HELP!! Christmas Stress Already :(

I love the Mariah Carey Christmas song. It has a great dancing beat. But my favorite, non-traditional "fun" Christmas song is the "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" song sung by Gayla Peevey in 1953 with lyrics and music by John Rox. Me and my kids break out into song in the car sometimes just singing "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do. No crocodiles, or rhinoceroses. I only like, hippopotamuses. And hippopotamuses like me too!!" It's such a fun song!

Here's an interesting fact about the popular Christmas hippopotamus song that I found on the Internet - "in 1953 a ten-year-old girl from Oklahoma, Gayla Peevey, sang the song as a way to raise money for the Oklahoma City Zoo's first hippopotamus. It became a nationwide hit after that, although John Rox wrote the song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" in 1950!

The song was not written specifically for the Oklahoma zoo, its just that when they needed the hippo, the song came out so the Christmas hippopotamus song just fit. The media, in order to raise funds, encouraged people to send their nickels and dimes to buy Gayla a "hippo" for Christmas. In December of that year the city received Matilda, the hippo, for Christmas. Isn't that a perfect example of the miraculous spirit associated with Christmas songs and the joy they spread."

I'm no choreographer, nor do I have a creative bone in my body, so I can't help you with ideas for how to create a dance routine or skit to this song. I just think it's such a cute tune and thought I'd throw that out there for you to consider.

Man, thinking about that song is putting me in the Christmas spirit already!! ;-)

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I love that Hippo song! lol I don't know about songs or dances, but Oriental Trading Company has some great costume pieces for very cheap. You could also have the kids wear either a red or green t-shirt and make a flannel collar with bells that you would velcro on in the back; something simple to put on and take off.

Best wishes, and I hope you don't stress too much! :)

1 mom found this helpful

My friend and I just learned how to make tutu's and they were so easy, just google for online instructions. They only cost us $10 a piece, and took maybe an hour if that. Then you could buy plain t-shirt and get a sequin iron on transfer from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. The outfit would be cute, easy and cost effective.

1 mom found this helpful

now this is just my opinion and while "all i want for christmas is you" is a great song with a snappy beat....i don't think it's appropriate for a 3rd grade dance routine.

i remember i LOVED the hippopotamus song and jingle bell rock is great too. good luck.

1 mom found this helpful