One of my missions as a music librarian is to do Acceuil de classes with the local schools. So far, I did the school groups CE2, CM1 and mixed classes CE2 - CM1, which translates to ages 8 - 10. In 2024, I did five classes, and in 2025 I did ten classes.
So far, I proposed two different classes:
• L'incroyable voyage de la musique : des sons rauques aux rythmes en streaming ! - in this class I teach kids the evolution of the recorded music: from the first phonograph, to vinyls, cassettes, CDs, to the modern age. During the class kids have opportunity to learn how to use vinyl players, cassettophones and CD players.
• Découverte du Kazoo : Un Instrument Amusant et Facile ! - in this class I teach kids a history of kazoo, then we have a workshop where they learn to play it, and then we create kazoos with the toilet paper rolls.
But in 2026 I wanted to create a class for the maternelle - for the little kids. I didn't know where to start so I requested a formation and in November 2025 I did formation called "Animer un atelier d'éveil musical" with the organization Enfance et musique. It was a fantatic one week formation where I learned to do musical activities with small children. I took the ideas, activities and songs, and went to create a new acceuil de classe.
Éveil musical joyeux : voix, gestes et imagination
I invented the class for the grand section in which the kids can learn and discover that our voice and bodies are instruments. I invite children to sing, move and play with music in a way to stimulate listening, creativity and motricity, while fostering cooperation and the pleasure of sharing together. I'm still not ready to propose an éveil with instruments, but the body and singing felt like I'm ready.
Here is the full 1 hour program!
I started with the welcome song "Petit poisson qui bouge". I installed the carpets and children were sitting in the circle. Then I was singing and doing gestes with mmy hands and body. I invited children to sing with me when they are ready. And of course, we said Bonjour each time together.
Petit poisson qui bouge
Petit poisson qui bouge,Petit poisson tout rouge,
Petit poisson qui tourne en rond,
Je vous donne mon prénom ...
Bonjour XXX !
Petit poisson qui bouge,
Petit poisson tout rouge,
Petit poisson qui tourne en rond,
Dis-moi ton prénom…
Bonjour XXX !
Petit poisson qui bouge,
Petit poisson tout rouge,
Petit poisson qui tourne en rond,
On a tous un prénom
The song was success, children were singing and making gestes.
After that we did some warm up of the body and of the voice. And then, when we were ready, I told them we will do a music story, and we will go hunt a bear. I asked them they sit in the circle, and we started doing rhythm by tapping our legs and we sang and did the gestes. This story is a massive hit.
Chasse à l’ours
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
J’arrive devant un lac.
Je ne peux pas passer de ce côté,
Je ne peux pas passer de l’autre côté,
Alors il faut nager.
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
J’arrive devant une montagne.
Je ne peux pas passer de ce côté,
Je ne peux pas passer de l’autre côté,
Alors il faut grimper.
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
J’arrive devant une falaise.
Je ne peux pas passer de ce côté,
Je ne peux pas passer de l’autre côté,
Alors il faut sauter
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
Je pars à la chasse à l’ours,
J’arrive devant une grotte.
Je ne peux pas passer de ce côté,
Je ne peux pas passer de l’autre côté,
Alors il faut ramper…
C’est tout noir…
C’est tout doux…
C’est tout mou…
Deux grands yeux,
De grandes dents…
Mais c’est l’ours !
Vite, re-ramper !
Vite, re-sauter!
Vite, re-grimper ! Vite, re-nager !
Ooooh... Nous n’irons plus jamais à la chasse à l’ours !
This song usually make them excited and they laugh, so when we finish the story I do a break, and do sound & body mirroring, observing the kids and doing what they are doing. It makes a good transition and it's fun to see what the kids will do. I think it stimulates imagination and observation.
After this brief mirroring activity, we do a new song, Écoute voir, where we do various sounds with body, mostly with the parts of the head.
Écoute voir
Écoute voir comme c’est bizarre,Vraiment bizarre, bizarre de bizarre…
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est bien mes doigts,
Écoute mes doigts !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est bien ma bouche,
Écoute ma bouche !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est bien ma langue,
Écoute ma langue !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est bien ma gorge,
Écoute ma gorge !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est bien mes lèvres,
Écoute mes lèvres !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
Ce sont mes joues,
Écoute mes joues !
Qu’est-ce que tu crois ?
Oui, ça vient de moi.
C’est le silence,
Écoute le silence !
Chef d'orchestre
After this song I hope that the kids now have some idea how they can use their bodies to create sounds, so I propose them a game called Chef d’orchestre. It's a collective music game in which one chaild is a chef d’orchestre, and they can do whatever sound they want, and the other kids needs to repeat. This game stimulates creativity, leadership and also observation. I asked the teacher to choose two different children who can be chef d’orchestre. It took some time for kids to be confident, but after some time they understand and it becomes fun.
After some time we upgrade the game. It's a similar game, but this time each child can choose their own sound, and then chef d’orchestre points to the child who needs to do the sound they choose. This one is little bit more complicated, because I saw kids forget what sound they chose. But still, after some time, they are concentrated and they have fun.
I leave the children play this game until I see that they are losing concentration. Then we start another singing activity, a song Toi toi toi, moi moi moi.
Toi toi toi – Moi moi moi
Toi, toi, toi…Moi, moi, moi…
Le loup te mangera !
This makes children laugh. Then the child towards who I pointed needs to do the song and point towards some other child. So the song passes around. But I explain to them that wolf doesn't need to be bad. They can change the ending. Here are some propositions:
Le loup te chatouille !Le loup te fait un bisou !
Le loup te fait danser !
Le loup te coiffe !
Le loup te saute dessus (gentiment)
Le loup te fait tourner !
Le loup te chatouille le ventre !
Le loup te fait un câlin !
Le loup te fait sauter !
Le loup te montre ses dents
At the beginning I sing couple of times, and then when I see they remember the melody we start sending the song around. It's very nice.
Then we are slowly starting to come to the end, so we do a calm song Tip tip tip.
Tip tip tip
Tip, tip, tip…C’est la pluie sur le toit !
Zip, zip, zip…
C’est l’éclair qui rougeoie !
Bum, bum, bum…
Le tonnerre, cache-toi !
At the beginning, I ask children to close their eyes, and then with my two fingers start tapping on my hand palm. That creates a effect of rain clicking on the window glass. I visualise how we are in our bed, warm, reading a book and listening to the rain. Then we sing this song, and do gestes with hands.
And it's the end! I give my thanks to the children for their time, and how I hope they had a nice time. I invite them to create music with their bodies and voices, and to be creative in life. To say goodbye, I sing a song Un mot doux.
Un mot doux
Un mot douxEn forme de bisou
Un mot doux
Qu'il est doux
Au revoir les enfants
Au revoir