Get ready to dance like a chicken and flap, cluck, and giggle!
National Dance Like a Chicken Day (celebrated on May 14) is the perfect excuse to bring some silly, feather-filled fun into your toddler or preschool classroom. Below, you’ll find a collection of easy-to-learn songs and chants that are perfect for circle time, movement breaks, or anytime your little chicks need to burn off some energy. Before getting started, have some fun and let each child ‘pledge’ to be a chicken dancer for the day. Use this pledge to recite:
Chicken Songs and Dances
Flap, flap, flap your wings, If You’re a Chicken and You Know It If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings (flap flap) The Chickens on the Farm The chickens on the farm go cluck, cluck, cluck, (Next verses: “The wings on the chicken go flap, flap, flap…” “The feet on the chicken go scratch, scratch, scratch…”) Chicken was her Name-o There was a farm that had a hen, and Chicken was her name-o, Teacher: “What does the chicken say?” Flap It Out! Teacher: “Flap your wings if you’re a chicken!” Big Chicken, Little Chicken Teacher: “Big chickens flap like THIS!” (flap slow and huge) Chicken on the Loose Teacher: “Oh no, oh no, there’s a chicken on the loose!” Whether you’re dancing like a chicken for the whole day or just squeezing in a few silly songs, these fun songs are sure to have children laughing and moving. Don’t be afraid to get goofy—your enthusiasm is contagious! Have fun celebrating National Dance Like a Chicken Day, and remember… sometimes the best learning happens when we’re just being silly. Add even more excitement by awarding each child with an Official Chicken Dancer Award:
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Dance around and peck at things,
Hop, hop, hop and scratch the ground,
Turn around and cluck-cluck sound,
Flap, flap, flap your wings,
Dance around and peck at things!
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings (flap flap)
If you’re a chicken and you know it, and you really want to show it,
If you’re a chicken and you know it, flap your wings (flap flap).
(Repeat with “peck your beak,” “scratch your feet,” “cluck out loud,” etc.)
(Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)
Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,
The chickens on the farm go cluck, cluck, cluck,
All through the yard!
(Tune: Bingo)
C-H-I-C-K, C-H-I-C-K, C-H-I-C-K, and Chicken was her name-o!”Chicken Call-and-Response Chants
Kids: “Cluck cluck cluck!”
Teacher: “What does the baby chick say?”
Kids: “Peep peep peep!”
Teacher: “What do we ALL say?”
Kids: (LOUD) “CLUCK-CLUCK-PEEP-PEEP!”
(Then dance like crazy chickens!)
Kids: (flap-flap-flap)
Teacher: “Peck your beak if you’re a hen!”
Kids: (peck-peck-peck)
Teacher: “Scratch your feet if you’re silly!”
Kids: (scratch-scratch-scratch)
Teacher: “Cluck real loud — 1-2-3!”
Kids: (CLUUUUCK!)
Kids: (copy big, slow flaps)
Teacher: “Little chickens flap like THIS!” (tiny, fast flaps)
Kids: (tiny flaps)
Teacher: “Sleepy chickens flap like THIS!” (slow-motion flapping, yawning)
Kids: (slow and sleepy)
Kids: (Oh no! Oh no!)
Teacher: “Flap your wings and shake your caboose!”
Kids: (flap and wiggle!)
(Repeat a few times faster each time!)And…of course, the Chicken Dance Song…
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