Bucket Filling
If your child has come home from school talking about "filling buckets", or if you have discovered the best-selling children's books, "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?" or "How Full Is Your Bucket- For Kids" then you know how powerfully Bucket Filling increases the happiness, love and thoughtfulness in our children and our communities.
Now add award-winning music to the mix. "Circle of Light: Songs for Bucket Fillers", a collaborative effort between Red Grammer and Carol McCloud, author of "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?" brings to life the concepts of Bucket Filling in ten irresistible songs that children instantly connect to and make a part of their lives. See how these songs bring added presence of heart to your home...
Circle of Light:Songs For Bucket Fillers
Great bucket filling songs from Red's other albums:
Families
Everyone in the family loves Red Grammer’s music.
It serves up serious family fun… as well as sweet learnings for tender hearts.
Family Fun
It's easy to rush and bustle so much that we forget to have fun as a family! Here are some songs that will take you to the happy zone where singing and silliness are alive and well!
Barnyard Boogie- Are Mom and Dad clucking yet?
Tickle Song- Who is the most ticklish in your family?
Can You Sound Just Like Me? - Can you?
Down By The Sea - The motions on this one are great. Make up your own verses about your favorite things to do at the beach.
Place In the Choir - Check out the motions!
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Every kid's dream...
Guy With The Polka Dotted Tie - This one's a gem!
Wimoweh - Ok! Everybody take a different part.
Gary, Indiana - Sing along with Red's son, Andy. This is from when he was 9 yrs. old. You know him now from his song, "Honey, I'm Good"!
Bobo See Wattin Tattin - How fast can you sing this?
Buono Appetito -What's on your favorite foods list?
I'm All Filled Up - This is a perfect song to sing out when everyone is feeling good!
Game Songs
Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea - See if you can keep up with the motions!
Finger Play -Great for little ones.
Ready Set- "...put your arms way up in the air... wave 'em around while you've got 'em up there!"
For Positive Behaviors
Red Grammer believes that every child has been born to grow up into an amazing person who will do wonderful things for humanity, and that these positive qualities are just waiting to be “triggered” by the example of those around them, and by the stories, music, and media that they are exposed to. As a result he has created a treasure trove of award-winning songs that nurture and support the best in children (and adults) all the world over.
Here they are listed by Subject:
Friendliness/Kindness
Cooperation
Excellence
Honesty/Trustworthiness
Empathy/Understanding/Compassion
Appreciation of Others
Respect
Responsibility
Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution
Courtesy
Self Knowledge
Empowerment/Hope
Over The Rainbow
Listening
Appreciating Diversity
Building Community
Ideas From Our Workshops
Red Grammer has been giving workshops at education conferences for over twenty years. The ideas below have been collected from teachers and parents just like you or dreamt up by our “braintrust” at Red Note Records (which features two former teachers).
Click on the song titles for activities.
Click on the CD cover photo to purchase a CD.
Inspiration from the Music
A Chance for All to Become Inspired
The Grammer's music not only teaches us about community awareness, problem solving, and cultural uniqueness, it is fun, uplifting and it allows us to be who we are. It inspires movement, art, stories, quiet times. It gives teachers and parents inspiration to begin again. That's what the workshop is all about – a chance to become inspired by the words, the music and the incredible tenor voice of Red Grammer.“The joy of physical movement is the sparkling common thread among dozens of ways to enliven children's learning” (Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld).
Rhytm Training and Physical Awareness
Rhythmic and repetitious movement activities allow children to develop body coordination, and an increased ability to sense the beat and rhythm of their experiences. Most music programs recognize the need for physical awareness of music and include movement. Rhythm training through movement, which is then applied to the instrument, can be very effective for both beginners and for students who are more advanced. Kinetic experiences link music concepts with physical sensation to clarify relationships between musical ideas. Movement and body awareness is part of the learning process, to not only build left brain dominance, but to integrate the right brain into every experience. There have been many studies that show that exercise makes learning easier as unnecessary stress is eliminated.
Switching ON the Brain
This workshop will show simple rhythmic and repetitious movements to go with a variety of Red's songs that can be used to “switch on the brain”. Typically, children learn to read by first being taught letters, then part of words, then complete words, and finally sentences. This must be true for physical education as well. Before children can be taught games or dances they must first know the 8 basic locomotor skills – walking, running, hopping, skipping, galloping, sliding, jumping, and leaping. children will have lots of opportunities as they grow to learn games and dances but first they must learn the basic skills needed for successful participation. (This information and more can be found in Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical Education, Third Addition by George Graham, Shirley Holt/Hale and Melissa Parker).
It Comes Naturally
For many children these movements come naturally. A fun way to assess what skills a child has mastered is to play or sing “The Barnyard Boogie” while the children move in a circle. Like in a square dance, call out which skills you would like the child to perform in a circle. To add to the fun, do the Macarena movements during the chorus. For a greater challenge you can combine some of the skills (ex. 2 hops and 1 jump and then repeat).
As children become ready, they begin to combine skill themes and form movements that we call gymnastics, or dance. During this workshop we are going to share with you some ideas about moving with music that will include dance, improvisations, and simple hand gestures.
Sign Language/Motions
Sign language is like a secret code, a magical dance that marries meaning with motion. Red loves it and so will your kids! And then there are the songs that just have fun and wacky motions that make everyone happy.
Here are a bunch of Red's songs that have great sign language or motions to go with them. Check out the videos and join the fun:
Sign Language
Power To Change The World (video)
Teaching Peace (video)
I Think You're Wonderful (video)
See Me Beautiful (video)
On The Day You Were Born (video)
Thank You For Friends (video)
Motions
Down By The Sea (video)
Everybody Here Has A Bucket (video)
Hooray For The World (video)
Songs To Relax To
Dogs know when it’s time to flop down and take a needed rest. In our hurry to “rush here” and “do that” we often forget to give ourselves a break. Music can help us remember.
Here are some of Red’s songs that have a way of slowing us down and getting us to breathe a little more deeply...
Teachable Moments
Some of the most important conversations we have with our children happen at the most unexpected times. The great thing about Red Grammer’s music is that it constantly creates opportunities for these special moments to occur. Whether it’s dealing with shyness, learning to look past the shortcomings of others to see their inner beauty, standing up for what’s right or the multitude of other topics that Red gently weaves into his songs, there are endless openings created by his music to talk about the things that really matter to you and your children.
Here are a few of his songs that do just that...
Say Hi! - Shyness
See Me Beautiful - Seeing everyone as beautiful, even when they’re being difficult
Integrity - What does it feel like to do the right thing when no one is looking?
Listen - Heartbeats sound the same everywhere no matter what color or background a person is.
Place In the Choir - Even really different people can work together
On The Day You Were Born - Wow! Everyone is a miracle, aren’t they?
When I Get A Feeling - Can I make friends with all of my feelings?
Time Together - We need to do this more often
Digging For Diamonds - What treasures are waiting inside of me to be found?
With Two Wings - What does the equality of the sexes mean?
Shining Eyes - I see so much when I look in your eyes
Patience- It’s hard sometimes, isn’t it?
I Am A Bucket Filler - What kind of person do I want to be?
To Celebrate The World
Red is constantly looking for new ways to create songs that remind us that, as different as we may be, we are still all members of one big, amazing human family. Whether he's singing about food, language, geography or some other aspect of life, it's always a joyful reminder that we are, indeed, brothers and sisters all the word around.
Rapp Song - (video)
Teaching Peace - (sign language video)
Hooray For The World - (hand motions video)
Listen - (video)