Tag Archives: Kindergarten Success
If only you could go with your child to school and protect them from bullies, cruel remarks and the rejections and disappointments that we’ve all experienced. But in a way, you can … You can be with and support your child in school through the
positive, encouraing words you speak to them. Those assuring and guiding words will resonate within their hearts and minds not only during their school days, but throughout their lifetime.
Thumbuddy Goes To School, like all of the books in the Thumbuddy children’s books series, uses reassuring and fortifying words to build a strong foundation of self worth within your child. Strong self worth helps kids to make good life choices, deal positively with peer pressure and approach life’s challenges with a positive outlook and confidence.
The nurturing words within Thumbuddy children’s books strengthen the parent-child bond, so that even when they hop on the school bus and wave goodbye through the window, they’re secure and assured of your love.
The Children’s Song, Farmer In The Dell
The Farmer In The Dell is a children’s nursery rhyme and singing game that was first recorded in Germany in 1826 as “Es fuhr ein bau’r ins Holz”. The song is about the courtship between a farmer and his eventual wife. The Farmer In The Dell is known worldwide and has taken on many different variations. The song is sung while children hold hands around one person who is designated as the farmer, as the first verse ends the “farmer” chooses a wife. The game goes on throughout the verses until only one child is left. This child ultimately becomes the next farmer.
The Farmer In The Dell is a great fun game for preschoolers to play, however, there really is no value and meaning in the words to the song, and ultimately, some poor child is the last to be chosen and is left feeling sad, lonely and unimportant. I believe we need to surround our children with kids Christian music that will encourage, uplift and support them.
When we introduce our children to music that has words of hope and joy, our kids begin to understand that they have purpose and meaning in their life. The song, The Miracle You Are (sung to the tune of The Farmer In The Dell) presents kids with the notion that they are unique, wonderful creations of God. “The miracle you are; The miracle you are; You are Thumbuddy; The miracle you are.” The words are simple and easy to remember, but incredibly important and powerful.
God created us in His image, and intends for us to enjoy our life. John 15:11 reads, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” God knows that a life dedicated to Him is a life that will reach its full potential. God made each and everyone of us as one-of-a-kind miracles that are so very special to Him and to others. Our children need to know, and believe this!
As parents, teaching this to our kids should be one of our top priorities. Encourage your children to sing kids Christian music where the messages are positive and wholesome, and I can guarantee they will grow up with a stronger self-esteem that is rooted in the unconditional, and never-ending love of Jesus Christ.
ThumbPeople’s kids Christian music helps kids (and adults) to see themselves as one-of-a-kind miracles, gifted with unique talents and positioned to live an amazing life.
Through songs like The Miracle You Are on the You Are Thumbuddy kids Christian music CD, the Thumbuddy children’s book series, preschool curriculum and Scripture inspired soaking music, ThumbPeople helps families embrace who and ALL that God created them to be!
The Farmer In The Dell Song – A New and Improved Version!
The Farmer In The Dell is a nursery rhyme circle game played and loved by many preschool aged children. The Farmer In The Dell is one of those old children’s songs that invariably gets passed to the next generation. Its silly repetitive verses make it a lot of fun. The words often get changed, but the game stays the same. Kids circle around one another one-by-one picking each other to join them in the middle. Children laugh and dance and genuinely 
have a good time.
The book, The Farmer In The Dell is about a farmer falling in a dell and his wife tries to help him out. First it is his wife, then a child, a dog, a cat, a rat, and a cheese. The cheese refused to help at first but then decides to lend a hand. When the cheese did, they all pulled the farmer out. Full of joy, the farmer accidentally falls back into the dell. The story is filled with positive imagery of helping each other when in a sticky situation, but ultimately, the farmer is stuck back in the hole.
Although this story is fun and sweet, one really has to stretch to find purpose and meaning in it. Kids Christian music, however, is filled with hope and positive intentions. A recent re-write of The Farmer In The Dell, called The Miracle You Are, creates a clear image that each and every one of is a special, unique creation of God.
The words within The Miracle You Are are simple and repetitive making it easy for preschoolers to learn and believe. Some of the statements the song declares are, “one-of-a-kind that’s you” and “special you are.” When our children continue to repeat these words over to the familiar tune, the message will seep into their hearts and minds and ultimately, they will believe they are amazing gifts from God.
Kids Christian music is intended to help reiterate the messages parents so desperately want their kids to know and believe. Using words that are positive, uplifting and hopeful, these songs encourage our children in a way that brings them joy at the same time they learn one of life’s most important messages.
Encourage your child to have fun with music, but do it in a way that is not only good for their minds, but essential for their souls.
That is the goal of ThumbPeople – to encourage kids and adults with positive and uplifting kids Christian music, Thumbuddy books, preschool curriculum and soaking music inspired by God’s love and acceptance of us.
The Miracle You Are is one of the classic children’s melodies rewritten with positive and encouraging lyrics within ThumbPeople’s You Are Thumbuddy kids Christian music CD.
A Twenty-First Century Problem with the Nineteenth Century Nursery Rhyme, The Farmer in the Dell
The Farmer In The Dell was first recorded in 1826 in Germany, but is now known and loved by preschool aged children worldwide. The Farmer In The Dell song has taken on many different variations, but ultimately it remains a children’s “circle game.” The Farmer In The Dell song is sung while children hold hands and circle around the designated farmer, as the first verse ends the “farmer” chooses a wife. The game goes on throughout the verses until only one child is left. This child ultimately becomes the next farmer.
Some have taken issue with this game. A group of parents realized that their children’s kindergarten class, while playing The Farmer In The Dell, would not always choose a boy to be the farmer in the beginning. Thus, when the girl chose a “wife” at the end of the verse, they questioned that the teacher was promoting same-sex marriages.
This teacher continues to defend her ways by saying she has always allowed the children to choose whomever they would like, and that by allowing a girl to go first she was not playing favorites with the boys.
Unfortunately, the days that we live in can be filled with confusion. But they don’t have to be … I encourage parents to simply choose good kids Christian music and take all the guessing and uncertainty out of the meaning behind the words.
ThumbPeople Inc. has dedicated its mission to teaching children that they are wonderful, unique creations of God. Their song, The Miracle You Are (sung to the same melody as The Farmer In The Dell) sings of our unique and God-given signature: our thumbprint. “A miracle you are; A miracle you are; You are Thumbuddy; A miracle you are. One-of-a-kind that’s you; one-of-a-kind thats you, Your thumbprint says it all; One-of-a-kind that’s you.”
No guess work, no hidden meaning, simply unmistakably positive, life-giving words that teach us of the love and joy of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”
God intended for us to be who we are. He created us to love and be joyful. He gave some of us red hair and others brilliant minds. And regardless of your specific gifts and wonderful talents, God loves you very much. It is our responsibility to pass this amazing message on to our children.
Take the guess work out of the words your children are listening to and choose some of the amazing kids Christian music available to introduce your children to a God that intentionally made them one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable miracles!
ThumbPeople surrounds kids and adults with words that affirm their great worth and value through kids Christian music, Thumbuddy children’s books, preschool curriculum and soaking music infused with loving and encouraging words.
The Miracle You Are is one of many familiar melodies that ThumbPeople has combined with new, life-giving meaning on their You Are Thumbuddy kids Christian music CD.
The Farmer In The Dell – A Round Folk Song Or Circle Dance
The Farmer In The Dell appeared in Germany around 1820. Its form is called a round folk song or dance, because the lines and tune repeat but with minor changes as each character is called out of the circle to stand with the farmer.
As the Farmer In The Dell tune migrated throughout Europe and even to Asia, each group changed the words to suit their culture. The people of Thailand, for example, sing The Farmer In The Dell and add a frog and rice, two staples of their rural land. Each culture transformed the Farmer In The Dell song into something special and unique.
A round folk song and dance can include many people because it uses the form of a circle, rather than a straight line. Circles can expand into infinity. They can encompass many things. In a round dance, the dancers form one big circle. Each person can be unique, but together they form one, comprehensive whole.
I like to think of The Farmer In The Dell as a springboard for good kids Christian music, such as the words to The Miracle You Are on the You AreThumbuddy CD. Like the dancers participating in a circle dance are each unique people that form one, integrated whole, so too is the uniqueness of each child important to the world at large. And although each child is different, the combined differences add up to one perfect circle.
What happens if one person is missing from the circle? It’s no longer a circle! We need each and every person’s talents to make things whole and right as God has planned.
I think that kids Christian music that helps children understand, recognize and feel their own inner worth is so important. If each child understands that his own life is a miracle, that he is a miracle – why he’ll choose good and positive things throughout his life. After all, if you’re a miracle, you’ve been blessed and will live a good life! Positive kids Christian music can help children receive this important message in a fun and joyful way!
ThumbPeople has re-crafted loved melodies of childhood like, Farmer In The Dell, and given them new, positive and uplifting meaning.
Recommended by child development experts, ThumbPeople provides kids Christian music, the Thumbuddy children’s book series, curriculum for preschoolers and soaking music that reflects God’s wonderful plan for every child and adult.
The Farmer In The Dell Moves To America
According to the English folk song index, the folk song or nursery rhyme The Farmer In The Dell originated in Germany around 1820. The original words and dance for The Farmer In The Dell were clearly a courtship game, a formal opportunity for farmers to declare their interest in available young girls during public dances. Later on, however, when The Farmer In The Dell tune moved to America and was published in New York around 1883, it was clearly a children’s nursery rhyme sung to the old English tune, “A Hunting We Will Go.” How does this happen?
Have you ever noticed that when words or songs are passed from person to person, the receiving person gets it slightly wrong – or better yet, changes it to suit his or her style? That’s probably what happened with The Farmer In The Dell. As The Farmer In The Dell tune and dance migrated with German immigrants into the United States, they sang it for new groups of people. Mothers probably taught it to their children, and the children changed the words to create a unique and special nursery game of their own.
Children are creative, aren’t they? Kids love nothing more than to take a song, commercial jingle or game and make it their own. The rules of tag can be bent and shaped for instance to make a completely new game. When I was in grade school, the neighborhood kids loved nothing more than to stay out late on a balmy spring evening and play tag. But when the sun went down, we couldn’t see well enough to play. Someone, somewhere, got the bright idea to grab flashlights and so invented a new game called Flashlight Tag!
Taking a song such as The Farmer In The Dell and putting new, positive words to it creates something memorable, unique, and special. Among kids Christian music, ThumbPeople has created a wonderful song called The Miracle You Are sung to the Farmer In The Dell. By focusing on the unique miracle of each child, such kids Christian music builds strong and positive self esteem in children. I even want to add my own game to the tune since it’s one that makes you want to leap out of your seat and dance with your child!
Positive, uplifting kids Christian music based on nursery song melodies like The Farmer In The Dell really help children celebrate the joys of being themselves.
Celebrate the amazing gift of your child, the love that you share and the blessed life that God has in store for your family with ThumbPeople’s kids Christian music, the Thumbuddy children’s book series, curriculum for preschoolers and soaking music that reflects God’s unconditional love and promises for each of us.
A Twenty-First Century Problem with the Nineteenth Century Nursery Rhyme, The Farmer in the Dell
The Farmer In The Dell was first recorded in 1826 in Germany, but is now known and loved by preschool aged children worldwide. The Farmer In The Dell song has taken on many different variations, but ultimately it remains a children’s “circle game.” The Farmer In The Dell song is sung while children hold hands and circle around the designated farmer, as the first verse ends the “farmer” chooses a wife. The game goes on throughout the verses until only one child is left. This child ultimately becomes the next farmer.
Some have taken issue with this game. A group of parents realized that their children’s kindergarten class, while playing The Farmer In The Dell, would not always choose a boy to be the farmer in the beginning. Thus, when the girl chose a “wife” at the end of the verse, they questioned that the teacher was promoting same-sex marriages.
This teacher continues to defend her ways by saying she has always allowed the children to choose whomever they would like, and that by allowing a girl to go first she was not playing favorites with the boys.
Unfortunately, the days that we live in can be filled with confusion. But they don’t have to be … I encourage parents to simply choose good kids Christian music and take all the guessing and uncertainty out of the meaning behind the words.
ThumbPeople Inc. has dedicated its mission to teaching children that they are wonderful, unique creations of God. Their song, The Miracle You Are (sung to the same melody as The Farmer In The Dell) sings of our unique and God-given signature: our thumbprint. “A miracle you are; A miracle you are; You are Thumbuddy; A miracle you are. One-of-a-kind that’s you; one-of-a-kind thats you, Your thumbprint says it all; One-of-a-kind that’s you.”
No guess work, no hidden meaning, simply unmistakably positive, life-giving words that teach us of the love and joy of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”
God intended for us to be who we are. He created us to love and be joyful. He gave some of us red hair and others brilliant minds. And regardless of your specific gifts and wonderful talents, God love you very much. It is our responsibility to pass this amazing message on to our children.
Take the guess work out of the words your children are listening to and choose some of the amazing kids Christian music available to introduce your children to a God that intentionally made them one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable miracles!
ThumbPeople surrounds kids and adults with words that affirm their great worth and value through kids Christian music, Thumbuddy children’s books, preschool curriculum and soaking music infused with loving and encouraging words.
The Miracle You Are is one of many familiar melodies that ThumbPeople has combined with new, life-giving meaning on their You Are Thumbuddy kids Christian music CD.
Farmer In The Dell Classic Circle Song And Game
My three boys always loved learning new songs in school, at church, or at home. Catchy tunes from old American folk songs are a great basis for teaching life lessons. But occasionally this learning can backfire. Take, for example, The Farmer in the Dell. I remember singing The Farmer in the Dell in grade school and always being afraid I’d end up as the cheese who stood alone at the end of the song! Yikes! Not exactly a positive message for a shy, introverted child who had serious self-esteem issues!
The Farmer in the Dell is a classic American singing game, nursery rhyme and children’s song where one person, designated as the farmer, stands in the center of a circle of children and is joined in the circle by others designated as wife, child, nurse, cat, rat, and cheese, these then leaving the circle in order except for the one designated as cheese, who is left standing alone in the circle at the end.
What if the Farmer in the Dell lyrics were tweaked to reflect a more positive message that all children are special and belong to a loving and caring God? The Farmer in the Dell has a terrific tune that any young child can learn by rote, but the lyrics could easily be changed in kids Christian music to reflect the miracle of how God created all of us; of God’s unconditional love; of God’s strength available to all of us to help us through life’s challenges.
Luke’s simple statement, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,” (Luke 2:52, NIV) sums up Jesus’ development through the stages of childhood. But Luke adds, “and in favor with God and man,” suggesting spiritual and social growth or faith development.
John H. Westerhoff says the development of faith is like a tree trunk. A young tree trunk has few rings; older trunks have many more. The rings of faith growth occur as a result of life experiences and in interacting with others and with God.
Think of all the influences on your children today: The influence of peers, teachers, TV, family, neighbors, books, church. As the parent of an impressionable child, you have the ultimate responsibility to surround your child with opportunities to develop those ‘rings’ of faith and build a strong foundation for the future. Kids Christian music is a powerful tool that is easily accessible to you and your family.
ThumbPeople has created kids Christian music that nurtures your child’s relationship with God, with others and with themselves!
ThumbPeople’s, You Are Thumbuddy kids Christian music CD combines loved childhood melodies like Farmer in the Dell with new positive lyrics and encouraging meaning.
Knowing that words have a powerful effect on individuals, ThumbPeople offers families kids Christian music, Thumbuddy children’s books, preschool curriculum and soaking music that reflects God’s sustaining love and His faithfulness in our lives.
Familiar Folk Tunes Like Farmer In The Dell Disappearing from American Schools
According to an article in US News & World Report in November 2003, American schoolchildren are no longer singing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day. Other schoolhouse staples – Mary Had a Little Lamb, You Are My Sunshine, The Farmer in the Dell – are disappearing, too. And with them, educators say, vital bits of America’s history are being lost.
As a musician, this troubles me greatly. I understand our American culture values all things new, shiny, high tech. I like hearing and learning new music and discovering new musicians as much as anyone, but I value traditional music which establishes a foundation for teaching our children to appreciate music.
Let’s take the example of The Farmer in the Dell. Historians can’t attribute it to a particular composer, but think it probably originated in Germany and was brought to America by immigrants. The catchy tune of Farmer in the Dell has spread all over the world and is popular in many languages. (As a child, you may have learned a similar song to the Farmer in the Dell tune, “A Hunting We Will Go.”) The Farmer in the Dell combines a timeless circle game with an easy to learn tune and words about a farmer, his family, and his farm.
As parents, we want to take every opportunity to pass along what we’ve learned about God’s love and the hope that gives us. We want to teach our children that they are a miracle made by God, special in every way. I believe one of the best tools at our disposal in this endeavor is kids Christian music.
Great melodies like The Farmer in the Dell could be used as a teaching tool, with new lyrics that emphasize God’s love for all His children. With so many negative messages bombarding our children every day, the positive message taught by kids Christian music is a wonderful gift you can give your children.
Kids Christian music can build your child’s confidence through messages that reflect that they are a unique and special creation of our loving God.
ThumbPeople’s newly created version of Farmer in the Dell is called, The Miracle You Are and like all of ThumbPeople’s products, takes the words to a new, higher, meaningful level of encouragement and blessing.
Why would you want to surround your children with just “blah, blah, blah …” when you can surround them with life-giving, loving and encouraging words within ThumbPeople’s kids Christian music, Thumbuddy children’s books, preschool curriculum and soaking music resonating with messages of unconditional love and blessings?
Farmer In The Dell Used to Teach God’s Love for All His Children
I was a misfit as a child. Having childhood asthma meant spending a lot of time sitting on the sidelines. The doctor said I shouldn’t run for fear I’d have an asthma attack, so I never really learned a lot of the games my friends loved to play. I never learned the finer points of baseball, softball, or soccer because even if the running involved didn’t kill me, being outdoors too long in the wind/dust/pollen/cold would.
And I stood out because I was a girl who was smart. If you’re under the age of 30 you might not believe this, but to be a smart girl in the 1950s meant you were a misfit. Typically, I’d get better test scores and grades than the boys in my class, and that didn’t exactly put me near the top of their list when it came to choosing friends.
So you can imagine my horror when it came time to play the popular Farmer In The Dell circle game in class. I was accustomed to being the last pick when choosing teams for running games, but this was different. I longed to be picked as the Farmer In The Dell wife or her child, or at the very least her dog. The worst possible outcome was to be the cheese, left all alone in the middle of the circle once everyone else had been picked. I knew the Farmer In The Dell was just a song, a game, but it hurt to be chosen last.
Thank goodness things were different at home, at church, and at Sunday School. At home, my parents told me I could be whatever I wanted to be, in spite of my gender. At church, I learned that God loves all His children, smart or athletic, male or female, asthmatic or not. My Sunday School teachers used kids Christian music to teach us how to worship with our whole heart.
The original lyrics for Farmer In The Dell may have a negative connotation, but the tune is catchy and easy to learn. Why not substitute words about the miracle of creation, words that encourage children to celebrate the differences that make them so very special? High quality Kids Christian music accomplishes just that: Songs written for children from a Christian perspective reinforce positive messages of self-worth and uniqueness. A catchy tune like Farmer in the Dell can be a tool to remind all of us of God’s love.
ThumbPeople’s kids Christian music helps kids (and adults) to hear familiar melodies in new ways – with positive, encouraging and loving lyrics. ThumbPeople’s products also help kids (and adults) to see themselves in new ways – as the one-of-a-kind, precious miracles God created them to be.
Through inspired kids Christian music, Thumbuddy children’s books, preschool curriculum and soaking music reflecting the promises and hope of Scripture, ThumbPeople encourages and blesses families.
Trying To Bring Meaning To The Words Of Row Row Your Boat
Row Row Your Boat is a children’s nursery rhyme that is often sung in a round. The song is perfect for teaching children the round technique and can also be used as a fun activity.
The origins and author are unclear as several versions have been written. The lyrics have often been used as a metaphor for life’s difficult choices, as many see the boat as referring to one’s self or a group with which one identifies. Rowing is a skillful, if tedious practice that takes perfection but also directs the ship.
When sung as a group, Row Row Your Boat brings voices together much like the act of rowing unifies rowers and makes them a team. The idea that man travels along a certain stream suggests boundaries in the path of choices and in free will. The third line recommends that challenges should be tackled head on with joy and a smile. The final line, “life is but a dream,” is perhaps the most meaningful. Most believe that this states that whether real or in our minds, life should be taken lightly and most importantly, enjoyed.
Seems a bit heavy for a children’s rhyme about a boat. If purpose and meaning is what parents are looking for, they should check out the creative re-writes by ThumbPeople, Inc. on their You are Thumbuddy nurturing music for children CD. Their version of Row Row Your Boat is called, Sing Your Song. Their words are positive, encouraging and wholesome. “Sing, sing, sing your song; Sing it everyday; Friends will sing along with you; All along the way.” And “Brush, brush, brush your teeth; Every single day; Your smile will feel so fresh and bright when you go out to play.” These words are straight forward, honest and decent. Nurturing music for children encourages children to follow what their parent is already teaching, while doing so in a fun, memorable way.
Don’t settle for lyrics that make you second guess what you are teaching your children. Choose wholesome; nurturing music for children that combines hope and worth with fun and happiness. Pop in some great kid’s music and dance around the living room together, it will be fun and uplifting for all of you!
Row Row Your Boat is one of a series of traditional kid’s songs rewritten with life-giving and positive lyrics on ThumbPeople’s nurturing music for children CD.
Recognized by child development experts for their effectiveness in building a positive self image and encouraging right choices, ThumbPeople offers simple tools for families through their nurturing music for children, the Thumbuddy children’s book series, preschool curriculum and soaking music that reflects God’s loving and comforting promises from Scripture.
Thumbuddy Goes to School
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