September!   How did that happen?   It's the time that we take a deep breath and head into school starting up, programs starting, a busy, busy time.  Luckily it is such a beautiful month AND it's the season for apples!   With that in mind, here is a little rhyme for you:

Here's a tree with its leaves so green
Here are the apples that hang between
When the wind blows, the apples will fall
Here is a basket to gather them all.

Rock your child gently, dipping low for 'apples will fall', then up again, holding him closer.
 
An older child can be the tree.  She holds her arms out to be branches, and lets her fingers hand down to be apples.  She then sways her 'branches' while you 'blow'.  Circle one of your arms to be a basket and pick up the apples.

From Where Are The Stars, A Treasury of Interactive Rhymes,
Parent-Child Mother Goose Program® 2006

Doing it your way
We are always creating new ways of doing a rhyme.   It is great to adapt the actions, gestures, pace and details to fit a particular moment or a particular baby, child or parent.  

This works best when we remember to hear the rhythm of the rhyme, keep any changes within it and have actions and gestures fit the meaning of the words.   It is also great to hold onto a lot of the original rhyme because giving an experience of language that it different from our ordinary speech is one of the great benefits of rhyme.

All that said, the biggest guideline of them all is to build enjoyment and interaction for the baby or child and the parent, for the group and for ourselves.  HAVE FUN!

from BC Council of Families