"Hello" and "Goodbye" Songs for Each Session
Us Time
Us Time, written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, is the opening song for Sparkler Learning’s Us Time, a framework for classroom community meetings for young students. This song is used at the start of each classroom session.
Us Time: Thank You
Us Time: Thank You, written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, is the “goodbye” song used to conclude Us Time. It is used to conclude each Us Time session.
Feelings Unit
Dance Your Feelings
Are you ready to dance your feelings? “Us Time: Dance Your Feelings,” is written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, and it is designed to help children dance along to music that evokes different feelings — happy, sad, angry, calm, etc.
Baila Tus Sentimientos
Baila Tus Sentimientos, escrita por Benjamin Weiner y cantada por Emma Ramos, es una canción que puede ayudar a los niños a bailar con música que evoca diferentes sentimientos. La canción es parte de Us Time de Sparkler Learning. Obtenga más información enplaysparkler.org/ustime
Guess the Feelings
Guess the feelings, just by hearing the music! (This comes after practicing with “Dance Your Feelings.”) Guess the Feelings was written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Us Time, a framework for classroom community meetings for young students.
Feelings are OK
😊😞😳😡😤😖😍😂 All the feelings happen, and they’re all okay. This song, “Feelings Are OK,” was written and performed by Bill English as part of the “Feeling Angry” episode of Sparkler Learning’s Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. Learn more at http://www.playsparkler.org/podcast.
Feelings Detectives
Us Time: Feelings Detectives is a demonstration by Benjamin Weiner of how to use a puppet and/or kazoo to explore the feelings with young students. Us Time encourages teachers to use activities, songs, and stories from Sparkler and its partners to grow kids’ hearts.
How You Feel
“How You Feel” is a song about feelings by Oh, Hush! and Grayson DeWolfe from Noggin’s Big Heart Beats album. Learn more online at: https://www.bigheartworld.org/big-heart-beats-album-how-you-feel/
Identity Unit
It's All About Me
Us Time: Dance Your Feelings, written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, is designed to help children dance along to music that evokes different feelings — happy, sad, angry, calm, etc.
Like Nobody Else
Sing and dance along to “Like Nobody Else,” written by Alex Geringas and Wil Fuller as part of Noggin’s Big Heart Beats album. This song is about self-love and celebrating our own unique differences that make us special!
Things I Like
“Things I Like” is written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Sparkler Learning’s Us Time. The music video is created by Julia Levy at Sparkler. The song is part of the Identity unit and focuses on the things we like and how those things are part of who we are — our identity!
Sing Your Name
Learn how to use this name song in your classroom! In this video, Benjamin Weiner demonstrates how to clap along to a name song, which helps the students in the class learn about themselves and each other as part of Sparkler’s Us Time unit on Identity.
The Bread Song
“The Bread Song” is a new song written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Sparkler Learning’s Us Time. The music video was created by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning. People from all over the world have their own special bread. Learning about bread and sharing it with others is a good way to learn about ourselves and others.
I've Got Boundaries
“I’ve Got Boundaries” is an original song composed by Benjamin Weiner and performed by Michael Cruz Kayne for the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. It debuts in the episode “Boundaries,” in which three kids define and discuss boundaries. Little Kids, Big Hearts is a podcast for kids and families that supports social and emotional learning for children aged 2-10 and their parents. It is produced by Sparkler Learning.
Race Unit
The Bread Song
“The Bread Song” is a song written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Sparkler Learning’s Us Time. The song is part of a social and emotional learning unit for young children on identity — who we are! People from all over the world have their own special bread. Learning about bread and sharing it with others is a good way to learn about ourselves and others. Us Time is a social and emotional learning framework for classroom community meetings for young students in preschool and early elementary school.
Puzzle Pieces
“Puzzle Pieces” is written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Sparkler Learning’s Us Time and Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. The music video was illustrated by Julia Levy and at Sparkler Learning. The song is part of the unit on discussing race with young children — which deals with identity, similarities and differences, upstanding, race, and racism.
Just As You Are
“Just as You Are” is an original song composed and performed by Benjamin Weiner for Sparkler’s Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast. It debuts in the episode “We Belong,” in which three kids talk about the big idea of “belonging” — being who you are and being accepted and embraced for who you are.
Celebrate Our Difference
This song celebrates all of our differences and how they make you special! We all come from different places, speak different languages, and more!
Up, Up, Up
We all want to be treated with fairness and respect! This song is about speaking up and stepping up to show a better, kinder way!
Dance Your Feelings
Are you ready to dance your feelings? “Us Time: Dance Your Feelings,” is written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, and it is designed to help children dance along to music that evokes different feelings — happy, sad, angry, calm, etc.
Baila Tus Sentimientos
Baila Tus Sentimientos, escrita por Benjamin Weiner y cantada por Emma Ramos, es una canción que puede ayudar a los niños a bailar con música que evoca diferentes sentimientos. La canción es parte de Us Time de Sparkler Learning. Obtenga más información enplaysparkler.org/ustime
Play Unit
You've Got Words
“You’ve Got Words” is written and performed by Benjamin Weiner as part of Sparkler Learning’s Us Time. The music video was illustrated and animated by Julia Levy and at Sparkler Learning. The song is part of a social and emotional learning unit on solving problems through play.
The Play Song
“The Play Song,” written and performed by Benjamin Weiner, is a song that celebrates and inspires play! Neuroscientists, educators, and psychologists say play is an essential ingredient in the lives of children AND adults. Play sparks experimentation and imagination; play brings joy; play promotes learning and mental flexibility; play improves cognition; play causes stress to drop and boosts moods.
Help Work It Out
“Help Work It Out” encourages us to work through problems to resolve our differences with other people!
View the Full Us Time Curriculum
Spark meaningful classroom conversations to promote social and emotional development. Please explore the full program online.