Year 1 music: Is clapping music?

We clap to show appreciation, respect, encouragment, etc...but little do we pay attention to how clapping can enhance rhythms and beats in a piece of music.Young children, around 6-8 years old, love watching "extremes" - biggest ant in the world, tallest building in Hong Kong, smallest dog, etc. That's why they're ecstatic when they watch this video of the fastest clapper in the world.Certainly,

Children, are your hearts aching?

Not so long ago, YuShu County was a colourful place in China.

Then earthquake happened.  The colours are buried under the rubbles and snow.

Children are sad.

Mothers cry.

My dear children
Are your hearts aching?  Are you praying?  Are you helping?

So that, these children can go back to school soon...

So that these children's world can be filled with colours again?

To my oversea readers, 

Cloud Dreamers

WHAT DO YOU SEE? 

I see a spaceship.  I see a the head of a dashing dinosaur opening his mouth.  I see a chubby bird.  I see a drowning sheep.  What do you see?
Cloud-watching is such a relaxing pastime, isn't it?  I can spend a whole afternoon watching clouds changing shapes as they calmly float by (usually I'd grudually fall asleep).  If you have children with you, such afternoon wouldn't be

Disney Song 2: I've Got No Strings (Pinocchio)

Why does the gay little dicky bird sing?What put the "zing" in a butterfly's wing?What's the reason for the smile of a troubadour?Why does a breeze have a barrel of fun?Even the bee who's a son-of-a-gun, it's all because they're free,and stringless the same as me.I've got no strings to hold me down,To make me fret or make me frown.I had strings but now I'm free,there are no strings on me.Hi-Oh

An Apple a Day

Not only is "apple" the first chapter in a traditional alphabet book, I believe it is possibly the first object of still life drawing to many children. People like drawing apples because they are cheap and handy. (and we can eat it when the drawing is finished. =p) Although I didn't have much talent in painting, I do remember myself drawing fruits as a child. I would always start with drawing

Children poetry starter - Dr. Seuss

When I was a child, my mom had borrowed me a library book called "Green Eggs and Ham." I remember very vividly my impression on this book after reading it - I didn't like it, for 2 reasons. 1) The look of the characters are really bizarre. 2) I had no idea what the book was about!  The first part of the book begins like this:
I am Sam
I am SamSam I am
That Sam-I-amThat Sam-I-am!I do not likethat

Degas and Dancers

Though I don't know much about Edgar Degas (1834-1917), I've always loved his series of paintings on (ballet) dancers. Apparently, he lived during the time when ballet was one of the most popular form of stage art in Paris; there's no wonder that he has developed such an obsession on this topic.Here's a few from the series which I find very intriguing; they represent the road to become successful

Year 1 & 2 music: I see music! (2)

The music animation machine has come up with some new animation for classical songs.

These versions of animation really suit the mood of the songs! I hope you'll like these 2 videos as much as I do.

1) Chopin and connecting lines



2) Debussy and sliding circles



Please visit the blog post Year 1 & 2 music: I see music (1) for another version of music animation.

Ear & Eye Candy

Human senses are amazing. I bet most of us would perceive these pictures of desert plants differently just by quickly glancing at them. What we see, hear, smell, taste and touch have the potential to cause immediate changes to our heartbeat rate, our breathing rhythm and our emotional state.Pregnant women tend to be more sensitive to these changes within as they always pay attention to the

POP ART artist #2- Andy Warhol

This is the series "Ice Cream Dessert" created by Andy Warhol in 1959. I hope children would like it as much as I do!


Red Pink and White



Red and Pink



Purple Fancy



Fancy Red



3 scoop


One of Warhol's famous work is the "mass-produced" images from photographs of celebrities.  You may be interested in playing the colour of Andy Warhol's Marilyn Prints.

Also, the official Warhol site

Year 2 music: Laugh and Learn

During a music history lecture in my first year undergraduate study, the professor said that he's gonna play us some "Jew's harp music." I though to myself, "ok, sure...but what's a Jew's harp??" Since nobody asked, I waited for the music to start. To my surprise, the sound of the instrument is neither "Jewish" nor "Harp-like," my gut feeling was "what the? This is an absurd sound! I want to

International Children Film Festivals

From North America
New York International Children's Film Festival
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival
Providence Children's Film Festival
Montreal International Children Film Festival (French only)

From Europe
European Children Film Association
Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth 
Athens Children Film

Homeschooling - Is it adequate?

I had an interesting discussion on homeschooling in Hong Kong with a parent. She is frustrated by Hong Kong's education policies and the policy changes in her daughters' school. So she wants to withdraw her children from school, at least for a while, so that she can homeschool them. Unfortunately, homeschooling is illegal in Hong Kong.Since it is not an alternative to formal education, Hong Kong

How Mother Goose helps Baby Massage

Baby massage has become quite popular. Even if parents do not know the massage techniques, they still enjoy touching their baby gently because they know that their babies like it. Baby massage is an intimate time between mommy/daddy and baby - baby lies down comfortably at a position where they can make eye contact with mommy/daddy (whoever's giving the massage), and they long for every touch.

The Fantastic World of ROALD DAHL

If I can creep into the mind of any author, Roald Dahl would be on the top of my list.  I haven't read all of his books, but many of the characters he created have brought me into a world of wonder.  Charlie, Matilda, James, Mr. Fox, the BFG, etc...Having met them were wonderful encounters in my childhood.  Roald Dahl is a legend; he has the ability to organize children's wild imagination into

音樂教育的價值

我常常對家長說﹐我們一定要對音樂教育有要求。
曾經有一位我不認識的家長認真地對我的文章回應說﹕“老師﹐不是嘛﹖孩子在中英數等學科已經很有壓力﹐音樂堂嘛﹐就讓他們輕鬆以下吧!我們小時候上的音樂堂﹐都只是跟同學唱唱歌﹐那些都是快樂的回憶。”
上了十多年的音樂堂後﹐學生的得著只是一些快樂的回憶 - 那不正正就是香港音樂教育的失敗嗎﹖如果音樂老師能做到的只有這些﹐我們應該覺得慚愧。
身為音樂老師﹐我對自己的教學有兩個小小的堅持。第一﹐我不介意當合唱指揮﹐但我不會選拔精英﹑更不會參加比賽。第二﹐我不用教科書。
唱歌是全世界每一個人都應該參與的活動﹔無論學生唱得好不好﹐他們都應該有機會和大家一起唱。再者﹐音樂老師的重要職責就是令所有學生都能發揮自己聲音的獨特性 - 身為唱歌老師多年﹐我從未遇過一個不能唱歌的學生。我們是認識音樂的人﹐在世上云云歌曲中﹐難到會找不到一首適合個別孩子的歌曲﹖小孩子都愛唱歌