!You To Birthday Happy

Happy Birthday to me (Sue) and Happy First Full Day of Spring to all!

What better way to celebrate both, than by writing this 3^rd blog and sharing a music experience?

Yes, it’s true – I turned another year older today, yet still long to turn back the time just a few years. With this in mind, have you ever considered singing the traditional “Happy Birthday” song lyrics backwards?  Well, I have and I hereby challenge you to do so.  I suggest you rehearse it several times, however, before singing it this way publicly, because as you know, old habits die hard!

Music therapy experience name:

!You To Birthday Happy

Materials needed:

Name card for birthday person

Tape

Song lyrics (Optional: song sheets per person or write lyrics on black/white board)

Song Lyrics:

You to birthday happy

You to birthday happy

(Name) dear birthday happy

You to birthday happy!

Procedure:

Tape the name card of the birthday person to his/her back. Invite everyone in the room to stand up and walk around to discover who the birthday person is, by looking at everyone’s back. Return to your seats and proceed to sing the song. At the song’s end, tell the birthday person that even though they were sung to backwards, you wish them a “right ways, forward, very happy day!” Have fun!

Extension:

If you choose to make individual song sheets, laminate them or put each one into a plastic sleeve protector. With a dry erase marker, have all participants practice writing the birthday person’s name on the line. Note: Observe how many write their own name and wish it was their birthday!

Liz and Sue