♫ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily... ♫
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat” is a much loved nursery rhyme and kids song. We wanted to make a video that would introduce the song at an appropriate pace for young learners, feature very clear singing, foster deeper thinking/discussion, and be compelling to all ages.
It’s a lot of fun to sing in a round. However, the idea of starting and stopping singing at different times from everyone else can be a confusing concept to young learners. In this video, the use of separate boxes that turn off when the different singing voices have finished make it simple to demonstrate and for children to follow the idea. This is just one of the fun extras that kids can learn with our Row Row YouTube video.
We were lucky enough to team up with artist Alberto Cerriteño (his young son gave the video his stamp of approval :-)). His beautiful illustrations breathe new life into this classic tune. Kids love watching as the squirrel and rabbit float gently down the stream, together, through the seasons.
There’s plenty of vocabulary to watch out for. Look for various insects, changing seasons, beautiful colors, and signs of aging. We hope you’ll find a lot of ways to use this video as a teaching tool at home or in the classroom with kids of all ages. There’s a lot to talk about, or you can simply enjoy singing the song ^_^.
With very young children, a fun way to sing this song is to have 2 people (2 children, or an adult and a child) sit facing each other and holding hands. Then “row” back and forth as you sing.
With larger groups, you can make a long pretend boat just by lining up some chairs. Have all of the children sing together as they “row” the boat. Talk about all of the things you see around you as you float down the stream. Pretend the seasons are changing and talk about the weather. Row faster, then slower. Sing louder, then quietly. Or, try making several pretend boats and have the children in the boats sing in a round.
As children grow older, use the video to teach about seasons. What are the characteristics of each of the seasons? How do we know it’s spring/summer/autumn/winter?
And with secondary students or even adult learners, use the video as a discussion starter for deeper conversation. What is the meaning of the song? What does the stream represent? How about the seasons? What does “Life is but a dream” mean? Or simply show the video and have students write or discuss their impressions without giving them any question prompts.
We’ve already been asked a few times, “What does ‘Life is but a dream’ mean?” This has been a topic of discussion for well over a hundred years. The song can be interpreted in many ways. It’s really up to the listener to decide. What do you think “Life is but a dream” means?
