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 Post by Alexa Rosenbaum, Toneworks intern

Though most of the snow has melted, the winter spirit is still very much alive in our sessions here at Toneworks!  We posted this movement activity back in September, and since it is a favorite in our classrooms we decided to put a fun winter twist on it.  As a kid, I remember waiting excitedly for the first big snow because it meant that I would be able to go sledding down the big hill by my house.  In retrospect, I have no idea how I had enough energy to climb back up that hill so many times, but kids seem to love sledding for hours at a time.  Since we can’t actually go outside during our sessions, I figured we could capture the energy and excitement of sledding by singing and moving with the stretchy band! Below are the lyrics I like to use for this activity as we move the stretchy band up and down to imitate a bumping sled.

Bumpin’ down the hill in my little red sled

Bumpin’ down the hill in my little red sled

Bumpin’ down the hill in my little red sled

Climb back up the hill

After we have sung it through one time, I choose a child and have them pick their favorite color or the color they happen to be holding onto on the stretchy band.  Then I put their name and color in the song, for example: “Bumpin’ down the hill in Suzie’s yellow sled”.  Kids love hearing their name inserted into the song and we are able to address goals such as gross motor movement, color identification, peer interaction, and taking turns.  This activity is a hit with teachers and kids alike, and hopefully makes the loooooong winter a little less dreary!