This song is a fun way for students to learn the Hebrew months of the year. You can make it a challenge to see how quickly they can sing the final line of the song. If you've ever tap danced, you may find yourself dancing to this one. Sheet music download includes a bonus songsheet that includes the months in both big-print Hebrew and transliteration.

This story-in-song is sure to tickle the funny bone of young listeners when they get to the verse where the chicken sings, "I'd like to come to dinner as my favorite meal's Shabbat. But please cool off the water so my bath is not so hot." With a range of 5 notes, this song is part of the Super Simple Songs collection. I sing it with tiny tots by having them fill in the missing (rhyming) words--Shabbat, pot, and hot.

This can be sung entirely in English, or you can repeat it in Hebrew. The heartfelt melody is actually the "B" part of my regular "Oseh Shalom" (which is entirely in Hebrew). This quiet song brings children gently out of quiet meditation with the words, "May the Holy One who makes peace up in the heavens above bring that peace to all of us and fill the whole world with love." From the "Super Simple Songs" collection.

This upbeat song includes both Hebrew and a child-friendly translation of the first two lines of the Shema, including "Shema Yisrael, listen everyone, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai, our God, is One..." Some of my littlest Tot Shabbat attendees spontaneously start to dance to it. Published in "Gan Shirim" (but with only the first line) and in "Family Shabbat" (with both lines).

This one, from "Gan Shirim," has an entirely English verse and chorus ("Circle Time is here again, come on over with your friends, let's join hands and stand in a circle, now sit down upon the ground"), or sing the verse that includes some Hebrew. This is a transitioning song for preschool or kindergarten, and the first verse purposely repeats its instructions to allow students time to react. By holding hands before sitting down, students form a better circle. Or, if preferred, skip the holding hands verse--especially if the classroom has sitting spots already marked on the floor.

This one, from "Gan Shirim," is designed to teach the colors blue, white, red, green, yellow, orange, black, silver, and gold. While it was recorded with the Hebrew words for the colors--which makes the song appropriate through grade 2 or even 3 in a religious school setting--the song acts like a guessing game, either in English or Hebrew, for preschoolers: for instance, "Tzahov is the color I see. Tzahov looks good to me. When the school bus passes by, Tzahov is what I see." Ask each student to name something the color you're singing about, and then write your own verse. I give students 10 foam squares and ask them to hold up the color I'm singing about as soon as they figure it out. This one's got a video on the children's music videos page.

This song about freedom has been performed by all ages, from a youth choir singing at religious school and at a Hanukkah celebration at the Pentagon to an adult choir performing at a residence for seniors: "My chanukiah glows with light as flames of freedom fill the night..." The youngest singers can simply perform it in unison, first singing Part A and then Part B. Published in "Gan Shirim" (on this website) and in the URJ "The Complete Hanukkah Songbook."

This is a simple round for children of all ages. Two-year-olds may simply sing Part A as their own little Shabbat song, and the words can be simplified even further to just "Shabbat shalom." For children up to age 8, have them sing one part together while you sing the other part. For children 8 and older or a congregation, a simple round like this is both doable and enjoyable, particularly if you've got a songleader on each part. Published in both "Gan Shirim" and "Family Shabbat."

"Counting Candles" was written for children (at least age 5 or older) who ask, "What about the shamash?" when they count the candles on the chanukiyah. " This one's fast and fun: for instance, "On the fifth night of Hanukkah, how many does the shamash light? Five little candles with flames so bright, so that makes six candles shining brightly on the fifth night." Published in "Gan Shirim." You can watch this one on the children's music video page in "Hanukkah Songs for Children."