Submitted by Barbara Dixon, Glen Burnie, Maryland

Idea posted January 13, 2004

Here is a fun activity I use on those last few days before the Christmas break.

I arrange chairs into a large enough circle so that each child is included and close enough that they can pass a card around the circle. I make index-size cards with each of the gifts given in "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" written out on each card. (One gift per card.) I duplicate a few and always make about five cards with "five golden rings" on it.

The game begins with me playing the beginning of the song on the piano while students sing along. ("On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.") THEN, I tell students to start passing the cards around the circle to their right. Make sure they are told to pass slowly so the cards don't bunch up in one kid's lap. While they are passing, I play traditional Christmas songs or carols on the piano. When the piano stops, the cards stop passing. I then begin to play the song again but starting with "on the second day of... ." The student holding the card that says "two turtle doves" must stand and sing that phrase as a solo.

Sing the rest of song, playing "passing music" on the piano, then stop. (I like to stop in the middle of a phrase or any unsuspected moment.) The student holding "three French hens" then sings as a solo, then the student with "two turtle doves" sings a solo, and we all sing the "partridge" phrase. Continue in this manner until you have sung all twelve gifts. My kids love to get caught with "five golden rings" because they can really ham it up and I let them, as long as they are truly singing and not yelling. Duplicating some of the cards will insure that all students get a chance to sing and they are always surprised by the others who are singing with them. TIP: Don't try to make a card for each child. Then you have too many cards going around the circle. Feel free to adjust the number of cards to fit the class size.

My students can't wait to play this singing game each year. They start requesting it early in December. It works best with students 4th grade and up. Wait until the last couple of class periods before the holiday or you will truly be sick of singing that song. You will be surprised how it brings out the "soloists."