Un bon chocolat chaud! A settling and refocusing song at any time of the day!

It's the time of year when the children have settled in to class routines and you may be want to introduce a new class routine technique to settle the children when they come in from play or when they start again in the afternoon after dinner time.

Teachers I have worked with over the last couple of years have enjoyed using this song in French as a settling activity- especially in the Autumn and Winter months when it's cold outside!
Have a listen! 
It's catchy!.There is finger clicking and rhythm and it has the great phrase repeated within the song "un bon chocolat chaud"
Great thing is that hidden in this phrase is a small amount cultural knowledge about drinks we might enjoy in France and discussion around our favourite drinks and similarities and differences between France and England (not forgetting the ability to ask for  " un chocolat chaud"! )

How have the teachers used this song?

Some teachers have staged the introduction of the song and have explained in the first instance that they just want the children to listen to the song which has a special drink hidden in the song . the teacher can then explain that the song is all about going to the cow to get milk to make "un bon chocolat chaud" 

• First to play in the background as the children come back in to the classroom and to just have as background music.
• Then to encourage the children to join in with the clicking time with the rhythm and not to chatter as they sit in their seats or as they come to the carpet or as they line up 
• To add an action for "un bon chocolat chaud" which has as many movements in the action as there are syllables in  the phrase ( a great way to practise the skill of internalising rhythm,sounds and intonation)
• Next to locate the key phrase "un bon chocolat chaud" as it is sung in the song and to join in with the actions you as a class have created.
• To listen out for the phrase in the song and join in with actions and the phrase
• Finally to listen out for the next time it is sung and to continue to join in .

As the children settle - just turn down the volume until it's a quiet background music that can be heard  and all the children can be heard clicking to the rhythm , singing the phrase when they hear it and showing the "un bon chocolat chaud " mime that the class have learnt alongside the phrase.