Making Music (Part 3) - A new twist on a classic tune & a water goblet xylophone

The best part of "making music week" has been rediscovering (or discovering for the first time) some classic children's songs.

The Book - Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? by Iza Trapani



Trapani writes extended lyrics for classic songs like this one, and then matches them with beautiful illustrations. I've read several of her books, but this is by far my favorite. When the little dog is scolded for chewing a shoe, he runs away from home, trying out all sorts of different adventures. Mountain climbing, surfing, the rodeo... none bring him the joy he finds at his own home and at the end of the day, that's where he returns.

There are 12 stanzas total which you sing to the classic tune. The illustrations tell more of the story than the lyrics, and they demonstrate a gentle humor that resonates with preschoolers. Little Page loves asking me to read her this book, although I admit I tend to fizzle out at the end and simply read (instead of sing) the the last half!

The Activity - Musical Water Glasses


We're going for simple this week. School starts next week (I know, we're the last in the country to start!) and I've been busy getting ready. So when I came across this activity I knew it would be perfect.

What you need...

• same-sized glasses
• water
• food coloring
• a wooden spoon

Fill the glasses with different levels of water, then add the food coloring to further differentiate them. We created a rainbow, reviewing the colors we learned during color week. I added the food coloring and Little Page stirred it. When we were finished, Little Page took a wooden spoon and tapped the glasses, listening to the different tones and making her own melodies.

When she was done, she suggested we put all the water into a big bowl to see what would happen. I didn't have a glass bowl, so I pulled out the trifle dish and voila! Brown water. Little Page couldn't have been happier. :)