January 28th is National Kazoo Day!!!_Kazoo facts and How to make 3 different Kazoos

NATIONAL KAZOO DAY is Jan 28, 2009!

The NEARLY ANNUAL MESSAGE FROM BARBARA STEWART (INTERNATIONAL CHAIRPERSON & AUTHOR OF THE COMPLETE HOW TO KAZOO ©2006)

National Kazoo Day 2009 will be celebrated on Wed. Jan. 28th, because it is convenient to Your Chairperson. (Our rules designate the 4th Thursday in January or whenever convenient to the kazooist.)


May all of you have an eco-friendly and economically feasible HAPPY KAZOO YEAR!
This year we commemorate the 159th birthday of the Kazoo!

For Your Information:
The kazoo is a type of mirliton - a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane.

On Playing the Kazoo:

Playing the kazoo is not actually "humming" it is more about "singing" in order for the kazoo to make any sound.
If you speak "do, do, do..." into the kazoo mouthpiece, the 'hard' vocalization makes a more effective sound.

History of the Kazoo
Such instruments have been used in Africa for hundreds of years, to disguise the sound of somebody's voice or to imitate animals, often for various ceremonial purposes. It was on such an instrument that the kazoo, invented by an African American named Alabama Vest in the 19th century in Macon, Georgia, is based. The first kazoo was manufactured to Vest's specifications by Thaddeus von Clegg, a German clockmaker in Macon. The kazoo was first publicized at the Georgia State Fair in 1852. The first metal kazoos were manufactured and patented in Eden, New York, where they are still made in the original factory.

The kazoo is played professionally in jug bands and comedy music, and by amateurs everywhere. It is one of the few acoustic instruments to be developed in the United States and one of the easiest melodic instruments to play well, requiring only the ability to vocalize in tune. In North East England and South Wales, kazoos play an important role in so-called juvenile jazz bands (really children's marching bands).

Leonard Bernstein included a segment for kazoo ensemble in the First Introit (Rondo) of his Mass_(theatre). The kazoos are played by the boy's choir.

One of the best known kazooists in recent times might be Barbara Stewart. She was a classically trained singer who has written a book on the kazoo, formed the "quartet" Kazoophony, and performed at Carnegie Hall. She appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Classical Kazoo Choir



Kazoos are not just for kids!!!




LET'S MAKE KAZOOS!!!

Comb Kazoo
You will need:
comb
waxed paper

How to:
Fold the waxed paper in half over the comb with the teeth of the comb in the fold.
Tah Dah!!!
Play by placing your mouth over the toothed edge and humming (well more like singing).
You can also try moving the comb from side to side.


Cardboard Tube Kazoo
What you need:
Cardboard tubes (from toilet rolls, plastic or foil wrap, paper towel)
Waxed paper
Scissors
Elastics
Ruler
Pencil
Markers or crayons

How to:
1. Decorate your tube with markers or pencil crayons.
2. Cut a 5 inch square out of waxed paper.
3. Place the square of waxed paper on one end of tube and secure with an elastic.
4. To play your kazoo gently hum into the open end of the kazoo.


Straw Kazoo
What you need:
drinking straws
scissors

How to:
First, flatten out one end of a straw. The easiest way to do this is to bite on it.
With a pair of scissors, cut the flattened end of the straw in an upside-down "V" shape.
This will act as a reed just like in a clarinet.
Place the "V" end of the straw in your mouth so that the "V" end is just past the inside of you lips.
Press on the "V" with your lips while blowing.
This might take some practice. You may have to separate the "V" a bit.

You can also try cutting the straw and then blowing on it.
Do you hear how the pitch of your "kazoo" is higher?


Here is the only picturebook I could find that featured kazoo playing:

There once was a duck
who loved the kazoo.

He played:
La ditty, da ditty, zu zu.



some info I used was found at wikipedia.org

HowToKazoo.com

The Tiger finds a Teacher

China - A Han Story

Once upon a time, in the depths of a mountain range, there lived a tiger. He was a very strong tiger, but, thanks to the fact that he was unusually clumsy, he could hardly ever catch any animals.

One day he went out from his cave to look for food. As he went along he saw a cat speeding towards him, coming down the mountainside. The cat's swift and easy movements were the envy of the tiger, who thought to himself, "Wouldn't it be fine if I were as clever as that cat!"

He went to the cat and said pleadingly, "Honored Teacher Cat, could you teach me how to climb the mountain as well as you do?"

Knowing that tigers are wicked at heart, the cat was afraid that if she taught him all she knew, then probably her own life would be in danger. She therefore shook her head and said, rather hesitatingly, "I don't think I'd better. If I do, how do I know you'll not use your knowledge against me?"

The tiger behaved fawningly, and kowtowed deeply to the cat.

"Honored Teacher Cat," he said, "I am a man of my word. If you will be so kind as to teach me, I will not betray your goodness. And afterwards, if anyone should bully you, I shall crush him to death."

Hoodwinked by these honeyed words, the cat began to be sympathetic. She put her head on one side and said, "All right. If you really promise that, and are sure you will not be ungrateful, I'll teach you."

The tiger was overjoyed. He waved his tail and knelt down in front of her, saying, "In future, when I have mastered all the skills of climbing hills and catching animals, I shall never forget you, my teacher. May I fall into the deepest gully and be crushed to death myself if I am ever unkind to you!"

He kept his word for some time, and behaved to the cat as one should behave to a teacher. Every day from dawn to dusk the cat did her best to teach her pupil. Very soon she had taught him all her tricks except one. The tiger was very pleased with himself, and highly satisfied with the cat as a teacher.

Then one day, when he came to his teacher for further instruction, he looked at the cat's plump body, and his mouth began to water. What a good meal she would make! But the cat was fully aware of his bad intentions. She decided to give him a test.

"I have taught you all I know," she said. "You need no further lessons."

The tiger thought his chance had come. "Aha!" he said to himself. "This fat little cat will not escape my claws now!" But he thought he had better make sure that he had not misunderstood her, so he asked again, "Honored Teacher Cat, are you certain you have taught me everything?"

"Yes, everything!" said the wily cat.

An idea flashed into the tiger's head, and his eyes sparkled. "Teacher," said he, "what is that there on the tree?"

As the cat turned her head to look, the tiger, his jaws wide open and his claws out, threw himself upon her. But as quickly the cat ran up the tree.

The cat sat up in the tree, and said indignantly, "Well! You ungrateful creature! Your word is worth nothing. It was lucky for me that I had been prudent enough not to teach you how to climb trees. If I had taught you that, I see, you would have eaten me by now."

The tiger flew into a rage and flung himself repeatedly at the tree. But he did not know how to climb it. He tried to gnaw it down, but the trunk was so thick that he could make no impression on it. The cat skipped about in the branches, now and then tantalizing him by sitting down to wash, or look at him. The tiger grew angrier and angrier, and raged about, but there was nothing he could do. Finally the cat jumped easily to another tree, and then another, until she had vanished.

All the tiger's wicked schemes came to naught, and all he could do was to make his way up the mountain again.


Source: Folk Tales from China, Second Series (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1958), pp.078-81. No copyright notice.

story found here

Happy New Year around the world!

Happy New Year Around the World

China "Gung Hay Fat Choy "

Denmark "Godt Nytår"

France "Bonne Année"

Germany "Gutes Neues Jahr"

Hawaii "Hauoli Makahiki Hou"

Ireland "Aith-bhliain fé mhaise dhuit"

Israel "Shana Tova"

Italy "Buon Capo d'Auno"

Japan "Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu"

Netherlands "Gelukkig Nieuwjaar"

Norway "Godt Nytt År"

Phillipines "Maligayang Bagong Taon"

Poland "Szczesliwego Nowego Roku"

Portugal "Feliz Ano Novo"

Spain "Feliz Año Nuevo"

Sweden "Gott Nytt År"

Turkey "Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun"

United States "Happy New Year! "

Winter...a classic poem and a some fun "snow" games

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

Frosty aka Build a Snowperson

Supplies:
A roll of toilet paper for each team
Sheet of orange, black, red and yellow construction paper for each team
Hat for each team
A few Glue sticks for each team
Scissors for each team

How To Play:
Have several teams of four or five children.
When you say, "GO" they should wrap one of the people on their team up in toilet paper (leaving an opening for nose and eyes).
Once they've built their "Frosty" they can use the hat and construction paper to decorate him with.
Put a time limit on decorating.
Give a prize for the first completed Frosty, most unique Frosty, cutest Frosty, etc.


Snowshoe Relay Race

Supplies:
Wrapped Tootsie Rolls or any other small treat(1 for each child)
2 Shoe boxes for each team
Bell for each team
2 mittens for each team
2 bowls for each team

Place tootsie rolls, in a bowl, at the opposite end of the room.
Hang a bell, from the ceiling, over the tootsie roll bowl.

How To Play:
Divide the children into two or more relay teams.
Explain that when you say, "GO" the first person on each team will put on the mittens, step into the shoe boxes and race to the other end of the room where they will ring the bell with their nose.
They are then to pick up a tootsie roll out of the bowl and race back to their team still wearing their mittens and shoe boxes.
Pass the mittens and shoe box to the next person in line, sit down, eat your tootsie roll.
The first team to finish eating their tootsie rolls wins!


Snowball Over the Mountain

Supplies:
Sheet
White balloons blown up
2 adults to help

How To Play:
Children are divided into two teams.
A sheet (the mountain) is held above eye level between the two groups by the 2 adults (holding each end). Or you can find a way to pin it to the wall or hang across a cord.
Each side throws snowballs (white balloons) over to the other side.
It's alot like volley ball but you need not keep score.


Snowball Relay Race

Supplies:
Styrofoam ball for each team
Plastic Spoon (shovel) for each team

How To Play:
Divide into teams.
First child on each team will be given a styrofoam ball (snowball) and a spoon (shovel).
On your mark they are to bend over, place the ball on the floor, and push the ball with the spoon across the room, around an obstacle, and back to next child on team. First team to finish wins.


Snowball Making

Supplies:
Large sheets of tissue paper (one for every child)
Bucket for each team

How To Play:
Divide the children into two teams.
The first person on each team gets a piece of tissue paper and crumples it into a ball using one hand (this keeps them soft).
Then races to the end of the room to place the snowball in the bucket.
The next child repeats the first child's actions and the process continues until the team has all their snowballs made.
Follow this game with a Snowball Throw below.


Snowball Throw

Supplies:
A line drawn or taped on the floor

How To Play: Set a time for 2-3 minutes. Yell, "GO"! Each team throws their tissue paper snowballs back and forth across the lines. When the timer goes off, the team with the least amount of snowballs on their side wins.

Two Frogs

(to turn the blog music off go to the bottom of the page)

Old Mother Grey.....a children's game

Here's an old British children's game song:

OLD MOTHER GREY

Old Mother Grey, may we go out to play?
Mother Gray: 'No, it's raining'.
Children: "No, it isn't, the sun is shining
Mother Grey: "All right, you may go out to play'.

[The children rush off, and play around, perhaps moving out of sight.]

Old Mother Grey calls: "Children, it's dinner time!"
Children: 'Coming mother.'
Mother: 'Where have you been?'
Children: 'We've been to London to see the Queen.'
Mother: 'What did she give you?'
Children: 'A loaf of bread as big our head, a piece if cheese as big as our knees, a lump of jelly as big as our belly, and a teeny weeny six pence."
Mother: "Where's my share?
Children: 'Up in the air.'
Mother; 'How shall I get it?'
Children; 'Stand on a chair.
Mother; 'And if I fall?'
Children all laugh and shout out: "We don't care."

[Old Mother Grey runs after them, and whoever she catches becomes the next 'Mother'.]

Source: Source: Iona and Peter Opie: Children's Games in Street and Playground; [Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1969; pp. 307-308


Here's a variant from the Caribbean:

WE DON'T CARE

Children, children
Yes, Mama.
Where yo' been to?
Granmama.
What she give yo'?
Two apples.
Where yo' put them?
On the shelf.
How will yo' get them?
Stand on a chair.


[As the "children" answer "Mama" they creep closer and closer to her until finally "Mama" turns and chases them"].

Source: Grace Hallworth: "Down By The River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games and Songs for Children" [New York Scholastic Inc, 1996]

Over The River And Through The Woods!

Lydia Maria Child was a novelist, journalist and a teacher.
"A Boy's Thanksgiving Day," most often called "Over the River and Through the Woods" was originally a poem written by Lydia Maria Child.
It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather's House.
The Thanksgiving song/poem originally appeared in Flowers for Children, volume 2, in 1844.


Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandmother's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood -
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood -
And straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood -
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

To hear this song click here to go to LaurasMidiHeaven.com

Wait Til' Martin Comes......a spooky tale for Halloween

I tell a similar tale titled "Better Wait Til Martin Comes".
The kids and adults love it!!
This story is from a 1970's record album called "Scary Spooky Stories".
Happy Halloween!

Did You Feed My Cow???

This is a traditional call and response song that is most often associated with singer Ella Jenkins.
It's one of her signature songs.
The song is actually more of a rhythmic chanting than singing.
I've given you two versions.
The first is a more contempary version and the second I found in Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise written by Thomas Washington Talley published in 1922

Leader: Did you feed my cow?
Group: Yes ma'am! (nod head)

Leader: Will you tell me how?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: What did you give her?
Group: Corn and hay.

Leader: What did you give her?
Group: Corn and hay.

Leader: Did you milk her good?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: Did you do like you should?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: How did you milk her?
Group: Swish, swish swish! (pretend you are milking a cow)

Leader: How did you milk her?
Group: Swish, swish swish!

Leader: Did that cow die?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: With a pain in her eye?
Group: Yes ma'am!

Leader: How did she die?
Group: Uh, uh, uh! (shake head 3 times)

Leader: How did she die?
Group: Uh, uh, uh!

Leader: Did the buzzards come?
Group: Yes ma'am.

Leader: Did the buzzards come?
Group: Yes m'am.

Leader: How did they come?
Group: Flap, flap, flap! (Flap arms like wings)

Leader: How did they come?
Group: Flap, flap, flap!



DID YOU FEED MY COW?

Did you feed my cow? Yes, Mam!
Will you tell me how? Yes, Mam!

Oh, w'at did you give her? Cawn and hay.
Oh, w'at did you give her? Cawn and hay.

Did you milk her good? Yes, Mam!
Did you do like you should? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did you milk her? Swish! Swish! Swish!
Oh, how did you milk her? Swish! Swish! Swish!

Did dat cow get sick? Yes, Mam!
Wuz she kivered with tick? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how was she sick? All bloated up!
Oh, how was she sick? All bloated up!

Did dat cow die? Yes, Mam!
Wid a pain in her eye? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did she die? Uh-! Uh-! Uh-!
Oh, how did she die? Uh-! Uh-! Uh-!

Did de buzzards come? Yes, Mam!
Fer to pick her bone? Yes, Mam!

Oh, how did they come? Flop! Flop! Flop!
Oh, how did they come? Flop! Flop! Flop!

Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise written by Thomas Washington Talley published in 1922

A Halloween Classic

Classic Disney Halloween Cartoon!

The Sun and the Wind....a fable by Aesop

This is a very cute and creative version of the story of the Sun and the Wind.

A Birthday Story

It's my birthday!!!!
Yeah...really...it is!
So I decided to put up a fun story about a little girl looking for the perfect birthday gift.

Nikini was a little girl. She lived with her mother and father, in a house near the woods. She was very friendly with the animals in the woods. One evening, Nikini’s father came home with a big gift box.

“What’s that, Thatha?” Nikini asked her father.

“It’s your mother’s birthday tomorrow,” her father said.

“Oh!” Nikini was very upset.

“How could I forget my Amma’s birthday? She would never forget mine. So I should give her a wonderful gift,” Nikini thought.

“But what shall I give her?” She went into her bedroom and thought. She loved her mother so much that she couldn’t think of anything good enough for a gift for her. She thought and thought until nightfall, but she couldn’t think of anything.

Then a firefly, seeing Nikini by the window, flew to her. “Nikini, what are you doing in the dark?” the firefly asked. “Firefly, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She makes me very happy on my birthdays. So I want to make her happy on her birthday. I want to give her the ‘greatest’ gift of all. But I can’t think of anything as great as my Amma,” said Nikini, sadly.

“I think you should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. Something like the sky, or the ocean,” said the firefly.

Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear firefly, the biggest thing in the world is my Amma’s love. So, I would like to find a gift as big as her love. But how can I find it?” said Nikini.

“You are a very good daughter who tries to give the biggest gift to her mother. So, I will help you. Let’s go out and find it,” the firefly said.

Nikini went out in the dark with the firefly. The firefly showed her the way. They went to the woods. They searched and searched, but they couldn’t find anything as big as her mother’s love.

On the way, a mynah bird who was about to go to sleep, saw Nikini. “Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” the mynah bird asked. “Mynah bird, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She cooks and cleans and works hard with no rest. Her love is the biggest thing in the world for me. So, I should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as big as my Amma’s love,” Nikini said sadly.

“No, I think you should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift, something like beautiful flowers, beautiful pearls,” the bluebird said. Nikini thought for a moment.

“Dear mynah bird, the most beautiful thing in the world is my Amma. So, I would like to find a flower or a pearl as beautiful as my Amma. But where can I find it?” asked Nikini. “You are a very good daughter. So I will help you,” said the mynah bird and away they went. They went on and on but couldn’t find anything as beautiful as her mother.

They went on until Nikini stumbled upon a rabbit who was fast asleep. “Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” asked the rabbit, rubbing his eyes.

“Rabbit, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She feeds me, cuddles me and holds me close until I fall asleep. She is the most beautiful thing in the world. So I should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as beautiful as my Amma,” said Nikini sadly.
“No, I think you should give her the ‘most precious’ gift in the world, something as precious as the moon and the stars,” said the rabbit.

Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear rabbit, the most precious thing in the world is my Amma. Even if I hang the moon on a necklace, even if I make stars into earrings, they are not as precious as she is. I want to find something as precious as my Amma. But how can I find it?” asked Nikini sadly.

“You are a very good daughter. I will help you find it.” The rabbit went along with the firefly, the mynah bird and Nikini. They went on and on, but they couldn’t find anything as precious as her mother.

On their way, she got entangled in a huge cobweb. Then the spider, who was having a sweet dream in the middle of the night, got up. “Oh, Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” the spider asked.

“Spider, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. When I am sick she cries and looks after me without sleep until I get well. She is the most precious thing in the world for me. So I should give her the ‘most precious’ gift. But I can’t find anything as precious as my Amma,” Nikini said sadly.

“No, I think you should give her the gift that would make her ‘the happiest’,” said the spider.
.
“Oh, what would make her happiest?” Nikini thought and thought.

“Something like a delicious cake, a lovely birthday card, a nice pair of shoes, a colorful dress…?” Nikini thought for a while.

“Oh, a beautiful sari!! I think she would like a beautiful sari most. I want to give her the most beautiful sari in the world. I want to find the most beautiful sari for her. And I want to give it to her as she wakes up in the morning and say, “Happy birthday!” But how can I find it? There’s only a little time left, until morning,” Nikini said, impatiently.

“Nikini, you are a great daughter who thinks so much about her mother. Some children don’t even care about their mother’s birthday. They remember about their own birthdays and gifts only. So I will weave a very beautiful sari for you,” said the spider and she started weaving a beautiful sari.

Nikini was very tired after walking all over the woods and not sleeping the whole night. But she was so happy that she didn’t feel sleepy at all. She helped the spider weave the most beautiful sari for her mother.

The firefly flew far away and brought back beautiful flowers to decorate it. The rabbit ran around the woods and brought beautiful colors from flowers, to paint the sari with. The mynah bird shook the branches of trees and they shed dewdrops on it.

Finally, they had made the most beautiful sari in the world. The flowers looked lovely on it, the colors were the prettiest shades, and the dewdrops glittered like gems and pearls.

“This is very beautiful…the most beautiful sari I have ever seen. Amma would surely love this,” Nikini yelled with excitement. They were all happy.

“Let’s go…let’s give this to Amma and wish her a happy birthday,” said Nikini. She hurried towards home with her friends.

As they got halfway, a strong wind blew across the woods and it started to rain heavily. They tried their best to protect the sari from the rain and the wind. But they failed. The sari was torn into pieces.

“Oh, noooooooo!” Nikini screamed. She was so sad that she cried and cried, while getting soaked in the rain.

The dawn arrived, and the sun rose. She heard a voice calling out. “Nikini…Nikini!” someone was shouting.

It was Nikini’s mother, who was searching for her missing daughter. Just then, she saw Nikini crying under a tree. She came running to Nikini.

“Oh, my darling, where have you been? Why are you crying?” she asked.

“Amma, I went searching for a birthday gift for you. I searched for the greatest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the biggest gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most beautiful gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. I searched for the most precious gift for you, but I couldn’t find it. So finally, my friends made me a gift which you would like most. It was a very beautiful sari. But it got caught by the wind and was torn into pieces. I’m so sad that I couldn’t give it to you and make you happy,” Nikini said, still sobbing.

“My darling, do you know what is the most beautiful, most precious and the greatest thing to me? That is my little daughter. What I like most is her love. The love I felt from you today is the greatest, biggest, most precious and the most beautiful gift I’ve ever had in my life,” said her mother and she hugged her.

Nikini was very happy and so were her friends.

All of them went home with her, to celebrate the birthday.

Story found at 4to40.com