Tag Archives: Jingle bells

Tips For Learning Christmas Songs in Other Languages

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 7.36.20 PMThe winter holidays are a fun time to explore celebrations and traditions from around the world. When you do, why not learn a favorite Christmas carol in another language? You might want to choose a language from your family’s heritage or maybe one from the community around you. Maybe you’re living as an expat in another country and want to embrace one of their favorite songs, or just reach out and expand your linguistic abilities.

Check out these helpful tips on learning a song in another language with your kids or dive right into our version of Jingle Bells in Russian below! Beneath that, we’ve included links to past posts on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer in Japanese and Jingle Bells in Mandarin, plus a fun cheat sheet that shares holiday greetings in 18 different world languages

LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS

Pick a song that’s fun to sing and has a catchy tune!

Pick a language from your family heritage or one you’d like to learn.

Pick a language where someone you know can help you with the lyrics or pronunciation. Will Grandma help with that song in Italian or Papou help with a carol in Greece?

If learning the whole song is too daunting (language is difficult or your kids are very young), just learn the chorus – that’s usually very easy to master.

Write out the lyrics phonetically. Break them down into easy-to-pronounce syllables.

Praise you kids (or yourself) for exploring a new language. Learning a new language is not easy but encouragement and praise help a new speaker gain both confidence and capacity!

A video of a new song or a live “singing Christmas card” makes a great gift for a grandparent or loved one abroad.

Enjoy the process as you make happy holiday memories.

Now, here’s a version of Jingle bells for anyone wishing to learn a bit of Russian this year!

Links And Resources

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer in Japanese http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/favorite-holiday-songs-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-in-japanese

Jingle Bells In Chinese – http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/favorite-holiday-songs-from-around-the-world-jingle-bells-in-chinese/

Happy Holidays in 18 Languages – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happy-Holidays-in-18-Languages-2230358

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Posted in Chinese (Mandarin), Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, Favorite Songs, Holiday Songs, Multicultural Music, Music And Community

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Easy May Day Jingle Sticks

Many cultures celebrate the Spring with music and festivities.   In The British Isles, traditional morris dancers have bells on their legs and sticks in their hands that they use as part of the choreography of the dance.  You can use the same ideas to celebrate the season or as part of music and movement fun; indoors or outdoors, any time or the year.

morris bells on kyraBells and Sticks

We’ll be sharing a post soon about a variety of different dancing bell traditions from various cultures – each with it’s own simple craft versions you can try at home.  For now, if you’re looking for an easy, wearable  “morris bells” craft, check out the resources and links below.

And what do you hold in your hands while dancing?  These bright and colorful jingle sticks are easy to make and fit perfectly in a child’s hands while they are dancing or moving – around a Maypole or during any dancing or movement activity.

morris jingle sticks suppliesA Few Supplies

To make these easy jingle sticks, you’ll need:

Pencils (unsharpened)

Pipecleaners (4 – 8 per stick)

Assorted jingle bells

Ribbon (optional)

morris jingle sticks - pencil and bellWrap it Up!

Start your stick by threading a jingle bell into the middle of a pipecleaner.  Then wrap both sides of the pipecleaner down over the pencil.  Take a second pipecleaner and wrap around the pencil until it is covered, adding jingle bells at regular intervals.  When the pipecleaner is too short to wrap, start with another one and wrap the end of the last one underneath.

Use as many jingles as you like and then tie on pieces of colorful ribbons as streamers, if desired.

morris jingle stick completeWhat Can You Do With Jingle Sticks?

You can use jingle sticks for playing music while seated at a desk in class in school.  You can make a pair and hold one in each hand during any form or movement of free form dance.  You can shake jingle sticks along with the beat of a favorite song.  You can practice, left hand and right hand patterns while listening to recorded music or create left hand and right hand patterns while singing.

Get creative and have fun!

morris jingle sticks 2 sidewaysResources

Easy Morris Bells Craft

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/early-learning-with-music/easy-morris-dancing-bells-for-children/

Make Your Own Indian-Style Ankle Bells (from Teachers Pay Teachers)

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Indian-Style-Ankle-Bells-or-Ghungroo-486879

 

 

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Posted in Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Holiday Songs, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments, Special Needs/Kids of All Abilities

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Favorite Holiday Songs From Around The World – Jingle Bells in Chinese

jingle bells chinese 1 Have you ever heard the song, Jingle Bells in (Mandarin) Chinese? It’s irresistible! And it’s a perfect way to introduce your child to a beautiful new language as part of their musical play and exploration!

I learned this song from a wonderful Mommy blogger named Lina Dickson who is actively “bringing up baby, bilingually”. Since the winter festivities are close at hand, it can be a perfect way of combining music, learning a new language and holiday fun.

Even if you don’t attempt the whole song, the chorus is very easy to learn. Instead of Jingle Bells, it is:

(Pinyin) Dīng dīng dāng Dīng dīng dāng
(English Translation) Ding ding dang, Ding ding dang,

(Pinyin) Líng’ér xiǎng dīng dāng
(English Translation) The bells jingle

(Pinyin) wǒ men huá xuě duo kuài lè
(English Translation) We have lots of fun sledding

(English Translation) Riding of the sleigh
(Pinyin) wǒ men zuò zài xuě qāio shàng hei

jingle bells chinese 2Check out the video animation below or head over to Lina’s Best4Baby site to see a version that has the perfect word by word translation. Lina’s site also has a pdf teaching the complete lyrics in Chinese through the actual Chinese characters, through pinyin and the English translation. If you aren’t familiar with pinyin, it is a system developed to write out how Chinese characters or words are pronounced including the correct inflection to use.

http://www.best4future.com/blog/chinese-childrens-song-jingle-bells

Jingle Bells Lyrics in Chinese Characters, Pinyin and English Translation form Best4Future Website

http://www.best4future.com/blog/Songs/jinglebell.pdf

Jingle Bell Craft Booklet pdfWant to make some jingle bells to jingle along with the song – no matter what language you’re enjoying it in? My monthly song page has a free craft booklet sharing 4 different ways to create homemade jingle instruments from recycled materials.

Stop on over, get your copy and you can … jingle all the way!

http://www.dariamusic.com/monthly_song.php

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAwC0GorjCs&w=500&h=375]

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Posted in Babies and Music, Chinese (Mandarin), Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, Favorite Songs, Holiday Songs, Uncategorized

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Jingle Marching Sticks

making jingle sticksOne of the most wonderful things about making music with young children is that it easily becomes part of an active day.  Who can resist making a parade or dancing around the house or the classroom when they are carrying a marching jingle stick?  Best of all, the materials needed for this craft are often trashed (extra ribbon, tape, cardboard wrapping tubes, stray jingle bells) so this craft encourages you to upcycle, exercise and make music all at the same time.  What a great way to begin the holiday fun!

Make Your Own Jingle Stick

Here are the supplies to assemble:

A jingle stick – look for a cardboard tube from wrapping paper, 3 foot ruler or large stick

1 (or more) pipecleaners

6 – 10 jingles per pipecleaner

Colorful electrical tape or duct tape

Optional: Paint, stickers, yarn or duct tape, for decoration.

Screen shot 2013-11-15 at 3.05.34 PMBegin by stringing any number of jingles onto a pipecleaner.  Use electrical tape to fasten the pipecleaner into place on the stick.  It helps to fasten the pipecleaners to the stick between the jingles as well.  If you like, make several pipecleaners strung with bells to add to different parts of your stick.

Once the jingles are in place, decorate the rest of the marching stick.  Use paint, more tape, colorful ribbon, yarn or stickers to make it unique and wonderful.

Time To Play!

Other then using the jingle stick to lead a parade, there are lots of ways to get creative with your new instrument.

Sing any of your favorite holiday songs along to a beat created by your marching jingle stick.

Try tapping the stick on the floor while marching and use that sound as part of the rhythm being created.

Use marching jingle sticks as part of a holiday music presentation.

Try playing the jingle stick at a particular part of the song (like the chorus) or when you hear a particular word in a holiday song.  For instance, a class can jingle the bells only when you hear the word “jingle” in the song “jingle bells”.

If you like, try it along to this version of Jingle Bells which shares lots of different ways to say “Happy Holidays” in different countries around the globe.

Resources

Jingle Anklets –  http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/jinglebells.pdf

4 Easy Jingle Bells Instruments For Holiday Fun  – Craft Booklet from TeachersPayTeachers http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4-JINGLE-BELLS-CRAFT-ACTIVITIES-940926

4 Easy Jingle Bells Instruments For Holiday Fun  – Craft Booklet from DARIA’s Little Village Store http://dariasvillagestore.storenvy.com/collections/34585-all-products/products/3498803-4-jingle-bell-craft-activities-booklet

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Posted in Babies and Music, Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, Holiday Songs, Homeschool Musical Fun, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments, Uncategorized

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