Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. This is a great time to encourage friendship, kindness, teamwork and respect. Interactive music enhances activities by offering a firsthand and personal experience that reinforces your activity and leaves a lasting impression. Children naturally love to sing, dance and move. So why not engage them in music that will nurture their self-esteem, encourage creative free expression, foster self-confidence and support language development?
Valentine’s Day Handprint Poem Activity & Friendship Song
Activity: Print out the poem and glue it to the top of a piece of white construction paper. Using finger paint have each child make their handprint below the poem. Below their handprint have each child print their name and the date.
Frame: Glue 1 inch strips of a red or pink construction paper around all four sides. Children can decorate their frames with heart stamps or draw pictures with crayons or markers.
Create a wall hanger: Using a hole puncher make a hole in both top corners. Lace a piece of ribbon or yarn through the holes and tie a bow at the top.
Visit Aunt Annie’s Crafts to learn how to make easy sponge stamps for children.
Enhance this Activity with an Interactive Friendship Song
“Special Friends” from our award-winning DVD, “All Aboard” performed on our official YouTube channel.
Concepts children can learn: Social Skills / Emotional Development / Friendship
Suggestions:
1. Through friendly gestures and movements involving group interaction, children are encouraged to introduce themselves to each other.
2. Movements include: shaking hands during each chorus, waving to each other, holding hands and swaying together, singing (La, La, La) and clapping.
3. This song can be used to introduce children to each other on the first day of school or to reinforce a positive expression of friendship anytime.
“Special Friends” Lyrics:
When you’re meeting someone new. Shake their hand say, “How do you do?” Say hello, shake a hand, make a friend.
If you should see a friend today, wave a hand cause it’s the way to say hello, wave a hand, make a friend.
CHORUS
I want to be your friend, a special friend and shake your hand. I want to be your friend, a special friend and shake your hand.
Let’s all hold hands and sway as one. We’re making friends, it’s lots of fun. Say hello, holding hands, make a friend.
Sing together la, la, la – la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Say hello, la, la, la, make a friend.
REPEAT CHORUS
Clap your hands and feel the beat. Cause making friends is really neat. Say hello, clap along, make a friend.
So when you’re meeting someone new, shake their hand say, “How do you do?” Say hello, shake a hand, make a friend.
REPEAT CHORUS
“Children Love to Sing and Dance” featuring the song, “Special Friends” is available on CD and instant CD download. All CD downloads include a PDF file containing the booklet with lyrics and actions.
Thanks for sharing Brian! Wishing you a class of your own by Valentine’s Day so you can share this poem!! =)
What a sweet poem!!! Can’t wait to have my own class as I certainly will do that activity!!!