Category Archives: Multicultural Music

Sing A Silly Song In German

This updated post is part of our new series on learning simple songs in various languages. You can use these songs to build bilingualism or just to enjoy exploring a world of music with your kids!

of learning simple songs in Most parents who speak German recognize this silly song about a crocodile who lives in the Nile. The song, Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil, comes from an animated German TV Show called The Show With the Mouse (Die Sendung Mit der Maus). In the TV Show, Schnappi sings about his life in Egypt and the simple lyrics and incredibly catchy tune made the song an internet success as well as a pop hit in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In fact, this song actually reached Number 1 on the German music charts in January 2005!

Here’s how the song goes. Take a listen and I dare you not to be singing it for the rest of the day!

Lyrics For Schnappi in German

Ich bin Schnappi das kleine Krokodil,

komm aus Ägypten das liegt direkt am Nil.

Zuerst lag ich in einem Ei,

dann schni schna schnappte ich mich frei.

Schni schna schnappi

schnappi schnappi schnapp i

schni schna schnappi

schnappi schnappi schnappi

Ich bin Schnappi das kleine Krokodil,

hab scharfe Zähne und davon ganz schön viel.

Ich schnapp mir was ich schnappen kann,

ja schnapp zu weil ich das so gut kann.

Ich bin Schnappi das kleine Krokodil,

ich schnappe gern das ist mein Lieblingsspiel.

Ich schleich mich an die Mama ran,

und zeig ihr wie ich schnappen kann!

Ich bin Schnappi das kleine Krokodil,

und vom Schnappen da krieg ich nicht zuviel.

Ich beiss den Papi kurz ins Bein,

und dann, dann schlafe ich einfach ein.

Lyrics For Schnappi in English

What do the words mean? Here’s a good translation for this catchy song.

I am Schnappi the little crocodile.

I come from Egypt, it lies right on the Nile.

At first I lay in an egg,

Then I …schni- schna- snap myself free.

Schni Schna Schnappi

Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp

Schni Schna Schnappi

Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp

I am Schnappi the little crocodile,

I have sharp teeth and they are quiet pretty.

I hog what I can snap,

Yes I snap because I can do it so well.

Chorus

I am Schnappi the little crocodile,

I like to snap, it’s my favorite game.

I creep onto my mommy,

And show her how I can snap.

Chorus

I am Schnappi the little crocodile,

And because I’m snapping I don’t get there very much.

I briefly bite into my dad’s leg,

And then I easily shrink.

Chorus

Questions For Encouraging German Vocabulary

Here are some easy questions for using the song to discover new words and phrases in German or encourage bilingualism in your household.

What is Schnappi?

Is Schnappi big or little?

How do you say that in German?

What type of animal is Schnappi?

What does Schnappi do to his mother?

What does Schnappi do to his father?

What is Schnappi’s favorite game?

How do you say favorite game in German?

Can you name any other animals in German?

Kids Music Activities – In German And In Spanish

Would you like to read about children’s music and musical activities in German or in Spanish? Check out our sister blogs here:

Das Kinder Machen Musik Blog

daskindermachenmusikblog.wordpress.com

Growing With Music – In Spanish

Creciendo Con Música creciendoconmusicblog.wordpress.com

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Posted in Babies and Music, Early Learning With Music, Favorite Songs, Kids Songs In German, Multicultural Music

Tagged childrens music., Daria, daria world music, dariamusic, German songs for kids, Kids songs in german, multicultural music, Schnappi das kleine Krokodil, Schnappi song, songs in German, the little crocodile song, world music with daria, worldmusic for kids, young children and music

What Is Your Country’s National Instrument?

You probably know that different countries have different languages. And diverse cultures have different holidays and foods. But did you know that almost all countries in the world have a national instrument?

What’s A National Instrument?

What is a national instrument? It can be an instrument discovered or played in a country, like the South African vuvuzela horn. It can also be a musical instrument that holds cultural and symbolic importance for a state, a nation or a particular race or ethnicity of people. Some are drums, some are stringed instruments, some are percussion instruments but all hold a special significance to the citizens of that country and represents the unique character of the people it is identified with.

For instance, think about a balalaika from Russia or the ukulele from Hawaii. Can a country have more then one national instrument? Yes, several countries have multiple instruments listed as their national instruments. For instance, Greece has an ancient national instrument – the lyre, and also a modern one, the bouzouki. Peru has both the Afro-Peruvian cajón (box drum) and the Andean charango, a stringed instrument made from the shell of an armadillo.

Discovering Cultures Through Music

Instruments are a really fun starting point for discovering and learning about world cultures. Perhaps you have relatives or ancestors from another culture. Music is a great starting point for sharing that culture with your kids. Perhaps you’ll travel to another country, here’s a fun way to find out more about what you’ll see and hear in advance. Likewise, if you’re simply exploring the world from the comfort of your couch, finding out about national instruments is a great way to discover the many wonders of the musical world.

Below is a link to the Wikipedia compilation page of national instruments. This is a great source because each countries entry has a clickable link to learn more. Also below are links to free coloring pages and to one kids E-book where you can color your way around the world with unique musical instruments like the sitar from India or goat toe-nail rattles from Bolivia.

What’s your country’s national instrument? Did you already know it? I’d love to hear from you about this!

Links and Resources

Wikipedia’s List of National Instruments http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_instruments_%28music%29

Australia – What Is A Didgeridoo https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-is-a-Didgeridoo-2816257

Ancient Egypt – Color A Sistrum – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-An-Ancient-Egyptian-Rattle-The-Sistrum-2166721

South Africa  – Make Your Own Vuvuzela Stadium Horn  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Vuvuzela-Make-Play-Your-Own-South-African-Stadium-Horn-1242716

Russia  -Balalaika –Poster and Coloring Page  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Balalaika-Mini-Poster-and-Coloring-Page-917136

Hawaii  – Ukulele Poster and Coloring Page  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Ukulele-A-Stringed-Instrument-from-Hawaii-Mini-Poster-and-Coloring-Page-1095283

Peru – Make Your Own Cajón - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Cajon-Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Box-Drum-1236616

Peru – Charango – Poster and Coloring Page  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Charango-An-Instrument-from-South-America-Mini-Poster-and-Coloring-Page-613417

Argentina and Brazil – Guitar Coloring Page https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guitar-Coloring-Page-649967

Let’s Color A World Of Music – 12 Instrument E-Book https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/LETS-COLOR-A-WORLD-OF-MUSIC-1253263

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Posted in Australian Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, First Instruments, Hispanic Music, Homeschool Musical Fun, India, Multicultural Music

Tagged ancient instruments, Balalaika, bouzouki, cajon, Charango, coloring books for kids, culture and music, Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Didgeridoo, Easy Instruments kids, international kids music, kids books music, kids music book, lyra, multicultural music, national instruments, Sistrum, ukulele, unusual instruments, Vuvuzela, world music, world music with daria, wqorld music instruments

A Mother’s Day Song in Spanish

All over the world, people celebrate a holiday that gives thanks to moms. In many countries – that day is a special Sunday in May – Sunday, May 15th in 2017!

“Mamá te quiero mucho” is a lovely song that speaks from the heart of a child to their mom. The song was written by Sara Quintanar, a multi-talented Elementary School Music Educator as well as a bilingual educator, songwriter, and performer.

Enjoy the song in the video above or check out more about this wonderful artist here: http://www.musicwithsara.com

Links And Resources

A Mother’s Day Song From South Africa http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/a-song-for-mothers-from-south-africa/

Mother’s Day Traditions Around The World http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/mothers-day-around-world.html

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, Holiday Songs, Multicultural Music

Tagged children and music, mothers day song, Mothers Day Song in Spanish, Mothers Day Spanish language, multicultural mothers day, multicultural music, music mothers day, musica infantil, Sara Quintanar, world music with daria, young children and music

Playing The Spoons As an Instrument – In Russia!

Anyone who has experienced “down home” American folk music has probably heard a musician play the spoons. If you haven’t – then you’re in for a treat and check out the post below titled: “It’s So Easy to Play The Spoons!”

But, did you know that playing spoons as percussion is a part of traditional Russian folk music as well? Although the sound of the clicking and clacking of the spoons is similar, the Russian technique of playing adds a few really neat twists that put it in a league of it’s own!

Russian Spoons or Lozhki

Known as lozhki (Ло́жки), Russian musical spoons most often are the beautifully carved and decorated wooden spoons famous in that part of the world. Where American spoon players usually use two silver spoons in one hand, Russian players typically play three or more and use both hands. They can also put extra spoons in pockets or on their clothes and use them as extra percussion surfaces.

If you watch this video of a folk orchestra featuring a spoon player, you’ll see some pretty amazing hand (and foot) work!

How do you pronounce “lozhki”? You can hear the correct pronunciation of the Russian word for spoons here: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Ru-%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0.ogg

Links and Resources

It’s So Easy to Play The Spoons! http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/its-so-simple-to-play-the-spoons/

Balalaika – Free Coloring Page: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Balalaika-Free-Coloring-Page-3030487

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Posted in Family Fun, Halloween, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Simple Instruments

Tagged childrens music., Daria, multicultural music, playing spoons, Russian musical spoons, spoons, unusual instruments, unusual percussion, world music with daria, young children and music

The Pow-Wow Drum – Making a Beat, Together With Friends!

Did you now that March is Music In Our Schools month? What a great way to focus on how music enriches the lives of all students, young and old!

I’m part of a group of music educators that want parents, teachers and everyone to find lots of fun and creative ways to share music with kids. This year, our theme is “31 days of rhythm” so I wanted to share a bit about how pow-wow drumming.

What’s A Pow-Wow Drum?

If you’ve ever been to a Native American gathering, the pow-wow drum is at the center of the event. At most pow-wows you’ll see a group of either men or women gathered around a big drum and everyone is playing and singing at the same time. They are all playing in unison, meaning the goal is to strike the drum together. And when a great drum group is playing, it sounds like thunder and shows the power of what people can do when they work (or play) cooperatively!

Make Your Own Pow-Wow Drum

Actual pow-wow drums are beautiful and many are very special and sacred. But I’ve done a post that explores the first pow-wow drum and you can easily make that at home. You can find it here as well as check out the sound of a traditional drum group playing and singing: http://www.dariamusic.com/drum.php

You’ll Need a Drum Beater

To play a pow-wow drum, each drummer needs their own beater. Check this link for an equally simple craft to make your own pow-wow drum beaters: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/make-a-little-drum-beater-for-a-big-drum/

Now Let’s Play!

Every child can find a place around the fabric drum, holding the drum with one hand and their beater in the other. Then, they strike the drum together – at the same time. At first, a teacher or adult may want to tap out a beat to any familiar song and encourage the children to play along, hitting the drum at exactly the same time. Once the kids get the idea, the leader can also ask the children to listen carefully and do what she/he does. While playing the same song, she/he can play softer and they should tap softer. He/she can play harder or a bit faster or slower and the drum group should do the same.

In Native cultures, drumming is just one way of teaching cooperation and listening skills as well.

Drumming Together

To practice drumming together, you might wish to try a simple song I used while teaching music and English in the Middle East. The students wanted to learn the days of the week in English so they drummed to the following little song. Whoever was leading set the pace and played the rhythm as they sang. When they finished, they pointed to someone who had listened and played well to be the next leader.

(one beat) Sunday,
(one beat) Monday,
(one beat) Tuesday,
(one beat) Wednesday,
(one beat) Thursday,
(one beat) Friday and
(three beats) SAT-UR-DAY (beaters must stop and raised in the air).

Happy drumming and check out all the posts for the 31 Days of Rhythm right here: https://musicedblogs.com/

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, First Instruments, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Native American Music, Simple Instruments

Tagged 31 Days of Rhythm, drums forkids, Easy Instruments kids, multicultural music, MYO pow-wow drum, Native American drums, playing music with young children, pow-wow drum, pow-wow drum for kids, preschooler, unusual percussion, world music drum, world music with daria, young children and music

Make An Irish Drum – Tutorial Free This Week!

Need a last minute St. Patrick’s Day craft? You’ll love to make and play this easy Irish drum. And learn a bit about it’s history and culture as well.

To get your free copy, just head over to my TeachersPayTeachers store, where’s it’s marked down to “0” until March 19^th. And while you’re there – would you kindly follow me on TPT to get monthly notices of what’s new and other musicals freebies and goodies you might like. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Irish-Drum-Make-and-Play-Your-Own-Bodhran-and-Tipper-2410657

Don’t have time to get the tutorial? Here’s an older post that tells you all about the bodhrán (pronounced bow-ron) drum.

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/make-your-own-bodhran-irish-drum/

Wishing you have a happy, healthy and green St. Patrick’s Day!

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Posted in Celtic Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Simple Instruments

Tagged Bodhrán, bodhran drum, bodhran for kids, drum carfts, drums for kids, Irish crafts, irish drum, irish instruments, St. Patricks Day activities, St. Patricks Day Crafts

Sing A Silly Song For Groundhog’s Day

Do you love doing tongue-twisters and silly songs with your child? Then this new song is a perfect choice for celebrating Groundhog’s Day.

Sing this song and you may discover not only how much wood could a woodchuck chuck and how much ground can a groundhog grind as well as – how much sap a sapsucker can suck! I dare you to sing it and now collapse in giggles!

But, before you do, here are some groundhog and groundhogs day FAQ’s.

When is Groundhog’s Day? February 2^nd.

Where is the official groundhog prediction? The official celebration is in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania where our good pal; Punxatawney Phil, gets up early and gives us his prediction of when winter will end.

Where does Phil see his shadow? The special celebration of Groundhog’s day happens on a spot called Gobbler’s Knob, right in the center of the town of Punxatawney.

What does it mean if he sees his shadow? If the groundhog sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter are predicted. Not seeing a shadow means an earlier Spring (hooray!)

Is Groundhog’s Day an American holiday? Yes, but it comes from a German custom and there are many different types of ways that animals are predictors of the weather around the world. This is a great topic to research!

What are Groundhog Lodges? In Pennsylvania Dutch tradition there gatherings where there is food, entertainment and skits or plays at this time of year. All who attend must speak only in Pennsylvania Dutch dialect or they are fined a nickel, a dime or a quarter for speaking English!

Are there great books about groundhogs and groundhog’s day? Yes! Check out our list below and “Go To Sleep, Groundhog” is a funny, cute and truly adorable pick for any home or classroom library!

Groundhog’s Day Song – Free Lyric Sheet https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhogs-Day-Song-Lyric-Sheet-2357681

Groundhog’s Day Song and Pop-up Puppet Activity

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhogs-Day-Song-and-Pop-Up-Groundhog-Puppet-Activity-484374

Add This Song To Your Favorite Playlist

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/4kfEtW5B0FT5JvYN5hF8td

AppleMusic – https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-groundhog-song-how-much/id385842751

Great Books About Groundhog’s Day

Go To Sleep, Groundhog! by Judy Cox/Paul Meisel (Illustrator)
A groundhog can’t seem to fall asleep when it’s time to hibernate and has a tough time getting up when his own special holiday comes.

Ten Grouchy Groundhogs By Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
A cute counting book for young children with some good groundhog facts sprinkled in!

Groundhog Gets a Say By Pamela Curtis Swallow/Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)
A groundhog thinks his holiday should last more then one day. His animal friends help make his case for the world to know more about groundhogs.
Groundhog Day! By Gail Gibbons
Wonderful fun and great facts about groundhogs and the Groundhog’s Day celebration.

The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun By Wendie C. Old/Paige Billin-Frye (Illustrator)
A sampler of groundhog facts and a good description of the special day in Punxatawny, PA.

Groundhog Weather School By Joan Holub/Kristin Sorra (Illustrator)
A groundhog is encouraged to open a weather school everyone gets to learn more about hibernation, groundhogs and the holiday.

A happy Groundhog’s Day to all!

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Posted in Annoying Songs, Babies and Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Ecology/Nature, Family Fun, Holiday Songs, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Silly Songs

Tagged Daria, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Groundhog, groundhog day traditions for kids, Groundhogs Day, Groundhogs Day song, Groundhog’s Day activities, Groundhog’s Day books, How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, kids songs groundhog day, Music for children, music for toddlers, playing music with young children, woodchuck song, world music with daria, young children and music

Win The “Kids Around The World” Mama Lisa Songbook!

Have you read out enthusiastic review of our new favorite kid’s international songbook?

Well, we’re excited to say that – thanks to Mama Lisa’s World - we are giving away 2 digital copies of this amazing encyclopedia of 100 songs from diverse world cultures. That’s 352 awesome pages of songs, song descriptions, translations, sheet music and even details of how certain songs are used as games and activities.

Of course, we’d love for you to read the whole review here: http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/family-fun-2/a-trip-around-the-world-in-song/ but feel free to jump to the give-away and enter to win below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted in Babies and Music, Celtic Music, Chinese (Mandarin), Family Fun, Favorite Songs, Hawaiian Music, Kids Songs In German, Multicultural Music, Silly Songs

Tagged childrens music., give-aways, homeschool music, international music for kids, kids music, kids songbook, kids songs, Mama Lisa, Mama Lisa Songbook, Mama Lisa's World, multicultural music, musica infantil, playing music with young children, young children and music

There’s a New RAFFI Cd – and you can win a copy here!

Who doesn’t love Raffi? He’s like the magic grandfather of children’s music.

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Raffi (Raffi Cavoukian) was making music for children long before there was a genre for that. And he did it with kindness, authenticity and a demonstrable love for the kids of the world.

Now, continuing his long string of music albums beloved by folks of all ages, there’s a new Raffi CD called Owl Singalong. And you can win a copy in our give-away right here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What’s On Owl Singalong?

This album is a wonderful blend of Raffi’s versions of classic kids songs such as “Somos El Barco” (We Are the Boat), The Garden Song (Inch By Inch, Row By Row) and The More We Sing Together (The Happier We’ll Be). Plus, there are his originals like Owl Singalong and Woo Hoo Could I Be? You guessed it, owl-themed musical fun. And every track gives you the sense that this multi-talented musician lives to share what he loves with children.

If you can’t wait to see if you’ve won the CD, the Amazon and Itunes purchase links are below. And please stay tuned. In an upcoming post we want to tell you more about Raffi’s advocacy for kids and his Covenent for Honouring Children. He has some wise and powerful things to say about kids, commercialism and changing the world to a more meaningful place for children – and all human beings too!

Amazon – https://amzn.com/B0162FQ0O6

iTunes – http://smarturl.it/OwlSingalong

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Posted in Babies and Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, Favorite Songs, Multicultural Music

Tagged children and music, childrens music., kids music cd give-away, multicultural music, music give-away, Owl Singalong, Raffi, Raffi Cavoukian, Raffi CD, Raffi CD Give-away, Raffi music give-away, toddler music

How To Make Bottle Cap Bangles For Recycled Musical Instruments

If you’ve ever made a homemade tambourine or sistrum, you’ve probably wanted to use bangles like those seen on traditional middle eastern drums or instruments. Technically, these round thin mini-cymbals are called zils. You can see some lovely large zils on this antique tambourine from the Middle East.

If you’re crafting an instrument that uses these bangles, it’s easy to make a simple version of zils out of recycled bottle caps using a few tools that are handy around any home or garage.

What You Need

Metal bottle caps
Piece of Wood
Hammer
Large nail with a head
Safety Goggles

Safety First

Although this is a reasonably safe and easy project, it’s always a good idea to use caution. Wearing safety goggles means that your eyes and face are protected if you accidentally hit the cap too hard and it bounces off the wooden work surface. In general, a good tip for this project is to use the hammer slowly and gently, tapping repeatedly until you get the desired results.

Set Up A Work Area

Set the piece of wood down either on the floor, the ground or a sturdy table. Place the metal bottle cap (cap-side-up) and then position the large nail above it, directly in the center. Gently tap until the nail has pierced the cap and reached down into the wood. This creates the hole that will allow you to thread it onto whatever you are making.

Next, With cap-side-down, next gently strike all the edges of the bottle cap until it slowly flattens. This can take 15, 20 or more gentle taps with the hammer.

Next, turn the bottle cap over. Continue to tap the outer edges and the inner circle until all the sharp edges are flattened and pressed into the cap’s surface. Although some recycled projects use the bottle caps in their original form – such as the wooden sistrum from Africa seen below – flattening the bangles makes them safer to handle and use in any project.

If you’re doing this project with very small children, you might wish to create the bangles in advance and focus more on how the children can string the bangles plus other rattling objects onto their craft instrument.

Wondering what else you could add to a tambourine or sistrum project? In addition to bottle cap zils, you can add paper clips, buttons, jingles, beads or pull tabs from soda cans. Remember, while you’re reducing, reusing and recycling, you’re also teaching kids to limit their use of resources but never limit their imagination or creativity!

And that’s a win/win for everyone!

Links and Resources

Color An Ancient Egyptian Sistrum https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-An-Ancient-Egyptian-Rattle-The-Sistrum-2166721

Ancient Instruments – Make Your Own Egyptian Sistrum https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ancient-Instruments-Make-Your-Own-Egyptian-Sistrum-Rattle-1617163

Ancient Instruments From The Middle East, Kids Mini-Lesson https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ancient-Instruments-From-The-Middle-East-Mini-Lesson-2127995

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Posted in Ecology/Nature, Family Fun, First Instruments, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments

Tagged children’s musical instruments, Daria, DIY zils, Earth Day music, Easiest Instruments For Children, Easy Instruments kids, Green crafts, Green music, green music projects, kids musical crafts, MYO bangles, MYO tambourine, MYO zils, Recycled music projects, toddlers and music, world music with daria

Category Archives: Multicultural Music

Sing A Silly Song In German

What Is Your Country’s National Instrument?

A Mother’s Day Song in Spanish

Playing The Spoons As an Instrument – In Russia!

The Pow-Wow Drum – Making a Beat, Together With Friends!

Make An Irish Drum – Tutorial Free This Week!

Sing A Silly Song For Groundhog’s Day

Win The “Kids Around The World” Mama Lisa Songbook!

There’s a New RAFFI Cd – and you can win a copy here!

How To Make Bottle Cap Bangles For Recycled Musical Instruments

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