I’m so excited about today’s video!

I wrote this song, Up & Down, as a warm up song AND a learning song.

I needed a song for my shows that was sort of a “warm up” before the Brown Bear Rap. Going from The Wheels On The Bus into my hip-hop Brown Bear song just didn’t seem to flow.

So, it was a way to both warm our bodies up for some dancing, and get the dance vibe going.

But also – and here’s the thing that you might not know about my music and content – it’s a super fun way to LEARN. Kids learn through repetition. And HUMANS learn through experience.

When I was in school working towards my Masters Degree in Educational Theatre at NYU, I learned about using drama and dramatic movement for learning – whether that be re-enacting chapters from your history book to really understand what happened from various points-of-view, working on conflict-resolution scenarios, or doing Shakespeare.

I my work, I’ve taken this to the toddler and preschool classroom and I use music and movement to give little ones the experience of the concepts and themes we are learning. So here, in Up & Down, we move out body up and down, high and low, over and over again as we say the words and talk (rap) about the differences between up and down. They learn the concepts, develop their speech through rhyme and repetition – all while seemingly just dancing to a party song. !!

So – this song is great for learning, a “brain break” and even just for fitness and fun. Feel free to use it at home, in your classroom, with your friends – wherever!

Preschool teachers totally get me:

“…Miss Nina’s songs address the preschool common core standards, and reinforce essential concepts that we are learning in a truly age appropriate and meaningful manner.  Miss Nina provides a novel, enriching program in which the children can generalize critical skills and concepts, as they engage in a lively, musical experience.  Five stars Miss Nina!! “   – Christine Puccio, Pre-K Teacher, Millburn Integrated Pre-K

So press play, and have some serious fun with me while your little ones learn. And if you want even more of this kind of fun, experiential learning, with a more real-time interaction with me – join us in Tunes & Tales! We’ll be going all school year long and this is a great supplement to your preschool learning; https://mymissnina.com/tunes-tales

Enjoy this week’s video and feel free to share: https://youtu.be/cpm1p0-N8M0

Have a wonderful week – and I’ll see you in your inbox next Tuesday!

XOXO

Miss Nina