LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Thank you to everyone who answered. As always, the best is to take all the
ideas and mold them into what works for you. Enjoy!
Start with snapping the fingers. Then patting the thighs softly and harder
and harder then gradually softer and softer then back to snapping and then
rubbing the hands together softer and softer.
I think we even used used our feet hitting the floor for a really hard rain.
Fun. It's amazing how much it sounds like rain.
The more people you have, the better, but I'd recommend a minimum of 25 or
so. Have them sit in five or six rows, facing forward (traditional
classroom arrangement). The conductor (you) stands in front. Instruct
participants to mimic your movements as you pass in front of their row and
to continue the same movement until you pass by again and change it. (This
may be the hardest part, because they want to switch whenever you do,
instead of waiting until you pass by their row.) Beginning on either side,
walk slowly across the front of the room rubbing your palms together
rapidly; each row will join as you pass. When you reach the last row, turn
around and go back, continuing the palm-rubbing as you go. When you reach
the starting row, change the movement to rapidly alternating
finger-snapping. Continue moving slowly across in front of each row,
reversing direction and going back to the starting place as before. Repeat
process two more times. On the third sweep, the movement changes to
slapping palms down on lower thighs (alternating rapidly), just above the
knees. The fourth and final movement is feet-stomping. After completing
the foot-stomping round, proceed back through the movements in reverse
order: i.e., thigh-slapping, finger-snapping, and palm-rubbing.
This sounds hopelessly complicated, I know, but it really isn't. Just move
back and forth along the front row, changing the pace to suit your sense of
how the rainstorm is developing, doing the motions in this order:
palm-rubbing
finger-snapping
thigh-slapping
foot-stomping
thigh-slapping
finger-snapping
palm-rubbing
The last couple of times I did it with children, we had access to a short
hall, which really amplified the sounds. I had the children sit close
together on the floor in three long rows, with their knees bent and feet
flat on the floor in front to accommodate the foot-stomping.
I have a book in my school library with the directions
and am not able to access it today. If I recall
correctly you have the children stand in a semi circle
or line facing the instructor. Tell them they should
increase the speed and volume of the following movements
as you point to them in sections: rub hands together;
snap fingers; clap hands. You begin by starting at one
side of the group and moving across the group so that
the sound travels from one side to the other. You then
reverse the process. This should create the sound of
wind, light rain, hard rain and then reverse so that the
sound of the rain comes and goes.
These directions come from the following book: (Citation
from Amazon) Keepers of the Earth : Native American
Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by
Michael J. Caduto, Joseph Bruchac, John Kahionhes Fadden
(Illustrator), Carol Wood (Illustrator)ISBN 1555913857
(pbk.)On sale for $5.99.
Start quietly by rubbing your hands together.
Next lightly tap upper body.
Then thump belly.
Then rappidly slap legs.
Work in reverse to bring the rain to a quiet end.
Rain making order --
1- snap fingers slowly first
2- snap fingers more quickly
3- rub hands on top of thighs quickly from hip to knee
4- start slaping top of thighs slowly at first
5- slap top of thighs hard and quickly
then to slow down rain storm reverse order
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and slow snapping of fingers to a stop
I checked with my daughter (they used to do it in sleepaway camp)...As she
recalls, the sequence is: rub your hands together, snap your fingers, slap
your thighs, stamp your feet. She said you can have the entire group do
everything at the same time, or if it is a large group you can have sections
doing different parts at the same time. Hope that helps.
One way I've always done the "rain sound" is to let everyone first snap
their fingers (light rain), then pat their thighs (heavier rain) and then
they stomp their feet (heaviest rain). After practicing that way you can
divide the children into three groups and do a round. The first group starts
snapping for a couple of seconds, then add the group patting their legs
after a couple more seconds then add the children that are stomping their
feet. It's a rainstorm!! Then have the storm trail off by having the
children stomping to stop, then a few seconds later the children patting
their legs stop and a few seconds later have the children snapping stop.
It's best if you set the kids in a circle, with you in the middle. Instruct
one child to rub her/his hands together, then from that child's left, each
child starts the same as you point at them. It becomes a wave of sound. When
you get back to the first child, s/he starts snapping her/his fingers, and
again, as you reach each consecutive child in the circle, they go from
rubbing their palms to snapping their fingers. Next, is patting their
thighs, then clapping their hands, then beating their chests. Then reverse
the order, likewise, in waves, until you end with one child rubbing her/his
hands. It's marvelous! Good luck.
Something similar called "Rainmaker" can be found by going to
www.bneiakiva.org/brainstorms/Games/games2.cfm#Shtick
and clicking on "Rainmaker" under "Shtick".
It's done like a "wave"...first rub hands together, then snap fingers, then
hit thighs, then pound heels on the floor, then back through in
reverse...that's what I remember! :)
Someone asked about "Rain" a few months back, so I know it's in the archives
somewhere. You'll find it described in my book, "More Books Kids Will Sit
Still For (Bowker/Greenwood, 1995)--well, I THOUGHT it was in there (I KNOW
it's in there--somewhere--but I just spent the last 10 minutes looking for
it
there and in Books Kids Will Sit Still Fot and it is eluding me for some odd
reason!). Anyway, I got it from the dynamic and wonderful Joan Robinson, who
once taught the most fabulous creative drama & children's lit. course at
Rutgers SCILS many years back & is now directing children's theater in
Burlington, VT.
Here goes. If you are working with a small group (25 & under), sit them in a
circle. With bigger groups, divide them in 4 groups, left to right. You
start
a motion, followed by the first child to your left (or right--doesn't
matter)
or the left (or right) quarter of the group and the motion travels around
the
circle (or left to right though your big group) until everyone's doing it,
at
which point, you change to the next motion.
SEQUENCE:
RUB (Rub hands together)
SNAP (Snap fingers, but at random, not in unison)
CLAP (Clap hands, but at random, not in unison)
STAMP (Feet on floor--I tell kids they may not stand during this part--saves
lots of chaos if they keep their bottoms on the floor or chair)
Then reverse:
CLAP
SNAP
RUB
Trick: Make sure to tape record this, and tell kids to concentrate and not
talk, or they'll spoil the storm. MAGIC!
I did this at an assembly program for 200 4th & 5th graders at a school in
Wilkes-Barre this spring--last period, Friday, they were in the gym on
BLEACHERS! Yikes! I was questioning my sanity as I started it, but it was
glorious (if very loud) and they loved it. Great for all ages.
Have a good storm!
I went to Google and used the terms circle dance making rain. Came up with
a
site
that describes the different sounds children are to make. Maybe this is
close
to what you are looking for
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/music/raindanc.htm
RUB (hands together)
SNAP (fingers; little kids can cluck tongues if they
can't snap)
CLAP
STAMP
CLAP
SNAP
RUB
Divide class into two groups. Group one begins by
rubbing their hands together after a few seconds group
two joins in. Wait a few seconds and then have group
one begin snapping their fingers. After a few seconds
group two joins in. Wait a few seconds and have group
one start clapping their hands- rapidly like applause
- a few seconds later group two join in. Next group
one begins stamping their feet - should be sitting -
not walking around stomping. Group two joins in.
Group one goes back to clapping rapidly, group two
joins in. Group one snaps their fingers, group two
joins in. Group one rubs their hands together, group
two joins in - all stop.
Make it a gradual thing...kind of like singing a round
or doing the wave at a sporting event; progress from
one to the next with a little overlap but without
everything being done at once:
1. rubbing hands together
2. snapping fingers
3. patting tops of legs
4. lightly tapping feet on the ground
then go in reverse
1) Al1 children rub their palms together
2) Click fingers, one at a time then both at the same time
3) Lightly clap hands
4) Pat thighs, faster and faster
5) Stomp feet
As the rain slacks off, repeat motins in reverse.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST, etc.) send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
LM_NET
Mailing List Home