Sing a Song of Seasons (PDF Download)

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There are many occasions during the course of the year when teachers working with very young children would like to involve their pupils in a simple dramatized presentation with manageable preparation and the minimum of fuss.

In this book, popular author Brian Ogden offers five separate simple plays - all of which can be performed with groups of Foundation/Reception and Key Stage One children.

Simple directions, costumes and props ensure that the children are given the opportunity to participate fully in the performance, while songs written to popular tunes provide a helpful aid to involve the whole audience in the presentation.

The plays include three well-known parables-the prodigal son, the two builders and the farmer-as well as the story of creation and a very simple presentation of the events of Holy Week and Easter, written especially with very young children in mind.

Brian Ogden is author of many popular books in the Barnabas range including News and Tell!, Year Round Assemblies, Starting Together and Nursery Rhyme Nativities.

'If you're stuck for ideas... Brian Ogden comes to the rescue with plays which can be performed with early years groups of any size.'

Families Together

From STAR News (diocese of London children's work magazine) - January 2006

Under 5s love acting - but it isn't always easy to find material that is simple enough to use with them. Enter Brian Ogden.

Drawing on his many years of experience as a teacher and author, he has written Sing a Song of Seasons - five easy to perform plays for under 5s.

Using very simple scripts and songs based on nursery rhyme tunes, Sing a Song of Seasons has plays about creation, Easter, and the parables of the prodigal son, the two builders, and the wise farmer.

From Reform - November 2005

Having used Brian Ogden's Nursery Rhyme Nativities, I was delighted to see his latest book, Sing a Song of Seasons. Once again, the instructions are concise, the story lines, although fundamental, are kept short and easy, allowing young readers to be the narrators. The biblical stories, set to well-known nursery rhymes and children's songs, make teaching much easier. Permission to photocopy scripts, songs and music notation is much appreciated.

There is a great deal to recommend this book, though there were a few points where I was less happy. Some songs, e.g. Green Grow the Rushes-O would take reasonable practice to get the order and timing correct. Personally, I believe that for this age group, the less practice there is, the happier the children will be to participate and not become bored. I have similar concerns with The Twelve Days of Christmas, unfortunately in the same Creation play. On a positive note I feel There's a hole in my wallet is very cleverly written and reflects today's banking habits as children know them.

Concerns aside, I would recommend this book, in fact the whole series of Brian Ogden's books, to anyone working with the younger age group whether in church or school. The material is easily adapted for all numbers - and adults love joining in!

Reviewed by Linda Rice

From: Methodist Recorder 4 July 2005

An astonishing amount of (photocopiable) material is packed into Sing a Song of Seasons, described as 'Five easy-to-perform plays for pre-school and early years learning'. The 'seasons' are in fact stories from the Bible: creation, Holy week and Easter, the prodigal son, the two builders, and the sower. Each play comes with a group of songs with new words to familiar tunes such as 'The farmer's in his den' and 'London Bridge is falling down', with music and lyrics given in easily copiable form - a simple idea carried out beautiful.

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