Five Little Snowflakes

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Five Little Snowflakes

Add actions to the performance of this song. It helps young singers remember the words they are supposed to sing and it also is a nice visual addition to the performance.

For a colourful addition to the song, have each child use a scarf to show what the snow is doing. Repeat the action for each of the repetitions i.e., falling on the ground, falling on the ground, falling on the ground.

• The snow falling - move the scarf in a downward motion
• Dancing in the wind - move the scarf in circles and dance-like movements
• Landing on the ground - hold the scarf in a line between the two hands, like the horizontal plane of the ground. Move both hands side to side while keeping the scarf tight between the hands. Option 2: Holding the scarf in one hand, move the scarf from eye level down to touch on the opposite hand which is held out flat at waist level
• Melting in the sun - Shield your eyes from the sun and move the scarf in a downward motion
• Go back in the sky - move scarf in an upward direction

Decide on a final scarf movement

• Gently toss the scarf and let it slowly flutter to the ground wherever it lands (a pretty effect)
• Create a “pose” and freeze. Include the scarf however you wish.
• Shrug and hold scarf out to one side with the empty hand held out to the other side.
• Ask the students what they would like to do!

Using five different colours of scarves, add a new colour with each verse until all five are involved. The down side of this option is that those who have a scarf that is introduced in verse 4 or 5 must wait for their verse to be sung (the waiting is tough!) and then they only get to add their scarf for a very brief verse. This option might be useful as an alternate way to use the scarves in a classroom setting where students have the option to be included in different verses over several repetitions of the song.

For a non-winter option, use the alternate lyrics: Five Shiny Stars provided with the download.

Five Little Snowflakes

I created the lyrics for Five Little Snowflakes using the tune of a rain song that my students already knew. This worked well for my youngest students who were hardly ready for a concert after only a few months of music class. However, I was required to put them on stage to perform, so I wanted a simple song that I knew they would do well. They loved using simple actions to show the snow gently falling, dancing in the wind and melting in the sun. We finished off the whole snow cycle by returning the snowflakes to the sky, presumably to refreeze and fall as snowflakes on another day. As often happens, someone heard my version of this song and wanted a copy to use with their students. Although it was a good way to create a song quickly for my students, it also complicates things to use someone else’s music with my lyrics when it comes to sharing the song with others. I was reticent to give them the music, which was not my own tune, so I decided to write a simple tune of my own. Now I can happily share my song with whomever I wish! I probably should have just done that in the first place. Better late than never, I guess!

P.S. I was asked for a star song. The simple form of Five Little Snowflakes was pressed into service yet again and alternate lyrics were crafted to create the song Five Shiny Stars. Now there are TWO options for young singers. Music teachers are always searching for simple songs, so I am happy to have this double-option song to offer!

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