By: McCadden, ERAFANS Online Course Facilitator

As we move through the summer season, we offer this Song Book celebrating the Sun! These may be sung to children, or with them, depending on the group. Some can be sung as rounds or simply as single harmonies together, and some can go well with craft making or dancing. We’ve suggested specific activity ideas that pair well with some of the songs. 

Many community song leaders tell the origin story of the song, and/or how the song came into their own life, before teaching the song. With this in mind, whenever possible we’ve included something of each song’s “roots story.”

If you have any song suggestions to add to our collection on this theme, or can share more that deepens a song’s roots story, we’d love to hear from you! You can share your thoughts via email with the subject line “Song Share”.

We can also acknowledge our appreciation for the sun by inviting everyone to share reflections on the gifts that the sun brings to us. While warmth and light are likely to be among the first responses, you could invite deepening the conversation by considering who specifically benefits from and passes along the blessings of the sun’s warmth and light, (eg. particular flora or fauna where you are), and how (eg. which particular local reptiles soak in external heat thru sunshine or sun-warmed rocks; who benefits when sunlight diminishes mold and mildew; which local trees and plants transform sunlight into nourishment for themselves and which other local species through photosynthesis and is it different in flat leaves vs needles, how white pine needle tea has high Vitamin C good for humans, etc.).

Here are more sun related songs, books and articles you might enjoy exploring, as well!

Summer Songs for Young Chilidren Playlist by Dany Rosevear

Children's book about the sun. 

Children's article about the sun. 

Explore the sun with NASA!