Dr. Emily AronoffDiscover the Joy of Tu Bishvat through Music: Engage Young Minds with 10 Captivating Songs
Welcome to a musical journey celebrating Tu Bishvat, the unique festival honoring the birthday of trees in Israel. This specially curated list of 10 songs is perfect for Jewish educators, songleaders, rabbis, and cantors working with young children. Explore how these songs, deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and values, can invigorate your early childhood programs, sparking a love for nature and cultural heritage. Each song is a doorway to learning, fun, and environmental appreciation, perfectly aligning with the spirit of Tu Bishvat.
Tu BiShvat started less as a holiday and more as a harvest festival. A law in the Torah dictates that the fruit of a tree planted in Israel isn’t available to the farmer until the tree has reached five years old. Fruit from years 0-3 are forbidden fruit and fruit from year 4 was offered to the priests at the temple- this holiday helps keep track so we know when to enjoy our harvest.
Everyone Enjoys Songs that are Relevant to their World
Tu B’shevat offers a plethora of secular tunes that can be integrated into a Jewish music curriculum. As you introduce new songs or re-sing favorites, make explicit connections to the values of protecting the earth during this harvest festival.
Explain that Tu BiShevat is the “Birthday of The Trees!”
Young children typically exude great enthusiasm around birthday celebrations. Using this familiar framework in a novel way encourages young learners to engage. I ask children to share what they know about trees and prompt them to wonder what a tree might want for its birthday present to provoke the interests of the kids.
These thoughtfully-curated songs reflect a healthy appreciation for creation that I hope inspires you and your learners to protect our trees and nurture the environment in their honor.
10 Tu Bishvat songs for kiddos
1) One Seed by Laurie Berkner
This outrageously engaging tune is always a big hit with kids and their grown ups. It features a call & response chorus, a kid-friendly video with hand movements, and a Jew-is kiddie rocker (curious about her? Read “Queen of Kindie Rock” on Jewish Identity and Motherhood). I typically introduce this song by showing kids this video- most recognize Laurie Berkner (if you are unfamiliar, you need to go listen to her greatest hits, she is what Raffi was to my generation). After a few rounds of practicing this song, kiddos build familiarity and can take over as leaders for the chorus. PS I love to pair sharing this song with sharing the story of Honi the Circlemaker.
2) Inch by Inch by David Malett
This is a classic kids tune so famous that it made it to The Muppets. Especially for those of us with some crunchy hippie influence in our musical identity. I share it using a David Mallet’s storybook, Inch By Inch, singing the lyrics instead of speaking them while sharing a readaloud.
3) If I Were a Tree by Jason Mesches
Kids pretend play and imagine their experience if they were a tree. It matches movements with parts of the tree that offers a silly and simple way to learn serious stuff.
4) Tree Animals Song by Emily Aronoff
Kids love to identify animals and Tu B’shevat is a great time to focus on particular types of animals- the ones that live in trees! Visit my Super Silly Tree Animals Song Leader’s Guide for more content and context for sharing. You can also use this free Printable Prop to add some fun animal visuals to this song.
[Chorus]
OOOOOOH*
Who do you know, who do you know who might live in a tree?
There are so many different kinds of tree home families![Verses]
This animal is a (kids say animal’s name)
And it makes this kind of sound (kids make the animal’s sound)
And when the (kids say animal’s name) moves,
Here is how they move around (kids demonstrate motion)
*The “oh’ is a critical component to this song. Hold it until everyone joins you to re-establish order after kids are excited from moving around after each verse.
5) For Trees by Ellen Allard
The gross motor movement Ellen suggests adds enormous delight and anticipation to this terrific tune. Pay close attention to how Ellen models using the entire body in a rhythmic way during the chorus. Crowd control can be a challenge with this song in a large group of children, so I make certain that we all sit, re-center and calm during each verse (which often means we need to pause and slow down our breathing because kids get amped up) to prevent the chorus from becoming unpleasantly chaotic.
6) My Roots Go Down by Sarah Pirtle (presented by Isaac Zones )
I love the flexibility of this song. This catchy tune is great for connecting intergenerational audience as it is familiar to many and is a quick teach. When I sing this song in Jewish early childhood learning environments, I make it a zipper song- adapt the verses to meet and match your learner’s interests and needs.
The original verses of the song go as follows:
I am a pine tree on a mountainside (3x) My roots go down.
I am a wild flower pushing through stones (3x) My roots go down.
I am a willow swaying through the storm (3x) My roots go down.
However, I choose to make this into a customizable zipper song by implementing different types of plants and the places that they grow.
For example:
I am an Eitz* growing in Israel (3x) My roots go down.
I am a Palm at the Boca JCC (3x) My roots go down.
I am some parsley growing on a windowsill (3x) My roots go down.
*Hebrew for tree
7) The Green Grass Grows All Around (AKA There Was A Tree book by Rachel Isadora)
I learned this song from Barney about a million years ago. It is a terrific tune that creates opportunities for children to practice sequencing.
I use the singable storybook There Was a Tree by Rachel Isadora with groups of all ages. When I share this song, I encourage my learners to take more and more leadership of the tune as we progress through the parts as they become more familiar…by the end, I’m allowing kids to ‘finish the line’ while I point to the last word of each line (even if the kids can’t yet read) in order to support and reinforce their developing literary skills.
8) Happy Birthday, Trees! (tapping stick song) by Emily Aronoff
Highlight all the ways people rely on trees as you explore Tu Bishvat with kids.
I point out that my guitar is made out of wood, and then we brainstorm what other objects we use often that are made from wood. I then point out that trees allow our entire classroom to become musicians, and pass out rhythm sticks so that the kids can play percussion with a tree! Check out the Happy Birthday, Trees! Songleader’s Guide for more tips and tricks to rock this tune.
9) The Tree Song by Joshua Miller (presented by Hazon )
This song is pure fun and the gross motor movements are a real workout! I highly suggest that you sing this song in front of a mirror to help you gauge how to move!
10) Plant a Tree for Tu B’shevat by Debbie Friedman (shared by Temple Rodef Shalom )
When I share this song, I like to distribute green scarves and encourage kids to move like the branches of trees, moving our arms above our heads during the chorus to demonstrate what it might look like if we were indeed “trees blowing in the wind”.
Empower Young Learners: Music as a Gateway to Cultural and Environmental Education
These Tu B’shevat songs may have inspired your learners to go out and change their world! Thank you for exploring these ten enchanting Tu Bishvat songs, a blend of fun, learning, and Jewish values. These tunes are more than just melodies; they are tools to instill a sense of environmental stewardship and cultural pride in young learners. Let these songs be the seeds that grow into a lifelong love for nature and Jewish heritage. For more insights on leading young ones in meaningful musical experiences, explore our Songleading For Kiddos course. Together, let’s nurture a generation that cherishes and protects our natural world.
To learn how to lead little ones in meaningful musical experiences, check out my new course
