Little Boxes, All the Same

We sing . . . 

Little boxes on the hillside

Little boxes made of ticky tacky

Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes

All the same.

(I then pause to ask, "Are they all the same? Someone always answers, "No, they're different colors.")

(That's right!) There's a green one . . .

And a pink one . . .

And a blue one . . .

And a yellow one.

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

And the people in their houses

All go to the university . . .

And the all get put in boxes

Little boxes, all the same.

And there's doctors, and lawyers

And business executives

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

(Someone usually calls out, "They do all look the same! or "They're all red!")

And they all play on the golf course

And drink their martinis dry . . .

And the they all have pretty children

And the children go to school.

Then the children go to summer camp

And then to the university . . .

And they all get put in boxes . . .

And they all come out the same.

And they all go into business

Get married and raise a family . . .

And they all get put in boxes

Little boxes, all the same.

There's a green one . . .

And a pink one . . .

And a blue one . . .

And a yellow one.

And they all are made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

This is a variation on the song "Little Boxes, written and originally recorded by Malvina Reynolds, although I learned it through Pete Seeger. I like singing folk music with young children.

I don't expect the kids to understand the underlying message of this song, but I do hope that it will click for them in the future when they find themselves confronted with dilemma of little boxes, all the same. When we come to the end, someone usually wants to sing it again.

When the song is finally played out, we head out outside with our glue-paint (mostly glue with a little paint added) and made damn sure our own little boxes (empty mint tins, bottle caps, and whatever else we might pick up from the playground) are not the same. Indeed, we couldn't make them the same, even if we tried.

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Books have a way of transforming us unlike any other media out there. Be it fiction or non-fiction, a books has the power to fully immerse us into a world in way that makes us come out the other side a changed -- and better -- person. I've put together this list of 16 books that have done that for me. They are intentionally not early childhood books, although each one has, in one way or another, profoundly transformed my work with young children. Maybe you'll find a few new ones here that will do the same for you. To download the list, click here.

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