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We address a lot of academic goals during music therapy with children. One academic goal is to learn preposition words or directional concepts (e.g. in front of, behind, over).

Since I had these cute felt fish (blogged here) , I wanted to write a song about the fish swimming around in different ways. My internship supervisor at the time suggested that the kids use one hand in a fist as a rock. During the song, the fish swim around, over, rest on top, or hide under the rock.

A gross motor therapeutic music intervention that fits nicely with this song is to sing “The Fish went Over the Water” to the tune of the bear went over the mountain with a big blue scarf or sheet. The children move in a circle while walking over the water, under the water (MT holds the scarf up high), around, and into.

The lead sheet below has the first verse with under the rock. For subsequent verses just sing these phrases instead…

2) swim over the rock 3) rest on the rock 4) swim around the rock

For older children I have also had the fish swim through the rock by having them create a space in their fist or hold the fish inside their hands.

We hope you can use these ideas and adapt to fit your client’s needs!

Link to All The Fish In The Sea PDF