The rainbow song [hide_on_uk](colors)[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us](colours)[/hide_on_us]
Songs for ESL kids
Stream and download “The rainbow song [hide_on_uk](colors)[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us](colours)[/hide_on_us]”
The rainbow song [hide_on_uk](colors)[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us](colours)[/hide_on_us]
Song theme: Saying different [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].
Target vocab: red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange, blue, rainbow, apples, sun, flowers, grass, grapes, carrots, sky
Song length: 1:15
The classic song for learning [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]. We have added an additional section to the middle of the song which gives the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] of common objects (e.g. red apples, yellow sun, etc.).
[hide_on_uk]Short sample (members get full-length song):
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[hide_on_us]Short sample (members get full-length song):
[/hide_on_us]
Lyrics:
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue.
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too.
Verse 2:
Red apples and yellow sun,
Pink flowers in the green grass.
Purple grapes and orange carrots,
A rainbow high in the blue sky.
Verse 3:
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue.
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too.
Gestures and activities to use with The rainbow song
There are a number of activities you can do as you sing along to the song:
- Simply pat your knees or clap in time with the music as you sing the song.
- Give each student a print out of the Rainbow Song song poster. As they sing along they touch each [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] or picture.
- Give out the 7 [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] to students ([hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper, origami paper, [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] blocks, [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] pencils – anything will do) and have students touch the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] in time with the song.
- Put [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper up around the walls of the classroom. Have all of your students point to each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] as it is sung.
Using The rainbow song in class
This is a wonderful song to use when teaching the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] – even the youngest child enjoys singing along to this tune.
- Start by teaching the vocab. Depending on the age / level of your students you may want to teach a just few words per class, building up to the full 7 [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] words over a series of lessons. For older students you may also want to teach the objects in the song (apples, sun, flowers, grass, grapes, carrots, rainbow, sky). Prepare [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper (origami paper is great for this) – enough [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] for each student in your class (so, 1 red per student, 1 yellow per student, etc.). Hold up the first [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper and elicit the [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] (e.g. red). Chorus and practice saying the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]. Then pass the [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper around the class so each student can hold and say the [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us]. Do this for the rest of the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us].
- Play “[hide_on_uk]Color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colour[/hide_on_us] stand up and jump”. Give out all of the [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] papers, 1 [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] per student. Tell your students to sit down. Say a [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] (e.g. “red”) and the students holding that [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] have to quickly stand up, jump and then sit down. Start off slowly and get faster and faster.
- Play “Touch the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] on posters”. If your classroom has lots of [hide_on_uk]colorful[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colourful[/hide_on_us] posters on the walls, this is a great activity to do. Demonstrate by shouting out a [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] (e.g. “Red”). Run to a poster and touch anywhere that has a red [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us]. Do the same for another [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] (e.g. “Blue”). Each time run to a new poster. Now have the students do the activity – shout out a [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] and have them all run around the classroom touching the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] on posters.
- Do “[hide_on_uk]Color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colour[/hide_on_us] the circles” activity. Before class, prepare 7 large sheets of white paper (or if you are teaching less [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] that day, enough sheets of paper for the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] you are teaching). On each sheet draw a large circle which fills up the sheet (or download and print our wall circle sheet). Then stick the sheets on the walls of the classroom, at a height your students can reach. At this point of your lesson, take out your [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] pencils/crayons and demonstrate the activity. Walk around the class and [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] a small part of each circle with one [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] (always say the [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] as you are [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us]). So there will be one circle with some red [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] in it, one with yellow, and so on. Next, tell your students to take out their [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] pencils/crayons. Have them walk around the classroom, [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us] in a bit of each circle with the same [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] you used. Make sure they say the [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] as they do each [hide_on_uk]coloring[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colouring[/hide_on_us].
- Play “Point at the [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] circles”. Have all of your students sit down. Call out a [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] and demonstrate by pointing at the [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] circle on the wall. Do all of the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] in the order of the song, with the students pointing at the different [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] circles.
- Sing “The rainbow song”. The first time you play the song, put up the Rainbow song song poster on the board. Quickly elicit the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us]. Play the song and sing along, touching the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] as you sing. You can even invite a student to come up to the board and touch the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] with you. Next, give out all 7 [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] (e.g. [hide_on_uk]colored[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]coloured[/hide_on_us] paper, pencils, etc.) to each student. Get each student to lay out the [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] in front of him/her, in the order of the song. As you pay the song again, have all students touch each [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] and sing along.
- Do a [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] worksheet. To finish off this section of the lesson, give out worksheets which have the vocabulary from the song. As your students are doing the worksheets, ask questions (e.g. “what [hide_on_uk]color[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colour[/hide_on_us] is that?”, etc.). You can also give a [hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us] worksheet for homework.
Our ESL kids songs
Greetings:
Actions, Verbs & Ability:
- Directions song
- Morning routines song
- Past irregular verbs song
- What can you do? (ability)
- What sports do you play?
- What are you doing? (present continuous)
- What did you do yesterday? (past irregular verbs)
- Yesterday was a great day! (past regular verbs)
Adjectives, Adverbs & Emotions:
- Describe your friend (adjectives)
- Feelings song
- If you’re happy & you know it
- Let’s have some fun! (adverbs)
- Let’s look at the animals (adjectives)
- Who is happy? (subject pronouns)
Alphabet & Numbers:
Animals:
- [hide_on_uk]Do you have[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Have you got[/hide_on_us] any pets?
- Old MacDonald
- Let’s go to the zoo
- Let’s look at the animals (adjectives)
Body, Shapes & [hide_on_uk]Colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]Colours[/hide_on_us]:
- Head, shoulders, knees & toes
- Mr. Shape Head
- Rainbow song ([hide_on_uk]colors[/hide_on_uk][hide_on_us]colours[/hide_on_us])
Directions, Prepositions & Transport:
- Directions song
- How did you get here today? (transport)
- Wheels on the bus
- Where are my things? (prepositions of location)
Food & Likes:
Holidays:
- Easter song
- Happy Halloween
- Three little witches
- Thanksgiving song
- Jingle bells
- We wish you a merry Christmas
Our world & Places:
Time & Weather:
Others: