This is a cumulative song which is very good for singing with small or large groups.
There are many ways in which you can adapt this song to make sure that you include all learners, but here I will describe how I have been using it.
I have collected a box of clothes and made symbols to go with each of them.
I record the last three words of each verse ‘Nice Warm Socks’ onto an AAC voice output device and place a switch cap symbol on it. (Please try and record an age and gender appropriate voice onto the device – see ‘General Principles’ page.)
The leader can ask for volunteers to come to the front of the group. Or you can hand out items to learners who are sitting in a circle.
Each learner holds an item of clothing – always making sure that the last two are ‘nice warm jumper, nice warm socks’. The other items of clothing can be arranged in any order. An AAC singer is in charge of the ‘socks’ and of the voice output device.
The leader (or another AAC singer) sings and signs the key words for each line of the ‘In the winter’ section, which is then repeated by the rest of the group. You can hear on the CD how the song builds after that. We all sing the list of clothing, using both the symbols and the items as prompts.
Learners can choose what items of clothing they wish to have using any mode of communication – speech, written labels, signing, symbols, photos, objects or a pre programmed voice output device.
It can sometimes be fun to include some ridiculous items e.g. ‘nice warm bikini’ or ‘nice warm designer sunglasses’
Another way of enabling AAC users to conduct the group is to give them the responsibility of choosing the order of the items of clothing.
