Here’s a lovely poem about The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson with a couple of mp3 renditions. MP3 of The Wind 2nd MP3 of The Wind The Wind   I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies’ skirts across the grass– O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind,...

Reduplications are words or phrases that contain a duplicated element.  An example is the phrase "riffraff".  The two parts of the word are almost the same (i.e. "riff" and "raff"), but they have a small change (the vowels).  When you have a rhyming reduplication, the duplicated element rhymes with the original element in the phrase. ...

MP3 of Hope is the thing with feathers "Hope" is the thing with feathers By Emily Dickinson "Hope" is the thing with feathers- That perches in the soul- And sings the tune without the words- And never stops-at all- And sweetest-in the Gale-is heard- ...

Booktrust did a survey of over 2,500 people in the UK to determine the top nursery rhymes.  Here they are with links to their lyrics (most of the links have mp3’s or videos too): 1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 2. Incey Wincey Spider 3. Round And Round The Garden 4. Baa Baa Black Sheep 5. The...

The song "Pussy Willows" used to be taught in schools.  Some people have written to me about it because their grandparents sang it to them as kids.  It’s a sweet little song!  Here are the lyrics to Pussy Willows, with a musical score and midi tune… Midi Tune of Pussy Willows Pussy Willows Pretty pussies down by the...

To increase your family’s intake of fruit and veggies in school or at work, here’s a simple trick… Cut an apple or orange and place a rubber band around it. Then place it in a baggy or container. It keeps the fruit fresh and juicy on the inside, yet it’s easy to eat. Enjoy! –Mama Lisa

Here’s a great list of 100 Ways to Be Kind to Your Child.  Because kindness starts at home! Love, Mama Lisa

Here’s a colorful poem by Emily Dickinson with an mp3 recording… MP3 of She sweeps with many-colored Brooms She sweeps with many-colored Brooms   She sweeps with many-colored Brooms– And leaves the Shreds behind– Oh Housewife in the Evening West– Come back, and dust the Pond! You dropped a Purple Ravelling in– You dropped an Amber thread– And now...

"Easy peasy" is an expression people say when something is very easy to do.  My daughter just recited a longer version of it which I had never heard: "Easy, peasy, lemon, squeezy." (listen here) She couldn’t believe that I, Mama Lisa, had never heard the full expression before! It seems to come from a British commercial from the...

Song of The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker was written by Irish poet William Allingham (1824 – 1889).  Leprechauns are known to be shoemakers.  At the end of the work day, they hide away the money they earned in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Song of The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker is...

There are many variations in different languages of "mother" and "father".  These are formal words that people use when referring to their parents.  But most words used to address our parents directly are less formal. In the US, most people don’t say "mother’ and "father" when talking to their parents.  Even when I was a kid...

MP3 of Love Is Enough Love Is Enough By William Morris Love is enough: though the World be a-waning, And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining, Though the sky be too dark for dim eyes to discover The gold-cups and daisies fair...

Here’s the poem, Poet To His Love by Maxwell Bodenheim (1892-1954) with an mp3 recording… MP3 of Poet to His Love 2nd Recording of Poet to His Love Poet to His Love An old silver church in a forest Is my love for you. The trees around it ...

Sometimes, life is grand because of that one perfect moment, like in the poem below… MP3 of Jenny kiss’d Me Jenny kiss’d Me By Leigh Hunt Jenny kiss’d me when we met, Jumping from the chair she sat in; Time, you...

The other day I was adding the Spanish hand clapping rhyme "Chocolate" to our collection, and my daughter heard me play this video of it below… My daughter pointed out that it has the same "tune" as the American handclapping rhyme "Double Double This This". You can hear that one in the video below… In both versions...

Jacquelyn Sherst sent me the following song and note: "This is a song developed from a school in the USA.  I am unsure of which state, but I heard it when I was very young an loved it." Faces Faces Funny Faces Faces, faces, funny faces You make...

Here’s a fun little skunk joke with a recording… MP3 of Two Little Skunks Two Little Skunks There were two little skunks Named "In" and "Out." One day In was out And Out was in. The mother skunk asked ...

The Ring on a String Game is a traditional game that’s played in many countries.  Sometimes it’s called Hunt the Ring.  Here’s how you play… 1. Slip a ring on a long string and tie both ends. To determine the length of the string, you need to use about 24" of string (50cm+) per player. 2....

Each language has its own unique words that don’t exist in other languages.  Here are two links to blog posts about words that exist in other languages, but not in English.  The 1st one includes an infographic… 21 Emotions for Which There are No Words in English 25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English Here are...