your favorite crafts that accompany Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?

Musical Monday: Grown Ups' Musicians, Children's Music

Do you ever get tired of your children's music? Sammi has two CDs she absolutely loves. They are pretty much the only two she'll listen to. One is Mickey Mouse characters singing songs and the other is a CD of short songs like Three Blind Mice and London Bridges. They are both really fun and I admit that I enjoy them. Most of the time. But every once in a while I long for the days of listening (uninterrupted) to the radio and hearing grown up music.

One day Brent came home from the library with a CD that was the answer to this dilemma. For the Kids is a collection of our favorite musicians performing children's music. Some of it's familiar tunes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (although this version takes the cake and makes me want to take singing lessons just so I can sing like them!) and others are not the traditional "kids" songs you're used to hearing. Brent and I love listening to this album even when the girls are sleeping in the car!

We've recently introduced Sammi to this CD and she also loves it. Her favorite song is The Hoppity Song by Five For Fighting. My favorite energetic song is Snow Day by Bleu and my favorite lullaby is Willie the King by Dan Wilson, although it is quite sad. Now when Sammi asks to listen to kids' music, I can turn this on and we're both happy.

For the Kids*

1. Mahna Mahna- Cake

2. La La La La Lemon - Barenaked Ladies

3. The Rainbow Connection - Sarah McLachlan

4. I've Got To Be Clean - Guster

5. Wonderwheel - Dan Zanes

6. Have a Little Fun - Glen Phillips

7. The Hoppity Song - Five For Fighting

8. My Flying Saucer - Billy Bragg & Wilco

9. It's All Right To Cry - Darius Rucker

10. Sing - Ivy

11. Bright Eyes - Remy Zero

12. Willie The King - Dan Wilson

13. Snow Day - Bleu

14. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Chantal/Raine Maida

15. Good Night Children Everywhere - Sixpence None The Richer

16. Bend Down The Branches - Tom Waits

*Clicking on links to individual songs will open iTunes.

Musical Monday: Surviving the Road Trip

Last week we drove from Utah to Colorado (and back) to see my brother graduate from college and to visit with friends. On the way over we drove on I-80 through Wyoming and it took about 9 hours including two long stops, one at a park in Rawlins. On the way home, however, we took 1-70 through the mountains and it took us 13 1/2 hours! We only stopped one more time than on the way over. Those winding mountains really slowed us down.

Toward the end of our visiting in Colorado and especially during that long drive home there were two things that really helped us survive. Both are music oriented so I thought I'd share them here today.

First, musical instruments! I don't even know what inspired me to pack them at the very last moment, but they were a huge hit with both girls! From Melissa & Doug's Band in a Box I brought the maracas, the cymbals, and the clacker. (Read my full review here) It was cute to hear them shake the maracas together. At one point Sammi was so bored and getting really cranky so I pulled out the cymbals. As I gave them to her I promised myself that I wouldn't be annoyed. She banged them together for 20 minutes straight! And I kept my promise. It really helped her get through a difficult moment.

Another time the instruments were really helpful was when we were driving to a friend's house. We were almost there, we thought, and Sammi was starting to doze off. We knew if she fell asleep we wouln't be able to wake her up and then she'd miss playing with the kids. Plus, after that visit we had an hour drive ahead of us to Colorado Springs and we really wanted her to sleep then. So, Brent handed her the maracas and asked her to shake it so we would know she wasn't asleep. Everytime she started to slow down we reminded her to shake them again. It kept her awake the whole time!

The second thing that really helped the trip go more smoothly was her favorite CD. We'd been listening to our favorite songs and occasionally we'd turn on a movie for Sammi, which she had very little attention for so it usually went back off fairly quickly. On the drive home, which was 4 1/2 hours longer than the drive there, she asked for her songs. As soon as we put in her CD (Fun Time Classroom Songs) she started singing along and was completely happy again.

Often experts recommend getting a new toy for a long road trip to surprise you little ones. This can be a good choice for some kids. Sammi didn't play for very long with the new toys we bought her. For her, the best choice was her favorites. They brought her the most comfort and the most joy! This was a good test run for us as we prepare to move across the country at the end of June. I think we're going to broaden her CD selection so we don't listen to the same one for three days straight!

What's your little one's favorite CD?

Musical Monday: Eensy Weensy Spider

The Eensy Weensy Spider is one of the first songs that Sammi could sing all by herself. It's also one of the favorites at the library. They have a puppet spider that the kids love when we do this song.

Before Elli could sit up, I put her in my lap and did that actions on her, as shown in the video. My favorite part is tickling her under her chin after the spider crawls back up her arm.

There are a couple of ways to do the spider crawling action. First is what I think of as the traditional way: index finger from one hand to thumb of the other crawling over the other thumb-index finger pair. The second is using your fingers on one hand to crawl up the arm of the other hand. Children seem to love both. We often sing it twice and switch the action the second time through.

Musical Monday: What a Week!

Well, we finally made it home from our trip to Tennessee. We are moving to a fairly rural part of the country. We'll be right at the crossroads of the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border. Fortunately, they have high-speed Internet there. Unfortunately, our motel did not. I had planned to keep you all (y'all, from here on out!) informed about the trip, but that was not possible.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite songs: Leavin' on a Jet Plane. I love folk music because it's easy to understand the words; I like the harmonies and I can sing along. We typically focus on traditional kid songs with actions and kid themes. But every once in a while it's great to introduce little ones to other types of music. This broadens their knowledge and appreciation of the art of music.



I chose this particular song because we flew to and from Nashville. On our return flight we were waylaid in Denver overnight due to a ridiculous snowstorm. At one point I really felt the words of the line: "Don't know when I'll be back again." We had just told Sammi that we would see her in a few hours and read her books and tuck her into bed and then they canceled our flight and rebooked us for the following evening. Then that flight was delayed two hours. We didn't know how to talk to her about coming home because we didn't want anymore broken promises. Luckily, she LOVED her time with Grandma and hardly missed us at all. She did squeal with delight when we finally walked through the front door. So that made me feel a bit better :)

I hope you all get into the folksy mood today with your little ones. I'll tell you more about the highlights of the trip another day.

Musical Monday: If You're Happy and You Know It

Elli has been clapping her hands for about a month now and has recently started clapping along with the song "If You're Happy and You Know It." She also discovered her pointer finger the other week and during the line "your face will surely show it" she points her finger towards her face. How cute!

We are on our way to Tennessee tomorrow to find a place to live when we move there at the end of June. It's been a busy week with Easter yesterday and leaving tomorrow. Today we present you with Sammi's favorite video of "If You're Happy and You Know It" that we've found on YouTube.



We love to sing this song in the car with actions like
touch your nose,
pat your head,
nod your head

Here's to music, happiness and play!

Musical Monday: Silly Pizza Song

I love the blogging community more and more each week. I had so much fun with the Ultimate Blog Party and all the new blogs I discovered there (and was discovered by!) The reaching out, making connections and sharing ideas matches my social butterfly personality so well.

I mention this because this past week I had the chance to connect with Princess Mommy from Princess With a Half Price Tiara in her quest to re-find THE cutest shape song. We finally found it over at If Only I Had Super Powers. You've got to check out their version of The Silly Pizza Song adapted to practicing shapes. Then go check out Princess Mommy's post with resources for making your own pizza and shapes.

Here's the original song from Signing Time.

Musical Monday: Herman the Worm

Today's song and video come from Allie at No Time For Flashcards. With a background in elementary education and a passion for working with little ones, Allie always has terrific ideas for crafts, games and books that bring learning to life. And she is one animated singer...



Herman the Worm

Sittin' on a fence post chomping on my gum
( chomp chomp chomp)
Playing with my yo yo
woo woo
When along came Herman the worm
And he was THIS big
And I said " Herman WHAT happened?"
And he said " I ate my sister! "

The next 3 verses substitute in brother, mother and father.
The final verse is as follows:

Sittin' on a fence post chomping on my gum
(chomp chomp chomp)
Playing with my yo yo
woo woo
When along came Herman the worm
And he was this tiny
And I said " Herman what happened?"
And he said " I burped."

{Thanks for visiting, Allie! You can find our current favorite song over on Allie's site. Go check it out!}

Musical Monday: Ultimate Blog Party 2009!

Hello and Welcome to Because Babies Grow Up. We're excited to have you stop by our party. While it's just me blogging here, I tend to talk in the plural because my two darling girls are in every part of what I do and write. So, while I catch you up on what's going on here, grab yourself a slice of my famous pumpkin bread-turned bundt cake:

I'm Amber (@ajpassey on Twitter), wife of Brent, mother to Sammi (2 2/3) and Elli (6 months). I love Brent and appreciate him more each day. Our girls light up my days (and often my nights!) with their enthusiasm for playing, learning and discovering. While I was preparing for this party, Sammi started walking around the house chanting, "It's a party! It's a party!" She's a social butterfly and always excited to "show-off" for a crowd! Elli is following in the family footsteps of becoming social and talkative. If there's ever a moment of quiet she pipes in with her own squeals and babbles.

Here at Because Babies Grow Up we focus on the under 5 crowd. I studied Human Development in college and then worked with infants doing developmental assessments. I learned lots of interesting things, but the best part is seeing it in action in my own children! I share activities, songs, and anything else that encourages early childhood development.

As an only child I have an image complex: I hate looking stupid or unknowledgeable. But, in the spirit of the party, I have put together a blooper reel from our Musical Monday posts which typically introduce songs that kids love! It's probably time to offer you a drink, so enjoy a tall class of milk, but don't laugh it out your nose!

I hope you'll excuse/understand my fine table linens! With little ones running rampant at this house all my nice Austrian linens I've been storing for 10+ years are still in a box under the stairs. I tried to find them, but it's a bit jumbled under there! Enjoy the video!


Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for hosting The Utlimate Blog Party 2009. This is my first year attending the party and I'm lovin' it! I'm also lovin' all the prizes they are giving away! My top picks, should I get the awesome chance to pick, are

• #11 Aromatherapy book and a sampler of therapeutic essential oils Provided by: Jennifer at Oils For Wellness
• #49 Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will Love Provided by: Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget
• #9 Child’s Crayon Apron with Crayons Provided by: Kennedy Grace Boutique

I'd also be very happy with #66, #106, #125, INTL #10 and USC #11 or anything baby/toddler friendly or PR related. The prize list is long; happy hunting for your faves!

Musical Monday: Shape Song

Basic shapes are the foundation for so many things that little ones learn. For example, a precursor to writing is drawing shapes. Children have to master moving the pencil deliberately to create something before they can fine tune that to make letters. Shapes are a precursor to advanced drawing. If children can see how complex figures are made up of simple shapes, then they can draw them by combining basic shapes into something complex. Recognizing shapes is a precursor to literacy. Letters are just more complicated shapes.

Here's a fun song to introduce shapes and their definitions. You can use objects with your child as you sing the song to show a real-life example of the shape.

Shape Song

from CanTeach Shapes

(to the tune of: "The Farmer in the Dell")

A circle's like a ball,
A circle's like a ball,
Round and round
It never stops.
A circle's like a ball!

A square is like a box,
A square is like a box,
It has four sides,
They are the same.
A square is like a box!

A triangle has 3 sides,
A triangle has 3 sides,
Up the mountain,
Down, and back.
A triangle has 3 sides!

A rectangle has 4 sides,
A rectangle has 4 sides,
Two are long, and
Two are short.
A rectangle has 4 sides!

Musical Monday: Rhythm Ribbons

Rhythm ribbons: doesn't that just sound fun? They are! My daughter loves to jump/run/dance around the room with her ribbon in hand to just about any kind of music. The concept is quite simple: move the ribbon to the music. This is great because it doesn't take any kind of musical genius or even rhythm to have success with rhythm ribbons. It's a chance to connect body movement with the music.


Watch for the crawler at the end who makes a dash for an abandoned ribbon. So cute! Music in the video is At the Bottom of the Sea on For the Kids Too!

I know you're just jumping at the chance to put rhythm ribbons to work in your playtime so here are some resources to get you going. First, you need the ribbons. This project was so incredibly easy to make. In fact, I was able to make them while my toddler crawled all over me trying to get a better look and help any way she could. Second, you need to choose some magical music to get the party started!

Making Rhythm Ribbons
Materials: craft sticks, ribbon, Tacky glue

Directions: Cut ribbon into 3 1/2 foot (42 inches) lengths; Apply glue to one craft stick; Smear glue from first stick onto another craft stick; Place one end of the ribbon on the stick about 1 - 1 1/2 inches. Place the other craft stick (glue side down) on top of the craft stick with the ribbon; Press sticks firmly together; Place on wax paper, cover with wax paper and place a heavy book on top while glue dries.

Once the glue dries, your rhythm ribbons are ready to use! Sammi danced around the table asking if they were dry yet for about 10 minutes. (I was very impressed with her attention span for waiting for the ribbons!) Finally I gave in and checked and they were dry! We turned on some music and started spinning, zigzagging and waving our ribbons around the room.

Choosing Music for Rhythm Ribbons
Since using rhythm ribbons is about moving the ribbons, it's a great way to introduce children to classical music. What would otherwise be boring to just sit and listen to now provides a dynamic, engaging background for exploring rhythm ribbon movements. Once caution on classical music: The songs can get pretty long. If the song is too long children may lose interest in the rhythm ribbons and you may run out of ideas for different ways for them to move the ribbons around. Look for songs that are two to three minutes long to start with and then increase the length of song from there. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies Available on
The Bumble-Bee (from 'The Legend of Tsar Saltan') Available on iTunes
William Tell Overture (Finale) Available on iTunes

Musical Monday: The Grand Old Duke of York

Get ready to get up (and down) and move! This song is just plain energizing and a bit silly. You'll see what I mean in the video. We also love this song because it's easy to adapt with little ones: again, in the video! So take a look and get ready to get movin'



Oh, the Grand Old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again
Oh, when you're up you're up
And when you're down you're down
And when you're only halfway up your neither up nor down!

Musical Monday: Here is the Beehive

Click here for the Bean Bag Giveaway!

This is a fun song for babies on up. Little ones love the tickling at the end. Sammi asks for it again and again! I had a really hard time remembering the tune till I realized it was "Rock-a-bye Baby."



Here is the beehive
Where are the bees?
Hidden inside
Where nobody sees.
Watch as the bees
Come out of the hive.
1-2-3-4-5
Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz

Musical Monday: Once There Was a Snowman

We have had the lion's share of snow this winter! We've had lots of fun playing in the snow, making snow angels and a large snowman. When I don't want to go outside or when there's no snow or just to celebrate the snow, we sing Once There Was a Snowman.



Once There Was a Snowman
Once there was a snowman snowman snowman
Once there was a snowman tall tall tall

In the sun he melted melted melted
In the sun he melted small small small

Musical Monday Tuesday: Valentine Special

Tony Chestnut (Toe Knee Chest Nut) is a cute song that helps you say I love you to your little one!



Happy Valentine's Day!

Musical Monday: Goin' On A Bear Hunt

This is the perfect song to encourage pretend play. In Going on a Bear Hunt children envision the path you lay out for them. They pretend to swish through a field of grass, swim through a river, climb a tree or mountain, and enter a cave where they find a BEAR!

In the initial stages of pretend play children benefit from incorporating as much reality into their play as possible. Sammi loved to change diapers. Initially she insisted on using actual diapers and wipe on her babies. We went through a lot of diapers and wipes. One afternoon I counted 15 rolled diapers on the floor that she had used on her baby! Slowly she transitioned into using pretend wipes and finally pretend diapers.

The same principle applies here with Going on a Bear Hunt. You lead the adventure and model the actions that accompany each part of the song. Your child then sees a slice of the reality and is able to envision the pretend adventure of hunting for bears.



Going on a Bear Hunt
We're going on a bear hunt
We're gonna catch a big one
But we're not scared!
Oh no, a large field of grass.
We can't go over it
We can't go under it
We'll have to go through it
Swish swish swish

We're going on a bear hunt
We're gonna catch a big one
But we're not scared!
Oh no, a river.
We can't go under it
We can't go around it
We'll have to swim through it
Swim swim swim

We're going on a bear hunt
We're gonna catch a big one
But we're not scared!
Oh no, a tree (or mountain)
We can't go around it
We can't go through it
We'll have to climb up it
Climb climb climb
Down down down

We're going on a bear hunt
We're gonna catch a big one
But we're not scared!
Oh no, a cave.
We can't go over it
We can't go under it
We'll have to go in it
Tiptoe tiptoe

I see a shiny nose and two eyes
It's a bear!
Run out of the cave
Run run run
Climb up the tree (mountain)
Climb down the tree (mountain)
Run run run
Swim through the river
Run run run
Run through the grass
Run run run
Open the door
Shut the door
Run upstairs and
Jump in bed
We're safe!

We received this adorable board book for Christmas that tells the story of a family going on a bear hunt and making it safely home. I love the illustrations and the additional verses.

Musical Monday: Find A Drum

Hopefully you've found Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb over the weekend and already enjoyed reading it with your drums from Friday. Today we'll talk about some other ways to use drums to encourage your child's rhythmic development. 

I noticed the other day that my little Elli had discovered her belly's potential for use as a drum. She has moved from randomly flailing her arms to more purposeful swinging which usually lands her hands on her belly with a loud, echo-y thump. She wiggles with excitement and swings her arms again.

From that stage children learn they can bang on something other than their bodies and create different sounds. If you don't have formal drums, many household items work great: plastic or metal bowls turned upside down, boxes, or empty food canisters (oatmeal or coffee). Children can use their hands or other instruments such as wooden spoons or plastic utensils.

Letting your child explore the different sounds made by different combinations of drum and drum sticks allows them to learn more about cause and effect as well as the properties of different materials. 

Now for the drumming! A strong beat is the basis for most songs. The ability to identify the beat and then keep it could be considered the basis of rhythmic development! Turn on some energetic music and start drumming to the beat. Invite your child to join you (though I'm sure they won't need much invitation.) Try to follow the volume of the song. Beat louder during loud parts and quieter during quiet parts. Switch up the style of song for a variety of beats.

To get you started, our favorite song to drum to is Mahna Mahna by Cake on For the Kids 

Musical Monday: A Slippery Fish

After hearing this song for the first time, I realized I needed an online resource where I could go listen again and again to new songs. It's part of what's inspired this blog! This is one of Sammi's favorites. We learned it at the library during laptime. She was barely a year old and she'd do the actions just well enough that I knew what song she wanted. I was so frustrated at first because I couldn't remember the tune or all the words. Every time we went to the library I hoped that the teller would sing it again. After a several weeks I had heard it enough that I could finally sing it at home with Sammi. She was so happy.



Actions to songs are great for pre-speakers. Through the actions they are able to communicate their thoughts and wishes before they are able to tell us with words. Sometimes it takes more attention and practice to understand what our children want when they can't just say it, but it's worth the time to reinforce familiar actions with specific outcomes.

In the same vein, many people chose to teach their children simple sign language as a way to communicate before spoken words appear. Here are a couple of great sites for using signs with your baby: Signing Time and Sign Babies.

Musical Monday: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

**UPDATED With Actions Below**
Check out more Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Crafts in this post!



Songs with actions are great! But what do you do with a great song that doesn't really have any actions? For Twinkle Twinkle Little Star it's fun to open and close your hands like a blinking star, but it's almost too repetitive, even for the most pattern-loving children. Sammi went through a period of time where she didn't want to sing this song, even though it was her very most favorite, because she didn't get to do anything during the song.

One day we cut out stars, colored them and glued them to a craft stick. Instant success. She loves to hold her star and move it around while we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We've since discovered several objects in our home that have a star. Sammi bursts into song pretty much any time she finds one such object. It's good to have her back!

To make it easy, here's a star you can print, color and glue to your craft stick and start singing today:


Elaine shares these actions to use with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:
Twinkle Twinkle little star (fingers twinkling)
How I wonder what you are (hands out with palms up)
Up above the world so high (pointing / stretching up)
Like a diamond in the sky (making a diamond shape with thumbs to forefingers on opposite hands)
Twinkle Twinkle little star (fingers twinkling)
How I wonder what you are (hands out with palms up)