All Around the Kitchen

In this project, you can make your own instruments out of kitchen bits and bobs!

PLEASE ASK FIRST and try this with a responsible adult.

Then we can learn a song together and play, sing and dance if you want to!

Can you find an elastic band or two, and a smallish box, like an empty (and clean) margarine or butter tub? Then you can make your own little bass harp!

How about an old carton or empty hot chocolate container?

Can you ask for half a cup of rice, lentils or smallish pasta?

Careful with this one because it involves glass! Do you have a couple of empty jam jars, a spoon and some water?

Can you find a plastic bottle and some sort of stick? A pencil will do.

All Around the Kitchen is an American folk tune and dance. The dancers dance around "the kitchen" (which can be any space) doing different actions. Which actions? Well, they can start as chickens maybe ("cocka-doodle") then the singer can make actions up - or the dancers might just go freestyle!! Do you like singing, dancing or playing? There is something for everyone in this one!

The song form goes Chorus, Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2. We play all through the choruses. We only play the first beat in the verse sections. Just have a listen to the song below - you will be joining in in no time!

Chorus:

All around the kitchen, cocka-doodle cocka-do,

All around the kitchen, cocka-doodle cocka-do.

Verse 1: (or make up your own words!)

Now stop right there.

Put your hands in the air.

Just play one beat.

And stomp your feet.

Chorus:

All around the kitchen, cocka-doodle cocka-do,

All around the kitchen, cocka-doodle cocka-do.

Verse 2:

Now stop right there

and what shall we do?

You can make it up,

It's up to you!

All Around the Kitchen with the rhythms explained.

All Around the Kitchen play-along!

I had fun doing an improvised solo on my plastic bottle at the end of this one. Why don't you have a go at that? Just make it up and see what happens! You can also make your own version of the song by playing your own rhythms!

Pete Seeger was a really famous american folk musician!

Do you know this song? Can you sing it over the Kitchen Percussion Fun Groove? Can you make up your own funny version of the words - you could have everyone hopping around like frogs!

Here is another fun country style version of All Around the Kitchen.

Which version do you like more?

Is there a larger band playing in this one?

What instruments can you hear?

More kitchen rhythms to play along with! I bet you can make up your own ones too!

If you want to know what these rhythms look like written down, have a look below. Don't worry if you cannot read these sorts of rhythms yet, just enjoy keeping the beat and playing along!