Clap for Classics!

In today’s Clap for Classics episode, we step into a musical fairy tale adventure! Join Miss Elizabeth and Forte the Lion as we explore the playful finger rhyme Little Tommy Thumb and listen to a beautiful piece of music by the French composer Maurice Ravel from his enchanting Mother Goose Suite. Through storytelling, movement, and listening, children will imagine themselves tiny like Tom Thumb as they wander through a mysterious forest and listen for the fluttering birds in Ravel’s music. This episode is part of our Fairy Tales theme, where music and imagination come together to help children experience classical music in a fun and engaging way. Perfect for kids ages 2–8, families, and homeschoolers who love music, movement, and stories! 🎵 In This Episode ✨ Sing and play the classic finger rhyme Little Tommy Thumb ✨ Listen and move to “Tom Thumb” from Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite ✨ Imagine tiptoeing through a magical forest and listening for the birds who steal Tom Thumb’s breadcrumbs. 🎼 Featured Composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) Maurice Ravel was a French composer who loved to write music inspired by fairy tales and magical stories. His Mother Goose Suite was originally written for children and includes musical stories about enchanted gardens, sleeping princesses, and tiny adventurers like Tom Thumb. 🎶 Try This At Home While listening to the music, try one of these activities: 🌲 Tiptoe through the forest like Tom Thumb 🐦 Flap your arms like birds swooping down for breadcrumbs 🧱 Make a breadcrumb trail using blocks or paper pieces and follow it across the room ✨ Close your eyes and imagine you are tiny in a giant forest Music becomes even more magical when kids move and imagine while they listen. 🚀 Want More Musical Adventures? This episode comes from our Fairy Tales course inside the Clap for Classics All Access Membership. Inside you'll find: 🎭 Musical fairy tale activities 🎶 Classical music listening guides 💃 Movement and dance activities 📚 Story-based music learning 🖨 Printable games and extension activities F amilies can simply press play and enjoy, or explore deeper with the activities. ✨ You can try the membership here: 👉 www.ClapforClassics.com/join 💛 Loved This Episode? If this musical adventure made your day brighter, you can help more families discover classical music by: ⭐ Leaving a review ⭐ Sharing the episode with a friend ⭐ Subscribing so you don’t miss future episodes Classical music used on this episode is licensed for our use by Classical.com

 Get ready to leap, twirl, tiptoe, and imagine as we step into the magical world of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker! In this special holiday episode, Ms. Elizabeth, Forte the Lion, and our wonderful guest Rosie (age 7!) lead your little ones through three favorite Nutcracker moments with music, movement, imagination, and lots of giggles. Join me for our 6th Annual Nutcracker Challenge, beginning Monday, December 15th. Each day, you'll receive a video from our Nutcracker course with simple, joyful ideas for extending the music and movement fun at home. On the final day, we’ll gather for a live Zoom class so we can make music and dance together! 👉 Sign up for this FREE challenge: www.clapforclassics.com/nutcracker2025 This is one of our most magical traditions—and I’d love to see you there! And if you know someone who might enjoy this challenge, will you send them the sign-up page so they can join us too!  I appreciate the help in spreading the word! 1. Waltz of the Flowers Float into the gentle, dreamy world of flowers as we imagine tiny seeds sprouting, growing, and swaying in a colorful garden. Rosie helps us imagine how the dancers swirl like petals on the stage—and Forte becomes a very enthusiastic sunflower! Inside our full Nutcracker course, we explore this piece with scarves, butterflies, bees, and a whole garden of movement fun. 2. Trepak (Russian Dance) Get ready to MOVE! This high-energy piece is full of big jumps, fast kicks, and lion-sized wiggles. Kids can jump, dance, march, or shake their whole bodies as the music speeds by. Inside the course, this becomes our silly and energetic teddy bear trampoline routine—always a kid favorite! 3. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Tiptoe like magical fairies and princes as you listen for the sparkling celeste. Freeze like a fairy statue! Float like snowflakes! Rosie shares how dancers move on their tiptoes, and Forte… well… thinks his tail might be twinkling. In the full course, we play a “pass the magic” fairy-wand game that little ones adore. Want the FULL Nutcracker Experience? If your kids love this magical preview, you’ll enjoy the complete Nutcracker music course inside our All Access Membership! We’re teaching the full Nutcracker inside All Access LIVE beginning next Thursday—we’d love to have you join the fun. More Holiday Episodes You’ll Love: • Episode 60: The Nutcracker Party → https://www.clapforclassics.com/episode60 • Episode 61: Dance Along to Tchaikovsky → https://www.clapforclassics.com/episode61   Classical tracks used on this episode are licensed for our use by Classical.com

Grab your cowboy (or cowgirl!) hats and get ready to dance! In this episode, we’re celebrating the sounds of fall with music that will have your little ones bouncing, swaying, and giggling to the beat. We’ll sing some of our favorite autumn songs — “Golden Corn” and “Down Down Yellow and Brown” — and then we’ll listen to part of Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo, a festive piece full of rhythm, percussion, and energy! This episode is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary learners — and grownups who love to join in the fun. 🍁 Free Fall Music Resource: Download your free Fall Classical Music Adventure Guide — “Leaves, Laughter, and Listening” It’s packed with musical play ideas, listening activities, and printable fun featuring fall-themed classical music. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/episode74 🎧 More Fall-Themed Episodes You’ll Love Episode 28: Vivaldi’s Autumn Party Episode 33: Teapots and Tchaikovsky Episode 60: “I Like Pie” The Thanksgiving soundtrack by Kathryn Lieppman 🎉 Try All Our Music Courses for Just $1! Start a 7-day trial and get instant access to 19 joyful, engaging music courses designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 Click here to start your trial for just $1 🎵 Explore More from Clap for Classics! All Access Membership Unlimited access to 19+ music courses, printables, and resources designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/join The Four Seasons Curriculum Explore Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with music, movement, art, and nature-themed lessons. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons Submit a Joke for the Show! Does your child have a great joke to share? We’d love to feature it in a future episode! 👉 www.speakpipe.com/ClapforClassics The classical music in this episode is licensed for use through Classical.com, a fantastic resource for high-quality recordings. Thank you for listening and making music with us! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Ready to slow down and explore music in a whole new way? Join Ms. Elizabeth, Forte the Lion, and our very slow (but very sweet!) friend Adagio the Tortoise as we learn about tempo — how music can be slow like adagio or super fast like presto! With playful characters, guided movement, original songs, and a silly musical game, this episode will help your child feel the speed of music in their body and their imagination. 🎧 What We’ll Do in This Episode: – Meet Adagio the Tortoise and learn what “adagio” means – Discover the difference between slow (adagio) and fast (presto) tempo – Listen to music from Carnival of the Animals and move like a tortoise – Sing an original “Tortoise Tip-Toe” song and play a silly, sneaky music game This episode features music from “The Tortoise” and "Wild Donkey" from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. 🎉 Try All Our Music Courses for Just $1! Start a 7-day trial and get instant access to 19 joyful, engaging music courses designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 Click here to start your trial for just $1 🎵 Explore More from Clap for Classics! All Access Membership Unlimited access to 19+ music courses, printables, and resources designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/join The Four Seasons Curriculum Explore Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with music, movement, art, and nature-themed lessons. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons Submit a Joke for the Show! Does your child have a great joke to share? We’d love to feature it in a future episode! 👉 www.speakpipe.com/ClapforClassics The classical music in this episode is licensed for use through Classical.com, a fantastic resource for high-quality recordings. Thank you for listening and making music with us! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in your favorite podcast app so more families can find us!

Ready to make a splash? Join Ms. Elizabeth, Forte the Lion, and special guest Charlotte for a fun-filled ocean-themed music adventure! This episode is packed with interactive songs, musical movement, and a listening adventure to Vivaldi’s Summer. We’ll explore echo singing, legato and staccato movement, and the energetic rhythms of a summer thunderstorm. 🎵 What We’ll Do in This Episode: – Sing along with the echo song “Charlie Over the Ocean” – Learn a legato and staccato ball song with fun movement prompts – Experience Vivaldi’s Summer concerto like never before—through rain, thunder, and dancing wind! – Learn musical terms like echo, legato, staccato, tempo, and presto in an age-appropriate way ✨ Try All Our Music Courses for Just $1! Start a 7-day trial and get instant access to 19 engaging music courses designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 https://www.clapforclassics.com/offers/RfL93GQ9 🎙️ Want to be featured on the show? Leave us a message! Your child might get a shoutout in a future episode. 👉 speakpipe.com/ClapforClassics 📚 Explore More from Clap for Classics! 🎵 All Access Membership – Try it for just $1 Get unlimited access to 19+ courses, printables, and parent resources designed for kids ages 0–8. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/join 🌦️ The Four Seasons Music & More Curriculum Explore Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with themed lessons, movement, art, and nature connections. 👉 www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons 😄 Submit a Joke for the Show! Does your child have a great joke to share? We’d love to feature it! www.speakpipe.com/ClapforClassics 💌 Take Our 1-Minute Podcast Survey We’d love your feedback! If you’re a listener, help us shape future episodes by taking our super quick survey: 👉www.clapforclassics.com/survey The classical music in this episode is licensed for use through Classical.com a fantastic resource for high-quality recordings. Thanks for listening and making music with us! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review in your favorite podcast app to help more families find us.

Grab a FREE month of music in exchange for filling out a short survey about the podcast! www.clapforclassics.com/survey  Welcome to Clap for Classics!, where music and learning go hand in hand! In today’s sweet and playful episode, we’re sharing three favorite activities from our Nursery Rhyme Baby Time course—perfect for babies and toddlers, but fun for the whole family. Whether you’re gently guiding your baby’s hands or marching with a preschooler, this episode is full of joyful, musical bonding moments. 🎁 Download our free 2-page printable with 8 Tips for Sharing Music with Your Baby and a curated list of our favorite nursery rhymes to sing together. Grab it here: www.clapforclassics.com/episode68 🎵 Songs and Activities Featured: Wind the Bobbin Up – A classic with fun actions that babies and big kids can enjoy together. Lyrics: Wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up Pull, pull, clap clap clap Wind it back again, wind it back again Pull, pull, clap clap clap Point to the ceiling, point to the floor Point to the window, point to the door Clap your hands together, 1, 2, 3 Put your hands upon your knees Peek-a-Boo Scarf Game – Featuring the song: "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?" A playful way to engage babies with surprise, repetition, and song. Move to the Music – The March from Children’s Games by Georges Bizet Help your baby feel the steady beat with gentle movement while listening to this delightful classical piece (also known as “Trumpet and Drum”). 🎼 Classical music used in this episode is licensed to us from Classical.com 👶 Explore More with Nursery Rhyme Baby Time! Our Nursery Rhyme Baby Time course is full of musical fun for ages 0–2 and is available to purchase individually, or you can access it—along with all of our other courses—by joining our All Access Membership. ✨ Learn more and join today at: www.clapforclassics.com 💌 Questions? Feedback? Want to say hi? I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at elizabeth@clapforclassics.com 😄 Got a joke you want to share on the podcast? Leave us one here: www.speakpipe.com/ClapforClassics Thanks for listening and making music with us! Don’t forget to follow the show and leave a review to help other families find us. 🎧🦁

🎁 Enjoying the podcast? Take our quick 2-minute survey and get a free month of All Access as a thank-you gift! Click here to share your thoughts. www.clapforclassics.com/survey   It is February, and it is Black History Month! Today we’re sharing music we love by black artists of the 20th century. Hello, by Ella Jenkins Hello hello hello and how are you I’m fine I’m fine and I hope that you are too Sing this song with any variation you can think of, soft, loud, humming, whistling, la la la-ing! Ella Jenkins has been dubbed the “The First Lady of the Children's Folk Song.” Here is a playlist of some of our favorites, but be sure to check her out with your kids, we think you’ll love her music as much as we do. To watch a mini class where Ms. Elizabeth and her 5 kids share 3 Ella Jenkins songs click here: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/ellajenkins This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine (tap knees), I’m gonna let it shine, (arms: up down up down) This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. (dance in a circle) This iconic American gospel song has been energizing and uniting diverse groups of people for nearly a century. It’s impossible to sing this song without moving your body and feeling a spark of excitement and purpose. It is a great song to sing with kids because the words are so repetitive, and the message is so positive! We’ve added some simple actions to each verse, and suggested a flashlight activity for the second time through -- kids and flashlights always seem to be drawn to each other, right? Don’t miss these incredible renditions of this song by these famous black artists. Aretha Franklin Sister Rosetta Tharpe Fannie Lou Hamer Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin Performed by Stefano Ligoratti. Recording used with permission. https://musopen.org/music/43164-maple-leaf-rag/#recordings You don’t want to miss this recording of Scott Joplin performing this piece himself! Join our All Access Membership for access to activities like the ones found on this podcast. The membership includes: Over 250 engaging and educational music lesson videos. Comprehensive music courses organized by theme, for example: "Carnival of the Animals", "Peter and the Wolf," "Rhymes and Games," etc. Printable resources, including lesson plan ideas, parent programs, instrument and animal puppet printables, coloring pages, and more! Extensive "Notes to the Grown-ups" for each lesson, so that you can see exactly what your child is learning, with ideas on how to adapt and extend the lessons. Downloadable audio tracks of the classical music as well as the activities, so that you can listen off screen. Get signed up at: www.clapforclassics.com/join Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month! Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen. To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics.  We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!  Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com

Grab our free printable arctic animal cards to extend the learning and fun of this episode at www.clapforclassics.com/episode64 For more winter content from our Four Seasons Course check out episode 38 and episode 39. Clear some space to move for the first activity! This is a song/activity that just needs to be experienced again and again. Your child will love pretending to hibernate, and waking you up when spring returns. Learn the song so that you can sing it away from the screen. Feel free to expand the story as you repeat the song for the 5th, 10th or 20th time. (What is the bear eating? Where is the bear running? What is the den like? What does the bear say when s/he wakes up for spring time?) In Spring and Summer I’m a bundle of fun! I play and growl and run run run! (run run run! Run run run!) In fall I’m busy eating food. I eat and eat and eat and eat (and eat and eat and eat and eat) ‘Til winter chills my mood Now it’s time to hibernate I slow down and take a break I curl up in my cozy den And rest ‘til spring returns again…   The second activity is a song and a game! Play hide and seek! The polar bear is ‘it’ and the seal/s hide while the polar bear sings the song. When the polar bear gets to the word LUNCH, s/he goes to find the seals. The seal/s can give clues to their location by playing a rhythm instrument like a shaker. You can optionally use our printable arctic animals, and hide the seal card instead of having someone “be” the seal. Learn more about polar bears and seals. Start with our printable Arctic Animal Cards (pictures on the front, and facts on the back) - then dive deeper by checking out books from the library or doing your own online research. My blubber keeps me nice and warm My fur’s as white as snow I smell a seal from miles away, And then I’ve got to go I’ve got to go find that seal, cuz I’m hungry! I’ve got to go find that seal for my lunch! To get ALL of our Four Seasons Content that includes art, poetry and STEM units for each season in addition to the music content that you know and love- go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons. To join the membership for all the musical content we’ve ever created, and start making music with us today, go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month! Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen. To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast! Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com Music credit: Kathryn Lieppman wrote both of the songs that we share in the episode today.

Inside our All Access membership we have a Nutcracker music course for young kids! It is an immersive experience with Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet. You and your kids will be experiencing the story and music of the Nutcracker through songs, games, active listening, instrument playing, and using your imagination right alongside Ms. Elizabeth and her daughter Charlotte. To join the membership and start making music with us today, go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. Use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month! Alternatively, you can purchase just the Nutcracker course on it’s own or as part of our Holiday Bundle at www.clapforclassics.com/store Grab a free printable of hand-drawn images of the characters from the Nutcracker. www.clapforclassics.com/episode61. We like to make simple popsicle stick puppets out of ours to play with while we listen to the music. Kids can also use them to retell and act out the story on their own! For more ideas on how to supplement your Nutcracker study at home with young kids, including ideas on how to watch the ballet at home, check out this article: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/nutcrackerresources Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content! To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast! Special thanks to Classical.com for licensing the classical music that we used in this episode and that we use in all of our music courses!

Grab our free printable that goes along with this song at www.clapforclassics.com/episode60 You'll want some forks, a shaker, or any instrument to play along with us today.   We are the first to get to hear Kathryn Lieppman’s brand new recording of “I Like Pie.”  The song will be available wherever you stream music soon!  Follow her on IG @kathrynpianist Looking for ways to bring more music into your home?  Check out our All Access Membership at www.clapforclassics.com/join or our Four Seasons Music and More Curriculum at www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen. To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here:  http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics.  We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!  Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com

Grab our brand new free Peter and the Wolf Flashcards to extend the fun and learning of this episode: www.clapforclassics.com/episode58   Today’s episode is all about cats! We listen to some of the cat excerpts from Peter and the Wolf, learn about the clarinet, discuss and practice the differences between the dynamic markings of forte and piano. We learn a Kitty Cat Hat Game to the melody of the clarinet/cat theme from Peter and the Wolf. Grab a hat for this activity and have fun! Lyrics written by Kate Lieppman Call me cat, kitty cat I can wear a hat Or take it off and sneak it over to my friend  Special Guest Kate Botello from one of our favorite podcasts: Classical Sprouts shares Scarlatti’s Cat Fugue   We have 3 other podcast episodes that feature Peter and the Wolf. Check them out! Episode 3: What Kind of Bird Are You? A Peter and the Wolf Sneak Peek Episode 19: Peter and the Wolf: Meet the Characters Episode 48: Peter and the Wolf, the String Family and a Meadow Song   Here are a few links to some of our favorite recordings of Peter and the Wolf: YouTube: live orchestra version by Vancouver Symphony Spotify: David Bowie narrates Peter and the Wolf, played by Philadelphia Orchestra Amazon Music: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, narrated by Sir John Gielgud   Looking for ways to bring more music into your home? Check out our All Access Membership at www.clapforclassics.com/join use the code “LION” for 50% off your first month.   Or try our Four Seasons Music and More Curriculum at www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons   Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen.   To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast!   Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com

For this activity you can grab some rhythm sticks, a scarf, and a pillow! We’ll be enjoying Vivaldi’s “Autumn” the whole first movement. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you and your kids will have while engaging with this beautiful music.   Get your hands on the free printable now at www.clapforclassics.com/episode56. It is a PDF with a listening map for this classical music activity. It’s a great way to extend the learning with a visual representation of what is happening in the music. We are teaching musical form in this episode, and your child will experience the form through movement and then the listening map will help solidify the concept.   Check out the blog post where we share this activity in video form. https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/vivaldiautumnparty   This activity comes from our “Autumn All Around” course that can be found both inside our Four Seasons Music and More Curriculum, as well as inside our All Access Membership.   For another engaging musical activity to accompany Vivaldi’s “Autumn” check out this video: https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/autumn In this activity we enjoy the 3rd movement of the Autumn Concerto.   Do you have kids hungry for more and more!! Extend the learning even further by watching this video that will give you some great information about who Vivaldi was and about his Four Seasons violin concertos. https://www.clapforclassics.com/blog/vivaldi4seasons   To get information about our Four Seasons Course go to www.clapforclassics.com/fourseasons To learn all about our All Access Membership go to www.clapforclassics.com/join. And don’t forget that as a podcast listener you can get 50% off your first month of the membership by using the coupon code “LION.”   Please help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review, telling your friends, or sharing our social media content! Leave Forte a joke and be featured on an upcoming podcast! www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics   Classical music for this podcast is licensed to us for our use by Classical.com

Join us in our All Access Membership for a library of activities like the ones on this podcast. Check out the details at www.clapforclassics.com/join. We’re so happy to feature Georgie from the Tambourine Social on today’s episode. She gets us moving our body while she shares a really fun song about Australian animals: “Move Like the Animals Do.” Find her podcast, “Toddler Tunes”, wherever you listen to podcasts. Stream her music on spotify or any other streaming service. Search for “The Tambourine Social.” Find her on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDhQvHGDcqc8EUapdDPgMg Help more families find out about this podcast by leaving us a review wherever you listen. To leave Forte and I a message or a joke please record it here: http://www.speakpipe.com/clapforclassics. We love to feature our listeners on the podcast! Classical music tracks are licensed for our use by Classical.com