by Meredith Lamothe, Early Childhood and Literacy Coordinator

We were making shaky eggs the entire first week of our Toddlerfest celebration. Shaky eggs or egg maracas are a great first percussion instrument for little ones and a fun way for them to feel included in making music as well as get a good introduction to rhythm, which is an important early literacy skill!

There are lots of songs that can be used with shaky eggs—actually, you can shake along to most any song you like or listen to---but there are a handful of songs that I use regularly in Baby Storytime here at the museum that highlight shaky eggs and are a lot of fun.

Here’s a few you can try at home!

Counting Shakes: (Tune: "If You’re Happy and You Know It")

If you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—one time!

If you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—two times!

If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—three times!

(Keep going for however long the focus lasts!)

Shake, Clap, Tap! (Tune: "If You’re Happy and You Know It")

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake! (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a clap!

If you’re happy and you know it give a clap (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a tap (tap your egg on a surface or part of your body)

If you’re happy and you know it give a tap (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake! And a clap! And a tap!

Shake Your Shaker! (Tune: "London Bridges")

Shake your shaker way up high, way up high, way up high

Shake your shaker way up high

Shake your Shaker

Shake your shaker…

Way down low

To the left

To the right

On your foot!

On your head

Really fast

Really slow

Etc!

That’s just a sampling of the egg shaker songs we do during Baby Storytime—stop by on Wednesdays at 9:30am in Primary Place to see the other ways we use them.

Shakers can also be used as an early reading and literacy tool. Bump them along the pages of a book to point out the different words, sound out familiar words and names using the eggs to accentuate the different syllables, or read a book that lends itself to music (Pet the Cat anyone?) and have your shaky eggs ready for the grooviest parts of the book!

How will you use your egg shaker at home?! Let us know!