The New Alphabet Song

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Here’s a new, original song from me!  I can’t seem to surpress my dance background any longer — it seems to be slipping into my songwriting these days.  And so, here’s a hip-hoppin’ new melody for our ABCs, with a movement rap to accompany it.

You’ll notice the “Dancing Nina” in the upper right hand corner of the video.  You and your children can follow her so you can have some DANCE-along fun, too!!

Feel free to share this video with your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc..  And if you get a chance to take some videos of your child enjoying these songs and videos PLEASE email me the clips!  I would LOVE to see those.  Just send them to nina@mymissnina.com.

Also, this week I am the Guest Blogger over at Lollitot.com.  My post is “10 Great Books for Young Children.”  Jump on over there, take a look, and be sure to leave a comment!

Enjoy the video, the blog and enjoy your week, everyone!

xoxo

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Love Grows on Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone!

Here’s a song I love to sing in my classes and playgroups in honor of Valentine’s Day – Love Grows.

Its a song my Stuart Stotts and John Pease.  I learned it a while back when I worked for the Education Arts Team and it  became a favorite of mine.  And this is one that can “Sign & Sing”. In the first part of the video I teach you the sign language as it was taught to me.  And then in the second part we have a sing-along!

Wishing you all a love-filled day!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Let Your Light Shine!

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment 


Hi there, Friends!


This week’s video is the song “This Little Light O’ Mine”.  I’ve found that the tune of this song really appeals to children, and the idea of letting our light shine is certainly something we try to instill in our children.


As I mention in this video, aside from singing along (you’ll see the words scroll along the bottom of the video!), there are many great ways to make this song interactive.   First I suggest weehands.com and their video for This Little Light of Mine to teach you signing!  That video is here: http://www.youtube.com/MyWeeHands#p/u/0/EfeBXIy_VAI .


Second, and a way we have fun with this song in class, is FLASHLIGHTS!!  Children LOVE flashlights. They get to experience cause and effect in a powerful way by turing the flashlight on and off, shining the  light on various objects, body parts and places in the room on their own volition. And for some reason, we all just love to turn off the lights, turn on the flashlights and dance.  Whether you use the flashlights with this week’s Miss Nina video or just to have a flashlight Disco Dance Party, flashlights are definitely a great way to have fun at home.


So, enjoy the video and let me know in the comments below how you and your children enjoyed the video together!


Have a great week, everyone.  Let your light shine!


 

		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized  

	

		


				
Boop Boop Dittum Dattum Whattum CHOO!!

		
		
January 31, 2012  By  Leave a Comment 
		

			




Hi there!


Thanks so much for sharing these videos with your kids, and for all of your great feedback.


This week’s video is one of my favorites, “Three Little Fishies” also know was “The Fishy Song” written by Saxie Dowell. I was fortunate enough to get to record this great song on my debut CD “Singing & Dancing Together”, (Check it out at HERE) and have been singing it at parties, playgroups and performances forever!


I had a fun time experimenting with iMovie for this video. So please enjoy the (abrupt!) Picture-In-A-Picture feature as well as the scrolling “Boop Boop Dittum Dattum Whattum Choo!” Hope you and your children enjoy it! Feel free to leave a comment below or on YouTube letting me know what you think, or with your requests for other videos.


Have a great week, and I’ll see you next time!


xoxo


Miss Nina



		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized  Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

	

		


				
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes!

		
		
January 24, 2012  By  Leave a Comment 
		

			


Okay – here’s a fun one!  The classic “Head Shoulders Knees & Toes” is not only good for naming and identifying parts of the body, but also works on coordination and the concepts of slow and fast (and “super silly fast”!) :) 


Please share these videos with your friends who have kids!  I’d love to have them all join the email list, because later this year, we (you, me and everyone on the Miss Nina email list) are going to have some serious fun together in a whole new way.  Have I piqued your interest??!  Great!  I’m looking forward to sharing more details with  you soon.


Enjoy your week, and thanks for watching!


xoxo


Miss Nina

		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized  Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

	

		


				
The “Brown Bear” Rap

		
		
January 16, 2012  By  2 Comments 
		

			


So, here’s another one of my favorites – my Brown Bear Rap. Based on the very popular children’s book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr., and Eric Carle.


I’m doing these free weekly videos, grown-ups, not just for the kids, but for you, too!  Hopefully having these videos of songs & books will either keep your child happily occupied while you do the dishes, make a call or get some things done around the house OR, provide you with an activity for you and your child to engage in together.


And when you’re not able to be there, my hope is that these videos and songs will be able to keep your child richly entertained.


I find that both children’s music and children’s books are a great source of soothing for children.  When they are in a new place (like a school) or with new people (the babysitter) and may be having a tough time, I have seen them shift from frightened to lit up when they recognize a song that is being sung – like Twinkle, Twinkle – or a book that is being read.  Some times you just have to pull out a book and show them the cover and, as a teacher, you’ll be treated to a happy chorus of “I have that book at home!” “I have that book in my room!”  ”My grandma has that book!”.  I love how this recognition and connection to a book or a song can help children to feel at ease, safe, secure or just even happier then they were already feeling.


So, putting a book to song feels like the perfect marriage to me.  That recognition and comfort they feel from a familiar book that they read with mom or dad, coupled with the joy that music brings them creates and opportunity for children to feel at ease, joyful and open to learning.  It also helps with pre-reading skills, provides a joyful association to books, and perhaps makes books accessible to children who do not always have the privilege of being read to often.


I could go on an on!  But I will stop now so that you can put on your dancin’ shoes and enjoy my hip-hoppin’ Brown Bear Rap!


If you like it and/or this blog post – please leave me a comment!  Either here on the blog or on YouTube.  Have a great week!


xoxo


Miss NIna

		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized  Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

	

		


				
Sing Your Way Home!

		
		
January 9, 2012  By  1 Comment 
		

			




Hello there, Grown-ups!


So far so good with this New Year’s Resolution of weekly videos.  I’ve got a new one for you today.


As I was thinking about what song to have in my video for this week, I came across the song, “Sing Your Way Home.”  I had never heard it before – and I fell in love with it immediately.  I thought I’d discovered and unknown gem, only to learn that its been “covered” on a bunch of recordings for toddlers and children, and it’s an old Girl Scout favorite.  Who knew?!!


Its a lovely, short song, good for the end of the day.  I sing it twice through here, and the second time through I’ve got the words scrolling along the bottom for your Karaoke pleasure. :) 


Enjoy!  And I would love to hear from you in the comments section here on the blog or on my youtube channel.  Feel free to submit your requests for upcoming songs/videos in the comment section, too.


Wishing you and your family a wonderful week!  And don’t forget to sing your way home, today!


xoxo


Miss Nina

		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized  

	

		


				
Happy New Year! Happy New Website and Videos!

		
		
December 30, 2011  By  1 Comment 
		

			







HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


I’m so thrilled to have you here at my site.  As you can see, a new year means a new website for me!  And a new year also means New Year’s Resolutions.  My resolution for you is that I will be giving you free weekly videos all year long!  (Fingers crossed I stick to it, right?!?!)


Please join the email list to receive a weekly email a link to my children’s music video of the week, as well as updates on upcoming performances and other Miss Nina information.


The video for this week is and ode to the children’s book, “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.  It’s an original song and it offers a lot of interactive fun.  The children (and you!) can be Wild Things and “roar their terrible roars, gnash their terrible teeth, roll their terrible eyes and show their terrible claws”!.  And then, when the “Wild Rumpus” starts, its time for some all-important jumping!!


Enjoy the website, this video and be sure and click the buttons on the top of the page to find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or to subscribe to my RSS feed.


Wishing you all a joyful and prosperous 2012!

		

		
Filed Under: Uncategorized