Whether you are running a quick errand or in the car for a long period of time, car rides can be a huge opportunity for some learning!
Take Advantage of the Listening Ears
I mean…I love singing along to Laurie Berkner songs when in the car with the grands, but it’s also a fun opportunity to make up your own songs. You
have a captive audience and a little bit of novety can be the perfect fit to fill in the time until you get to your destination. You can create songs with no purpose at all singing about the grass being green and that 1 + 1 = 2 with some animal sounds and rhyming. Or you can have intentional lyrics, like the one I created, Lenny’s Favorite that is teaching letters and names.
The Story of Lenny’s Favorite
There are more songs that I’ve created over the years that were forgotten after the first rendition and never sung again, but there are a few that have stuck around too. In the three-year old classroom, I joined for lunch one day and while waiting for everyone to be served, I saw them getting bored so I just started asking what each of their names start with. Some answered, and then… here it comes….. to the tune of the Sesame Street song, “C is for Cookie“, Lenny’s Favorite Kim song came out:
“L is for Lenny, that’s good enough for me,
L is for Lenny, that’s good enough for me,
Oh, Lenny, Lenny, Lenny starts with _____”
[and I would pause and hear the class shout, “L”!]
I know… it doesn’t make sense… like how is an L good enough for me? I don’t know… but… it has been a song remembered by many of the kids and we take turns singing through their names, animals, objects, and more. I’m pretty sure Lenny may have even introduced it to his family at home.
5 Steps to Create your next Toddler Earworm
- Choose a simple tune. Pick a tune that you (or your toddler) enjoys and is easy.
- Some ideas include: ABCs/Twinkle, Twinkle [did you even know that is the same tune?!]; B-I-N-G-O; and Open Shut Them.
- Decide the topic. Choose if you are going to have a topic or just silly rhyming with no purpose at all.
- Simple. Simple. Simple. Keep it very simple and start with lots of repetitive words & phrases
- This is so you don’t forget the words and so that your toddler is all ears listening
- Add some action. Add in some clapping and sounds, if you aren’t driving, of course!
- Include them. Invite your child to sing along with you and just keep singing it over and over. Presto! You’ve got your new earworm.
Now you can sing it everywhere and share it with your family so they can help make your song, the latest earworm.
This article isn’t about how to be the next musician featured on stage at Summerfest, the song doesn’t have to make sense… it’s more about keeping your toddler and children entertained in the car while learning. [and maybe your car mate too!]
