"NTM" TME Challenge: Gunk, Gunk or Mm-Aah or Mm-Ack or Whatever Went the Little Green Frog One Day

I have spent years and years using a couple of sets of vinyl frog beanbags for lots of things - balancing, body part identification, Down By the Banks games, tossing, you name it. Yesterday, though, I came up with a new idea and put it into my TME database.

Some background information. Our new school social worker is doing a program using the Zones of Regulation. This program works so well within my current outlook of what music therapy should be for my clients, that I am trying to use it at least once per month. There are four zones - red, green, yellow, and blue. I happen to have frogs in each of these colors (and others besides), so the frogs and the Zones happen to be an easy match. It was easy to take a familiar children's song (which I know as Gunk Gunk, but others know as different songs) and do some lyric alteration to make it fit the Zones. The group that I tried to do this with yesterday was not having ANY of it, but I think I'll be able to get some others engaged in the concept as well as the purpose of the entire "New-to-Me" Therapeutic Music Experience.

So, the way the adaptation of the traditional song goes is that we either identify the frog color (and then talk about which zone is represented through the color) or we identify an emotion (and then talk about which frog would represent that emotion). We sing it - "Gunk, gunk," went the little sad/blue frog one day..." We conclude with some coping skill recognition and recommendations for the frogs.

I think that this will become a favorite for some of my students...eventually. Right now, though, we will do what we can do. We are struggling with safety right now, so some groups will not even be exposed to this new TME for some time.

I've ordered some new "indestructible" frog beanbags as well as a whole bunch of turtle and lady bug beanbags to replace my sets that are getting worn out. They will arrive next week. I'm looking forward to all of it!

This TME joins the others that I have for my beanbags. I think I'll focus on these materials for some brainstorming this month.

If you would be interested in a full TME plan or more information about the beanbags, please drop me a comment below!!

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