Song of the Month

Every month the song/dance/activity will change. Many of the songs will be from my Recordings. Please print the page and do the activity with your child. Teachers may print the page to use with their classes. If you have questions, Contact Me.

October 2008

Creepy Mouse / Sneaky Cat

Listen to the whole song on Sticky Bubble Gum...and other Tasty Tunes or hear it here:

This wordplay can be done as a fingerplay, or a 2-person play (parent/child or child/child). This time of year, many things are "creepy" and "sneaky" – but this one is more playful than scary. Pretend play is a wonderful exercise of imagination for the young child – I suggest using a visual to get started: a picture, puppet, stuffed animal of a mouse and a cat. Let the child(ren) discuss what their relationship might be. The younger the child, the less gory the details need to be –- I don't tell them the cat will EAT the mouse. My cat never did – she played with them, and walked away from it when it bored her! SO, have fun playing cat'n'mouse! There's no tune –- it spoken with enthusiasm!

Lyrics:

Creepy mouse. Creepy mouse. And along comes a big, black cat, SCAT! (repeat) Sneaky cat. Sneaky cat. Looking for a big fat mouse, POUNCE! Should we find another mouse? (repeat sequence)

Movements:

For individual children: Line 1: Crawl on hands and knees Line 2: Slowly raise both hands above you, SLAP floor on "cat", CLAP on "SCAT" Line 3: Crawl on hands and knees Line 4: Put hand to forehead to "look" around, Pounce with both hands together on floor. Then, pick up the pretend mouse by the tail, "tickle his little tummy, and then let him go with a shoo-ing motion, Squeek, Squeek, Squeek!" For adult/child or child/child pairs: Decide who's the mouse and who's the cat. Each acts out his/her part, but when it comes to POUNCE, the cat gently "captures" the mouse, then tickles the mouse's tummy. To do another time, switch parts!

Age Range: 1 – 4 years old

Purpose: Children need to continue to crawl throughout their early childhood years. Crawling promotes cross-lateral movement, balance, and physical development. As children begin to walk, crawling often becomes a "baby" thing, and they don't do it as often. Finding fun games such as this will encourage even pre-schoolers to crawl without seeming baby-ish.

Extension Activity: Couple this with "The Little Mouse Goes Creeping" from my Tiny Tunes cd (SOTM March '07), and you've got both crawling, walking and running activities! Find a mouse-themed Book Buddy such as Mouse Paint, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, or one of my children's favorites: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood.

More Songs of the Month