Let the fun begin!
Below are activities you can do as a family or teach your children to do together. Once they’ve learned what to do and how – then the fun can begin as you play the 20 songs listed below.
This children’s album was originally put together to help families overcome challenges their autistic children might be facing when going to the park or mall – but all the songs are enjoyable, upbeat, positive and will just keep your home peaceful and happy.
Note: For families with autistic children, supervising adults should listen to the entire album and choose what level your children are ready to engage in which songs. Also, always adjust the loudness factor for the sensory comfort of your children. Enjoy!
- Abstractly So – What does abstract mean? Definition: Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.
- Activity:
- Which of the following is real? Which are imaginary?
- Moving from high building tops on a webbed string like Spiderman
- Man on a powered lift washing the windows on a high building
- Jumping off a ledge to fly like Superman
- Riding in an airplane
- The characters in Pinnochio talking freely underwater without breathing apparatus
- Scuba divers carrying breathing apparatus and communicating through hand signals underwater
- Can you hear when the lead instrument in the song changed the melody?
- guitar
- piano
- harmonica
- See if you can guess the rhythm pattern of this song. Which is it?
- 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 OR
- 1 2 3 _ 4 5 6 _ 1 2 3 _ 4 5 6 OR
- 1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and
- Favorite Things – Sing along with the words below:
- Verse 1: When I’m feeling blue, feeling stuck in the middle. When my wants and needs feel like they’re second fiddle. When my Mom and Dad can only say, “No”. I need a song to sing. I need a place to go.
- Verse 2: When my clothes are wrong and I’ve got two left feet When my favorite show is another repeat. When my only friend can not come out to play. I need a song to sing to brighten my day.
- CHORUS: I sing of circles, spinning colors, wearing clothes so soft, funny cartoons, cake and candy, blue and green balloons. These are my favorite things.
- Verse 3: When I spend my day turning majors into minors. When I lose my cool, I become quite the whiner. I just want to make my Momma happy. I need a song to sing. I need my nappy.
- BRIDGE: I won’t let my joy be stolen. I’ll turn my thoughts to Jesus and all my favorite things. (Repeat Chorus)
- Playscape – We’ve captured sound effects of realistic playground noises and put cheerful music in the forefront to give your child practice with these noise sensations in his/her own home environment. The music creates a memory associated with the noise for the intended purpose of helping your child better handle similar noise levels without much disturbance. Select special times of your day/week to play this piece so your child becomes familiar with playground sounds. As you see his/her tolerance growing, try playing similar musical selections like “Crowds”.
- Making Friends – Listen often to this dramatic dialogue between two children and Jesus with musical accompaniment.
- Crowds – For children who find loud sounds around them disturbing or even painful when they go to a grocery store or mall with their parents, play Crowds at your discretion and time frames. The concept is knowing that every sound a human ear can hear has a musical tone. We’ve selected three sound effects of footsteps walking on cement pavement, a grocery store check-out counter and a mall. Then we set musical chordal patterns and rhythm behind these noisy sounds to help transition into a tolerable experience. By emphasizing the musical tone, the goal is for the noise to become muted or diminished for your child.
- Activity:
- How many steps do you hear the man taking before you hear him speak?
- Did you hear the cash register?
- Did you hear the seal barking?
- Give the music your own words that tell your story of turning noise into music for your ears. Send your words and other song ideas to info@rebeccaalderman.com
- Who Am I? – This techno piece is for all the dads out there wondering how you figure into the picture of parenting and helping your children. Believe it or not, you are more valuable than you really know. We want to honor you with a special sound that rocks with value and respect. The lyrics are:
- Who am I? I am who He says I am
- Who am I? I am His beloved
- Who am I? I am His and He is mine
- Who am I?
- Counting – Lyrics:
- I can count from 1 to 10. Watch me. I can count from 1 to 10. Just listen!
- One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten (Repeat)
- I can count from 10 to 1. Watch me. I can count from 10 to 1. Just listen!
- Ten Nine Eight Seven Sic Five Four Three Two One (Repeat)
- Jump around Move around. Get out of your seat, move your feet to the beat. Feel the rhythm in the pulse of the sound.
- Jump around Spin around. Get out of your seat, move your feet to the beat. Feel the rhythm in the pulse of the sound.
- Jump around, Spin around, Get down. Jump, jump, jump
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10
- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 and 1
- Brushing – Sean inspired the composition of “Brushing” when he was just a toddler. Every two hours his mother would brush his skin with a soft, plastic brush moving in a circular motion along with gentle pressure point therapy to his joints as recommended by an occupational therapist. Sean is much older now and doesn’t need the brushing therapy anymore, but enjoys the music sensation of “Brushing”.
- Activity:
- How many pictures can you visualize while listening to “Brushing?”
- birds flying
- water falling down the side of a mountain
- pain leaving
- Can you draw or sketch what you see?
- Are you and Mom and Dad relaxing as you listen?
- Playtime – Sometimes playing and interacting with a friend is just too much to think about all at once. “Playtime” helps you develop fun social skills while you play with a friend or sibling. How cool is that? You can sing along with me.
- Lyrics:
- I can play, I can share with my friend anywhere.
- I can play, I can clap. With my friend, I can rap.
- Clap, clap, clap …….
- I can play, I can think. With a friend, I can wink.
- I can play. I can smile. I can rest for a while.
- La la la la, la la la la la la la la la
- I can play when I’m sad. With my friend, I am glad!
- I can play, I can spin. With my friend, we will win!
- La la la la, la la la la la la la la la
- Activity:
- How many different things can you do with a friend during playtime?
- Make up your own words and sing when I’m singing the “la la las”
- Ask a sibling what ‘rap’ is. Oh, you already know? WOW! How smart are you! Can you write your own “rap” lines and “rap them” during the clapping time?
- Can you clap along with me? I bet you can clap very well.
- Echo Fun – For all those who aren’t speaking yet, this is a really fun song that starts with a strong rhythm beat and syllable singing before entering into La, la la….(s). Just listen through a couple of times. That’s right. You’re getting the hang of it. Now loosen your tongue and sing along with us. There is no right or wrong way to sing this funny song. It’s a lot of fun. Just jump in anywhere and start speaking a syllable and before you know it, you’ll be singing the La, la la….(s) with us in no time. Watch out, Mom and Dad, the children want to hear this song over and over and over and over.
- Activity:
- Did you hear the airplane taking off?
- How many times did you hear the airplane in the song?
- What nation does “Echo Fun” remind you of? Peru? China, Australia, Africa?
- I bet you can’t sit still listening and singing this song. What kind of exercises can you do? Share all your ideas with us at info@rebeccaalderman.com
- Quiet Time – Sometimes you just need a moment to sit quietly or rest before starting a new project. While “Quiet Time” could be used for naptime, the rhythm motion is a little faster than 60 beats per minute for total relaxation purposes; however, it does restore energy with its calming sound effect while just sitting, listening and doing absolutely nothing.
- True story: My son and I were in a near-miss accident on a back dirt road when a jeep full of teens sped ’round a corner’ at us. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a body flying feet upward while he was hanging onto the top bar of the jeep. I pulled over to the side of the road to give my son a hug when he asked through his tears, “Mom, can you play Quiet Time, please?” I did and we were both calmed and went on our way.
- Activity:
- Think of pretty pictures, your favorite cooling drink and sweet thought to speak to Mom and Dadd after a long, hard day at work.
- Can you write your thoughts down and share them later with your parents?
- What other times might you want to rest a moment and be calm?
- Forgive – Lyrics:
- Verse 1: My heart is heavy I don’t have words to say. No picture can explain my experience today. All I know is I’m uncomfortable with how I’m being treated. People stare, point and whisper like I’m something very strange. What can I do to show them I’m okay?
- CHORUS: I’ll forgive and be forgiven. Be forgiven and forgive. (Repeat)
- Verse 2: Love’s an action, heavier than words, wipes away the devastating hurts. I can choose to move my comfort zone passed the things people say and do. I can swim the sea of forgetfulness that Jesus taught me to. This is what I’ll do to show them I’m okay.
- BRIDGE: I’ll give the gift of power to release me by the hour, for Jesus said, “They know not what they do.” I”ll walk in my authority with the freedom He has given me to be the one He created me to be! (Repeat Chorus)
- Giggles – Nothing is more enjoyable than something so funny making you laugh so hard. Well, take a moment out of your day and have a good laugh with us while you listen to ‘Giggles’ and let joyful celebration flow into your surroundings.
- Activity: When did you start laughing?
- Right away?
- When you heard the baby laughing?
- Or at the end when the clown started snorting?
- What clown? You didn’t hear the clown? Okay, you’ll have to listen again.
- Sounds Near & Far – For some, the sound of an airplane approaching from far away long before you can see it can be disturbing. Or hearing the buzz of fluorescent lights can be rather annoying. Every sound a human ear can hear has a musical tone. God made it that way or else none could withstand the sounds around us. ‘Sounds Near & Far’ attempts to bring more comforting tones utilizing frequencies by moving from low to mid-range to high tones across the piano keys. This piece can also be played for that moment of quiet refreshing between difficult tasks during our day as it affords a release and relaxation of tension between each tonal range. Don’t be surprised if a little spurt of emotional tears come as you feel grateful for each new restoring moment, especially if you happen to be having a most trying day.
- Activity: What picture do you see while listening?
- A huge mountain scenery?
- Fish living deep in the ocean freely swimming about?
- Can you draw what you see?
- What emotions spring up in you as you listen?
- Activity: What picture do you see while listening?
- Wanting More – Josh is 16 at the time of his writing and singing ‘Wanting More’. His little brother died in a drowning accident in our home and his father died twenty months later in an automobile accident. Listen to his heart as he sings and plays the guitar. No matter what life brings, there’s always more to reach for.
- Verse 1: The silence brings me down ‘Cause no one else is around. This world’s a lonely place. When I can’t find your face.
- CHORUS: I wanna fly I wanna soar I wanna reach for something more. I wanna go deeper in You. I wanna know You through and through. I wanna feel Your Presence around me. I wanna thank You, Lord, ’cause you found me in my time of need.
- Verse 2: The lack of noise that I’m subject to has left me somehow closer to You And all I can think of is how great and pure is Your love.
- Activity:
- What would you say to someone going through a hard time?
- Ask your parents how to encourage someone else.
- Rocking – This piano instrumental rocks backward and forwards stimulating attention and mental alertness with the varied melodic patterns and chordal transitions. If you’d like to take a break but don’t want your child falling asleep, listen to ‘Rocking’ while your child rocks himself during break time. The fingering arpeggios across the piano keep the mind attentive while creating anticipation for what’s coming next. Watch out, Parents, this piece could spark a desire in your children to learn to play an instrument themselves.
- Activity:
- Play this piece in between activities in your day to entertain your children while they wait.
- Listen up, kids. I made 2 fingering bloopers while recording ‘Rocking’. Can you find them for me? Don’t tell anyone. It’ll be our little secret, okay?
- Emotions – Lyrics:
- Verse 1: When I tighten up, feel angry; don’t want to share my toys. I push my little brother. I’m impatient with his noise. How do I draw a smile on me?
- Verse 2: Today, I just feel sad, I pout, slouch and slump. I feel tired, limp and numb. And I want to scream out, “STOP”. How can I paint a smile in me?
- Verse 3: Now I’m pretty nervous. I tingle and retreat to avoid a fearful moment I can’t seem to defeat. I’ve got to learn to smile for me.
- Refrain: Then I Think of Jesus. How He loves me so. He’s always here to help me, everywhere I go. That’s how I put a smile on me!
- CHORUS: And I wiggle with excitement, I giggle with such joy. The unselfishness of Jesus flowing through me more and more. Now I feel the pain of others and with patient, sweet release, I can reach out with compassion, Jesus working strong in (Ending: working strong in, working strong in……me.)
- Bridge: Funny giggles, joking wiggles, chuckles, tickles, joy. I’m so happy knowing Jesus lives in me …. (Repeat Chorus)
- Avery – Let each tone quicken and alert your thinking capacity as you reach for more in your life today with this soothing, triple overlaid melodic guitar instrumental.
- Activity:
- Play this guitar instrumental in the background of your dinner time for social interaction in a calming atmosphere.
- How many guitars do you hear playing?
- What type of guitar do you hear throughout?
- bass
- acoustic
- electric
- How many melodies do you hear overlapping each other?
- You Are Mine –
- Lyrics: (Singing this to Jesus, who is ours forever)
- You are Mine. You are Mine forever. Oh forever. (Repeat)
- The Unexpected – Are there recurring situations that make you and your child flinch to think about? Listening to ‘the Unexpected’ can prepare both of you for a more peaceful experience. Remember, time spent in a calming atmosphere is time well spent.
- Activity:
- Write down all those events that make you cringe.
- Keep soothing music in handy places throughout your home/car to use next time you may experience such a moment.
- Before long the calming music will help you develop a memory association of calming confidence mastering these situations.
