Using Songs We All Know In New And Creative Ways - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Mamatomo Mama
Jun 22, 2018
3 min read

Teach your kids to be creative, to think outside the box with the following ideas!

Last week I wrote about why we should use music at home and in the classroom. This week, I want to show you how you can use a song that we all know - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - in new and fun ways. We all know the actions for the song - and they are great. Kids love them and follow easily. You can take the song further by adding in new vocabulary or by changing the words completely and using the melody on its own. Lets start with adding new vocabulary.

Develop the song by adding in new verses

Here are the words that everyone knows:

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

How about if we add some new shapes and some colors (my own ideas - feel free to change it up to your style!):

Pointy pointy blue triangle

Look and smile at all your angles

You have three points

One, two, three

Ouch oh watch out

One pricked me!

Pointy pointy blue triangle

Look and smile at all your angles

Smooth and even yellow square

I can see you everywhere

On the walls and on the floors

Equal sides not less not more

Smooth and even purple square

Now I see you sitting there

Round and round my rolling circle

Never ending ball of purple

You have no points

No straight sides

Any part is just as wide

Round and round my rolling circle

Never ending ball of purple

Use the melody to create new songs:

You can do this completely on a whim; in the car, at the supermarket or walking along the road. Say, for example you want to sing a song about the summer:

Summer summer at last has come

Lets go out and have some fun

Lets play with water, eat ice cream

Go to the beach with our sunscreen!

Summer summer at last has come

Lets go out and have some fun

Or you can sing a song about one of your kids (which always gets a reaction!). This song could be played as a game where the kids that is named has to do something and everyone else has to copy:

Lucas Lucas I see you

What are you going to do?

Will you jump or will you hop

Will you smile or will you talk?

Lucas Lucas I see you

What are you going to do?

See the possibilities are endless!

Try making up your own words to go with melodies that you already know. Kids will love to join in being creative with words and trying to make sentences rhyme. Its not always necessary that you get the words to rhyme though. Most important is to have fun!

Speaking of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...

I have just heard this past week that the band, Best Coast, who are a U.S. West Coast-based rock band will be releasing their very first kids' album, Best Kids, on June 22nd 2018 and it features a very new and refreshing version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I've heard it and it's definitely worth a listen. The song features another verse of the song that you don't often hear:

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Best Coast's version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star has a great rock vibe which is not often heard in kids' music. The song has a really nice, strong beat which gives kids a good chance to keep in time while they shake shakers or bang drums.

Another song on the album, Cats and Dogs, is sure to be a hit with kids. My kids loved it. Very catchy and with a perfect summer vibe for those long car journeys that many of us will be embarking on soon!

The album will be available from today June 22nd, 2018 and available on amazon. http://amazon.com/bestkids

(a digital, CD and vinyl release, available exclusively from Amazon).