Harvest Time: Jamaican Style

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Today’s theme is harvest for Playful Preschool. Playful Preschool is a resource that consists of a group of preschool bloggers creating FREE content for a particular theme. Each theme addresses different subjects such as literacy and math. So far we have done an apple theme as well as family/heritage. Let’s walk.

I am sure after my last post on family for playful preschool, you have gotten the gist that I am Jamaican, especially after I shared some of the games that we played while I lived there. Now I am going to share with you what harvest time looks like in Jamaica as well as share a few songs with you in our native dialect. No worries, I will try to translate as best as possible.

Harvest Time Songs

1) Mango Time

Mangoes are one of the fruits of choice for most Jamaicans, even though I cannot stand the sight of it. (Chalk it up to cleaning rotting mangoes fallen from the mango tree in our backyard.) As a result, when it is harvest time, clearly there will be a song that speaks to a love for mangoes.

Lyrics

Me no drink cawfee tea, mango time (I do not drink coffee when it is mango time)

Care how nice it maybe, mango time (It doesn’t matter how nice it is when it is mango time)

At de height of de mango crop (In the heights of the mango crop)

When de fruit dem a ripe an drop (When the fruits are ripe and falling)

Wash yu pot, tun dem down, mango time (Wash your pots, turn them down, Its mango time)

Application

 

Encourage your preschooler to create actions for the lyrics. For example: washing the pot could be done by imitating how we wash the dishes. You can even give them a light pot to use and then instruct them to turn the pot upside down to dry.

 

 

 

 2) When We Roast De Yellow Yam

Yams are also quite plentiful at harvest time in Jamaica. Yams are a staple that can be found in most meals especially in our traditional Saturday soup that most Jamaicans make weekly. Roast yam on the other hand is absolutely delicious especially when it is eaten with salt fish, which is also known as salt cod. Click here is a link to the song being sung by the Carifolk Singers.

Lyrics

When wi roas di yellow yam (When we roast the yellow yam)

An wi slice it eena two (And we slice it in two)

How nice it will be

Wid di ackee an di saltfish (With the ackee and the saltfish)

An di sweet flour dumpling -stick eena mi ribs ( And the sweet flour dumpling)

An di coconut ile (And the coconut oil)

What a glorious day

When wi roas di yellow yam (When we roast the yellow yam)
Plan your PRESCHOOL Harvest Theme Learning Week with Activities from the Playful Preschool Education Team:

Learning with Gourds: Comparing, Sorting, and Labeling for Fall by Still Playing School

Corny Science: Will it sink or float? by Capri + 3

Plants We Eat {which are roots, stems, leaves, fruit} by Raising Lifelong Learners

Harvesting in the Carrot Patch by Powerful Mothering

Preschool Math: Measuring Pumpkins by Mom Inspired Life

Making Bread by Rainy Day Mum

#PlayfulPreschool Harvest Time Math by Tiny Tots Adventures

Alphabet Activities: Letter Harvest by Growing Book by Book

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves Sequencing Cards & Power Point by The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Go Global: Harvests Around the World by The Educators’ Spin On It

Harvest Time: Jamaican Style Music by Learning 2 Walk

Pumpkin Patch Sensory Bin: Practicing Matching with Preschoolers by Life Over C’s

Little Red Hen Activity – Retelling through Sensory Play by Fun-A-Day