As usual, we’ve been celebrating Black History this October at Bangers & Smash with songs and activities from Africa and the Caribbean!
We’ve started each session by looking at The Skin You Live In, a beautifully illustrated book which uses sumptuous language and imagery to celebrate skin colour:
your coffee and cream skin, your warm cocoa dream skin, your chocolate chip, double dip, sundae supreme skin
your marshmallow treat skin, your spun sugar sweet skin, your cherry topped, candy dropped, frosting complete skin
your butterscotch gold skin, your lemon tart bold skin, your mountain high, apple pie, cookie dough rolled skin
Children have looked at their own and their friends' skin and Kitty has talked about how people with brown and black skin come from the continent of Africa and live all over the world.
Our main song, Mama Yay, has been popular with both children and staff. It has a lovely call and response section in the middle:
I’ll give you a smile (I’ll give you a smile)
I’ll give you a wave (I’ll give you a wave)
I’ll give you a hug (I’ll give you a hug)
I’ll give you a kiss (I’ll give you a kiss)
Kitty has invited children to choose their own ideas for this section and they’ve come up with everything from ‘I’ll give you a giraffe’ to a ‘I’ll give you a happy’!
Black and Brown staff members have also shared songs and stories from their childhoods and heritages.
Thanks to the following:
Tolu for Bata Mia Dun Koko Ka, a Nigerian song about the benefits of study, and Kemi for Iya Ni Wura, a Nigerian song celebrating motherhood – both in the Yoruba language
Nkechi and Juliet for Okereke, a Nigerian song in the Igbo language in which children sit in a line and bounce a rolled-up cloth from one end to the other
Sarah for Brown Girl In The Ring and Diane for Linstead Market – both folk songs from Jamaica
Vinette for Oh Cordelia Brown and Andrea for Underneath The Mango Tree – both Jamaican songs recorded by Harry Belafonte
Tianna, Carlos and CJ for Brown Skin Girl by Beyoncé, Hey Mama Africa by Stylez and African Queen by 2Baba
Thanks also to Drums for Schools for their wonderful Nursery Rhythm Kit, which we've used to accompany the above songs throughout the month. The children have loved trying out the different instruments and identifying what they’re made from:
wood
animal skin
coconut shell
We’ve finished each session by dancing to Battú by Angélique Kidjo. Children have enjoyed jumping, stretching up high and listening out for the African flute.
My Body
Meanwhile at Under The Willow, we’ve continued our theme, My Body, with sessions on:
Head, skull, brain
Bones
Muscles
Health & hygiene
Children have enjoyed:
tapping a simple rhythm on claves to Bangers & Smash original, Here’s My Skull
using scarves to fire messages through the brain to Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
moving around the circle like skeletons to Fats Waller’s Dem Dry Bones
playing instruments from Drums for Schools’ Nursery Rhythm Kit to Bata Mia Dun Koko Ka, a Nigerian song about working hard
working out to Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic
singing two songs about washing and dressing, I Jump Out Of Bed In The Morning and Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
Children and staff are looking forward to performing some of the above songs and activities for parents and carers at Under The Willow’s upcoming My Body Project Celebration on Wednesday 27 November 2019.
Christmas shows and activities
And finally, just a reminder that regular Bangers & Smash nurseries have their Christmas shows as follows:
In addition, Kitty and wildlife gardener, Di Wallace, will be hosting Carols in the Wildlife Garden at the Mother Goose Nursery Wildlife Garden from 11am-3pm on Saturday 14 December 2019.
With mulled wine, mince pies and more, this free community event is a great opportunity to belt out a few Christmas classics with your little ones – hope to see you there!