This is what I do to start Morning Circle Time with our children:
Stock a large basket with everything needed for the day’s circle-time activities. To signal little ones to join you in the circle-time area, grab your basket and sing the following song.
Gathering Verse:
(sung to the tune of “A Tisket, a Tasket”)
A tisket, a tasket,
Mummy has her basket.
It’s time for all my little ones
To join me on the carpet.
Prayer:
God be in my head, and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes, and in my looking.
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking.
God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
God be at my end, and at my departing.
In the morning at the sunrise
When the light of day doth break,
Children’s souls, by angels guided,
Sleep from rested body shake,
Ready now for work and learning,
Happy, steady, and awake.
Candle Lighting Verse:
The sun it shines so warm and bright.
It shines on all I do.
Now let me take this bit of light
So I shine brightly too.
Opening Verse;
Yellow the bracken – Florence Hoatson
Yellow the bracken,
Golden the sheaves.
Rosy the apples,
Crimson the leaves.
Mist on the hillside,
Clouds grey and white.
Autumn, good morning!
Summer good night!
Seasonal Verse:
O Dandelion (Verse)
O Dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all day?
“I just wait here in the tall, green grass, ’till the children come to play.”
O Dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all night?
“I wait and wait, while the cool dew falls, and my hair grows long and white.”
And what do you do when your hair grows white, and the children come to play?
“They take me in their little hands, and blow my hair away!”
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Tipperty Toes by Elizabeth Gould
Tipperty Toes the smallest elf
Sat on a mushroom by himself
Playing a little tinkling tune
Under the big round harvest moon
And this is the song that Tipperty made
To sing to the little tune he played
Red are the hips and red are the haws
Red and gold are the leaves that fall
Red are the poppies in the corn
Red berries on the rowan tall
Red is the big round harvest moon
And red are my new little dancing shoon
Little red leaves are glad today
For the wind has blown them off and away
They’re flying here, they’re flying there
Little red leaves are everywhere.
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Colour- Adeline White
The world is full of color
‘Tis Autumn once again
And leaves of gold and crimson
Are lying in the lane
There are brown and yellow acorns
Berries and scarlet haws
Amber gorse and heather
Purple across the moors
Green apples in the orchard
Flushed by a glowing sun
Mellow pears and brambles
Where colored pheasants run
----------------------
Autumn Wind-
Autumn wind came stealing
Through the woods one day,
And creeping round the tree, he stole
Their beauty all away.
He tore their russet dresses,
Combed off their golden hair.
He blew away the tattered bits,
And left them brown and bare.
Autumn winds are sighing,
Stealing through the forest brown,
As they softly pass the tree trunks
Little leaves come falling down.
But a stronger gale is blowing
And then the leaves themselves
Rise and dance about the forest
Just like little elves.
Faster, faster see them whirling
Till the gale has passed.
One by one the tired leaflets
Sink to rest at last.
Seasonal Songs:
Autumn Comes
Autumn comes, the summer is past,
winter will come too soon,
Stars will shine clearer, skies seem nearer
Under the Harvest Moon
Stas will shine clearer, skies seem nearer
Under the Harvest Moon
Autumn comes, so let us be glad,
singing an autumn tune
Hearts will be lighter, skies seem brighter
Under a Harvest Moon
Hearts will be lighter, skies seem brighter
Under a Harvest Moon
Scarecrow (Action Song)
When all the cows were sleeping
And the sun had gone to bed
Up jumped the scarecrow
And this is what he said!
I'm a dingle, dangle scarecrow
With a flippy floppy hat
I can shake my hands like this
And shake my feet like that.
When all the hens were roosting
And the moon behind the cloud
Up jumped the scarecrow
And shouted very loud.
I'm a dingle, dangle scarecrow
...
When the dogs were in the kennels
And the doves were in the loft
Up jumped the scarecrow
And whispered very soft.
I'm a dingle, dangle scarecrow
...
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Stars See Me- to the tune of This Old Man
Stars see me, stars see me
(hands up like stars, one after the other)
standing here under a tree
(arms out at sides)
with my shiny hair atop my head
(hands on head)
to your silver stream I'm led.
(sweep arms up into the sky)
Sun see me, Sun see me
(arms in front of you in a circle and then overhead)
twirl around so fine and free
(Twirl to the right, arms in circle)
with my hands held high I greet the day
(Twirl to the left arms reaching straight up)
your golden light on me will play.
(arms across chest)
---------------------------------
Autumn is Here
Autumn is here and the world goes round
Autumn is here and the world goes round
Autumn is here and the world goes round
The world goes round and round and round.
(Hands are leaves fluttering to the ground)
Autumn is here and the leaves fall down
Autumn is here and the leaves fall down
Autumn is here and the leaves fall down
The leaves fall down upon the ground.
(repeat first verse)
Action Verses/Songs:
Two little apples (Tune: This old man)
Two little apples
Way up high, in a tree,
Two red apples smiled at me.
So I shook that tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples.
Mmmmm, were they good!
--------------------------
Up The Tall White Candlestick
(Action Rhyme)
Up The Tall White Candlestick
Up the tall white candlestick
(Make left arm into candlestick)
Crept little Mousie Brown
(Two fingers of fight hand run up the candlestick)
Right up to the top but he couldn't get down!
(Fingers wiggle at top)
So he called to his Grandma
(Call through cupped hands)
Grandma! Grandma!
But Grandma was in town
So he curled himself into a ball
(curl right hand into a fist)
And rolled himself right down
(Clench both fists and roly-poly them round each other)
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Autumn Verse:
Now it’s time to plant our garden!
Little brown bulbs (gently press their heads to the ground, so that they are curled up)
Sleep in the ground While leaves come falling (take silks used previously to cover them up)
All around! Warm and cozy, Snug in soft beds, (rub backs of each child in turn, gently)
In spring we’ll lift up Our sleepy heads! (encourage them to pop up!) repeat
--------------------------------
Stepping Stones (Action Song):
Stepping over stepping stones, one, two, three.
Stepping over stepping stones, come with me,
The river’s very fast and the river’s very wide,
So we’ll step actoss the stepping stones
To reach the other side.
(Meander in circle stepping on imaginary steppins stone in rhythm to words. Accentuate 1-2-3 and Come with me.
Take little running steps for third line and slow to rhythmic walking for the fourth line.
Jump to the other side at the end of verse, change direction and repeat.
-------------------------------
Leaves Falling
Little leaves fall gently down
Red and yellow, orange and brown;
(Raise hands and lower them, fluttering fingers like falling leaves)
Whirling, whirling round and round
(Repeat above motions)
Quietly without a sound;
Falling softly to the ground,
(Lower bodies gradually to the floor)
Down-and down-and down-and down!
Hymns:
Use our home Hymn Book for selections this season
Poetry:
How the Leaves Came Down- Susan Coolidge
I'll tell you how the leaves came down.
The great Tree to his children said,
"You're getting sleepy, Yellow and Brown,
Yes, very sleepy, little Red;
It is quite time you went to bed."
"Ah!" begged each silly, pouting leaf,
"Let us a little longer May;
Dear Father Tree, behold our grief,
'Tis such a very pleasant day
We do not want to go away."
So, just for one more merry day
To the great Tree the leaflets clung,
Frolicked and danced and had their way,
Upon the autumn breezes swung,
Whispering all their sports among,
"Perhaps the great Tree will forget
And let us stay until the spring
If we all beg and coax and fret."
But the great Tree did no such thing;
He smiled to hear their whispering.
"Come, children all, to bed," he cried;
And ere the leaves could urge their prayer
He shook his head, and far and wide,
Fluttering and rustling everywhere,
Down sped the leaflets through the air.
I saw them; on the ground they lay,
Golden and red, a huddled swarm,
Waiting till one from far away,
White bed-clothes heaped upon her arm,
Should come to wrap them safe and warm.
The great bare Tree looked down and smiled.
"Good-night, dear little leaves" he said;
And from below each sleepy child
Replied "Good-night," and murmured,
"It is so nice to go to bed."
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Apple Secrets -by Betty Jones
Who would think an apple
Red, gold, or green and round
Would have a secret deep inside
When cut it can be found!
I thought this secret only shone
In deep and darkest night
But when I cut my apple
It shines with five points bright!
And now you know the secret
Where shinning stars are found
In every crunchy apple
Red, gold, or green and round.
-----------------------------------
Autumn:
"Come little leaves," said the wind one day.
"Come o'er the meadow with me and play.
Put on your dresses of red and gold.
Summer is gone and the days grow cold."
As soon as the leaves heard the wind's low call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all.
Over the brown fields they whirled and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew.
---------------------
Autumn Fires- Robert Louis Stevenson:
In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Scripture Verse:
The Weekly 24 Family Ways Verse (repeated from Breakfast)
Celebrate the Gospels – Use these books to prepare for next Sunday’s Mass
Catechism:
My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories – one chapter
For Heavens Sake
The Mass Explained for Children
Stepping Stones to bigger faith for little Children
Skip Counting/Times Tables:
10 times tables, forward and backwards and skip couting with actions
5 times tables, forward and backwards and skip counting with actions
2 times tables, forward and backwards and skip counting with actions
11 times tables, forwards and backwards and skip counting with actions
4 times tables, forwards and backwards and skip counting with actions
Stories/Books:
Enchanters End Game
The Autumn edition of The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly series
Any seasonal or liturgical stories that may fit in with the day
Closing Verse:
The golden sun so great and bright
Warms the world with all its might.
It makes the dark earth green and fair,
Attends each thing with ceaseless care.
It shines on blossom, stone, and tree,
On bird and beast, on you and me.
So may each deed throughout the day,
May everything we do and say
Be bright and strong and true,
Oh, golden sun, like you!
and snuff out the candle.
Game:
'Ticka Tacky
Nicky Nacky Nu
Dear little sultana where are you?'
Blessings,
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