Rockin' Scarecrow Party! (download recording for singin' dancin' boomwhackin' percussin')

The Scarecrow Family (ages 2-8)

The Scarecrow family likes to sway

On a windy autumn day.

When the stars come out at night

We dance with our friends in the pale moonlight!

Bow to your friend!

Call "Hello!"

Wiggle and shake and away we go!

(percussion orchestra)1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Scarecrow Party is our newest favorite tune at Musicalia.  Kids and parents can sing, dance and play in the Halloween Band.

Free Download

Recording of Scarecrow Party (listen for the donkey jaw and the owl whistle)

Owl Whistle - so much fun:)

See the whistle hole on the back!

Teaching Process

1.  Scarecrows

Ages 2-3 with parents

Ages 3-4 without parents

We pretend to be scarecrows swaying in the fields while I sing the song.  No dancing, just swaying...stuck in one place like scarecrows on a stick.

When we get to the bowing and calling, we bow to our parents and call "hello!" with our parents.

During the counting to 8 we dance together as scarecrows in the field.

Ages 5-7 without parents

Need:  

• scarecrow stick puppets
• puppets to be dancing friends with the scarecrows (we use crows, raccoons, bat, ghost, cat, hawk, spider...you get the idea) 

1. Each child has 2 puppets.  One hand holds the stick puppet and the other hand has a hand puppet to be the scarecrow's friend (bat, cat, ghost, raccoon...).
2. Practise swaying, bowing, calling.  Bow with your puppets friends.  Call hello in the puppet friend's voice.   All of this can be rehearsed while sitting in a circle on the floor.
3. The children sway with their stick puppet during the verse.  At the bowing and calling, they show bowing and calling with their puppets.
4. During the counting (1-8) the puppets dance together.  At this point, the children will probably want to get up and go dancing around the room.  
5. When the verse comes around again, ask the children to sway in one spot like a scarecrow stuck on a stick.  They come off the stick during the bowing and calling and then dance again during the counting bits.

2. Percussion Orchestra

Ages 2-3 with parents

Ages 3-4 without parents
Ages 5-7 without parents
The percussion orchestra gets to play the dance music during the counting (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

Donkey Jaw  - perfect for our Halloween Band!

Non-pitched percussion
Any non-pitched percussion will work for this band.  For the Halloween Band I gather the oddest looking ones first...

• scrapers (frog callers, donkey jaw)
• woods (any will do but we try to use strange looking ones)
• shakers (jingle loop, and anything rattley)

Pitched percussion

Orff instruments set up with only D and A are fun to add to the mix.  I use them with all ages.

Boomwhackers (D and A)  the purple and orange ones.  I mostly use these with ages 5 and older.

3.  Scarecrow Party Performance

Let everyone choose their favorite part...

• puppets(for older children), 
• dancing (all ages) 
• percussion orchestra (all ages) and can include Boomwhackers, Orff orchestra and non-pitched percussion.  

I usually play guitar (mostly D chord with a couple of A7 and G chords) and sing to keep the song moving along.