Nice, Not Naughty

by Teresa Jennings

This retro style pop tune cuts right to the heart of the matter with its declarations that nice is preferred to naughty, especially where Santa is involved. He does, after all, check that list twice every year.

Your kids will have a great time singing this light and oh-so-fun ditty along with the rock band on the recording. The bells, strings, and jingle bells add just the right holiday sprinkles to top it all off. There are even optional claps that you can let your students add to keep the energy and excitement going. It pauses during the bridge (at measure 20), then resumes to the end.

Of course, getting Santa to bring us presents is not the main reason to be nice, not naughty. If you like, you can let this be an opportunity to open up the floor for discussions about the merits of kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion, and so on. Perfect for the season of peace and love.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.