Apple Orchard Circle
This circle is excerpted from the Lavender's Blue Kindergarten curriculum. The kindy curriculum includes a slowly evolving seasonal circle for autumn through spring, with audio recordings of every song and verse. I hope you enjoy this autumn Apple Orchard Circle!
Good morning, dear Earth, Good morning, dear Sun, Good morning, dear rocks, And the flowers, every one. Good morning, dear beasts, And the birds in the tree, Good morning to you, and Good morning to me.
{Traditional Waldorf}
Good Morning Dear Earth
Reach up, then squat down to touch the earth. Stand back up and reach up to the sun. Squat down again and pound rocks with fists. Use lower arms and hands to indicate flowers. Stand bent and make arms and faces like apes. Stand erect and flap arms like graceful birds. Both arms out to gesture to each other. Cross arms over your chest.
Winter is white, springtime is green, Summer is golden, and autumn aflame. Four lovely seasons to have in a year, Sing them by color, sing them by name.
{Anonymous}
I like to pass out silks while I speak this verse.
Look at me, I'm a tall tall tree, In the winter snowflakes fall on me, They fall! They fall!
Look at me, I'm a tall tall tree, In the springtime the blossoms bloom on me, They open! They open!
Look at me, I'm a tall tall tree, In the summer the breezes blow through me, I bend! I bend!
Look at me, I'm a tall tall tree, In the autumn the apples drop from me, They drop! They drop!
{Traditional}
It's fun to hold a silk handkerchief in each hand for this song. For each verse, make a circle in front of you to indicate the trunk and then reach up for tall tall tree. Swish silks downward for snowflakes. Open arms up and wide for blossoms. Bend at the waist and sweep the floor for breezes. Gather silks into fists and then drop for apples.
Let's go to the apple orchard today. We'll pick apples and dance and play!
{K.E.}
Can you walk on two legs, two legs, two legs, Can you walk on two legs, follow me! I can walk on two legs, two legs, two legs, I can walk on two legs, look at me!
Can you run on two legs.... Can you jump on two legs.... Can you hop on one foot.....Can you scootch on one toosh... Can you crawl on four paws.... Etc!
{Traditional}
Can You Walk on Two Legs
Follow the movements as suggested. I like to do just 3 verses or so each day and mix it up.
Here stands a good apple tree. Stand fast at root, bear well at top Every little twig, bear an apple big Every little bough, bear an apple now. Hats full! Caps full! Threescore sacks full!
{Traditional English}
Stand straight and tall. Arms straight down and then straight up. Put out one finger, then make fist for apple. Put out other full arm, then make fist for apple. Clap! Clap! Three jumps and clap!
The leaves are green, the apples are red, They hang so high above your head, Leave them alone till frosty weather Then they will all fall down together!
The leaves are green, the nuts are brown, They hang so high and will not come down, Leave them alone till frosty weather Then they will all come down together!
{Traditional}
The Leaves Are Green
Sway and wave arms above head. Sway and wave arms above head. Hide arms behind back for leave them alone. Fall down!
After verse two stay seated for next fingerplay.
Way up high in the apple tree, Two little apples smiled at me! I shook that tree as hard as I could, Down came the apples, Mmmm, they were good!
{Anonymous}
Both arms up high. Make fists for two apples. Shake imaginary tree. Clap hands down in lap. Eat imaginary apple, rub tummy.
My nice red rosy apple Has a secret hid unseen. You'd see if you could look inside, Five rooms so neat and clean. In each room there are living Two pips so black and bright. Asleep they are a-dreaming Of lovely warm sunlight.
{Traditional}
My Nice Red Rosy Apple
I like to keep an apple which has been sliced through the middle hidden away in a basket the first few times I do this song. Pull apple out and open while you sing.
We walk home from the orchard, Baskets of apples on our arms, Past the fields and woods of this beautiful farm.
Slow walking in a circle.
It's golden in the treetops, It's golden in the sky, It's golden, golden, golden September passing by.
{Traditional}
Continue walking in a circle.
The End.
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