Silly Song Swaps
What you need
- a soft toy to sing to
How to do it
- Sing a song your child knows well, like Twinkle Twinkle or Row, Row, Row Your Boat, all the way through together.
- Sing it again, but swap one word for something silly: Twinkle, twinkle, little car.
- Let your child pick the next swap, and sing the new version to the soft toy.
- Try swaps that rhyme: row, row, row your goat, gently down the moat.
Why it matters
Changing a song means knowing it well first, and a silly swap only works if they listen for where the new word fits and what it rhymes with.
What they're learning
- Singing a whole song
- Start to finish, then again.
- Swapping words
- Choosing a new one that still fits.
- Rhymes
- Goat and moat, car and star.
What to look for
Notice them laughing just before the silly word, because they knew it was coming.
A tip
The sillier the better. A wrong word that makes them laugh is a word they were listening for.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: you do the swapping and they shout out when they hear the silly word
Harder: swap the last word of each line for a new one that still rhymes
