Sing and Dance to the Best Tunes for Brazilian Carnivals!
Brazilian carnival is a special time of the year when the people dance alongside parades, dress up and eat fun food. At Cali's Books, we've created the perfect interactive book of Brazilian Nursery Rhymes to get you and your kids in the carnival mood.
There's not much my kids love more than singing and dancing. That's why I love teaching them all about the Brazilian carnival. Our Portuguese nursery rhymes are the perfect backdrop for learning and playing together!
Let’s celebrate the Brazilian carnival! At Cali's Books, we've put together the perfect musical book for toddlers to learn and sing along with traditional songs from Brazil. These Brazilian Nursery Rhymes are entertaining with infectious music and rhythms that will make everyone, small and tall, want to get up and dance.
As a native French speaker, I am always excited to share new languages with my children. These Portuguese nursery rhymes are a ton of fun and allow your curious toddlers to experience the joy of Brazilian culture.
How do we celebrate carnival in Brazil?
Carnival is the biggest annual festival in Brazil, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Brazilian who doesn't take part in some way. Some people dance or watch the floats and parades. Schools and shops close for up to 10 days to allow everyone to celebrate.
The Carnival festivities start the Friday before Ash Wednesday and continue until Ash Wednesday. The biggest street parties take place as people celebrate by dancing to loud music, creating dazzling costumes, and marching in parades.
How can we make this a memorable time for our kids? We can create our own homemade costumes and masks to celebrate and dance. No sewing skills are needed here! Why not grab some paper and t-shirts and have your kids decorate them with pens or paint? You can even decorate your home with streamers and traditional carnival decor.
I love reading books with my kids to show them the beauty and music of another culture. Let's look at Cali's Books Brazilian Nursery Rhymes! Inside the book, you and your kids will find one sound button per page, which will start 15 seconds of exciting Brazilian music alongside charming illustrations and song lyrics to sing along with. It’s a great way to learn more about different cultures through dance and music!
Songs you’ll find in our Brazilian nursery rhymes book
Tico Tico no Fuba
You've probably heard a version of this 1917 song recorded by Ethel Smith, the Andrews Sisters, and Carmen Miranda in the 1940s. This easily accessible version will be the perfect introduction to the 'Tico-Tico bird in the cornmeal' for your little ones. This nursery rhyme is ideal for shaking rattles or any other nursery instruments.
Ciranda Cirandinha
Do your kids like to play circle dances like Ring around the Rosie on the playground? Ciranda Cirandinha is the most well-known circle dance in Brazil. Ciranda Cirandinha translates to circle, little circle, and it's a fantastic song to get up and move to with your little ones. Circle dancing is also an excellent way for small kids to work on memory and coordination.
Um Dois Feijao Com Arroz
Learning to count is one of those skills many kids pick up as easy as 1,2,3. If it's time for a little extra challenge during the carnival season, why not sing and count along to Um Dois Feijao Com Arroz (one, two beans with rice). The chorus is extra fun to join in with for the whole family.
Cai Cai Balao
This cheerful song is all about balloons. The song asks the balloon to fall into your hand and not on the street. It is a perfect pairing for the joyous Brazilian carnival with its beautiful balloons and floats. Balloonists have a long, storied history in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and they say that once you make your first balloon, you can never look back. Will you create elaborate balloons with your kids to celebrate?
Rebola Chuchu
The perfect song to wiggle and move your hips to! As the lyrics say, it's time to move your hips. Improve your children's sense of rhythm by encouraging them to dance along with songs. Since carnival is all about the joy of life and movement before people enter the long Lent period, a song celebrating the joy of movement is what it's all about.
Fui Morar Numa Casinha
Your eyes do not deceive you; this song is about wanting to live in a little house infested with termites. Chances are that you don't feel great about termites in your home, but the song offers excellent opportunities for your kiddo to join in with the music. Encourage them to join in with the call and response sections. A fabulous bit of practice for attending parades!
Whether you're celebrating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Burbank, California, or Chatanooga, Tennesee, I wish you a fantastic carnival surrounded by your nearest and dearest. I love any opportunity to spend time with my kids, which is why learning about and taking part in the Brazilian carnival feels so special. Hopefully, some of the songs in our Brazilian Nursery Rhymes book will start a conversation in your home and even get grandma and grandpa to (carefully) shake their hips to the beat of the music.
You can download our coloring pages for fund activities with your kids!
References
“I’ve loved books since childhood and wanted to transmit this enthusiasm to my children”
I'm a mom of two young children who trained as an engineer and worked in investment banking and at Disney. A French of Caribbean origin (Martinique to be precise!), I grew up in Paris. Los Angeles is now the place I call home!
