
#1: Flashlights
A rough translation of the text is:
Ho, ho, ho, firefly come,
Here is some water that's bitter,
Here is some water that's sweet to your taste,
Ho, ho, ho, firefly come.
#2: White gloves and glow sticks
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#3: Bird calls
If you have a program about birds, bird calls are a great special effect! (Check out this video about using the book “The Blue Songbird” for a program.) I have a few different bird calls in my room. Here are a few that could work really well for a program (click the pictures to view them on Groth Music): Crow call:
Owl whistle:
Cuckoo whistle:
Before you sing a song about a certain bird (or as there is a part about a certain bird in your program), you or a student could play that bird call! I've also bought a Kookaburra bird call on iTunes, then burned that to the CD that has all of my accompaniment tracks, so that bird call could be played before we sing “Kookaburra”! #4: Ribbons and scarves Ribbons and scarves are a GREAT way to add pizazz to a program! Whether you do a ribbon dance, movement with scarves, or you are adding color to a scene with scarves or ribbons, they can really add a lot to a program! Check out this post about using props in your music room. Click below to see scarves and ribbons on Amazon (note: these are referral links).
#5: Whistle
This might seem like an odd addition to the list, but whistles can really come in handy during musical programs! I've used them during drumming pieces, to signal the ending, and I've used them for dances, to signal changing movement. I got the idea to use a whistle with this book, which is a wonderful resource, especially if you are creating a program with African music.

#6: Umbrellas
I also got this idea from Amy Abbott. If you're doing a rain song, such as “Rain Rain Go Away,” or “I don't care if the rain falls down,” you could have students use umbrellas as a special effect! Maybe they simply spin the umbrellas as they sing, or maybe they open and close their umbrellas to the beat! Amy has used these umbrellas, which students can decorate! What are your favorite special effects for programs? Feel free to comment below. Hope you're enjoying your summer!