Snip, snap crocodile T a-q
Poems + action and other rhymes for children
The
blind men and the elephant
The
clucking hen
The
cold old house
The
early morning
The
fairies
The
fairies lullaby
The
lark is up to meet the sun
The
leaves had a wonderful frolic
The
leaves’ party
The
Leprechaun; or Fairy Shoemaker
The
little plant
The
little tune
The
Moon’s the North Wind’s cookie
The
Owl and the Pussycat
The
prickly little hedgehog
The
night will never stay by Eleanor Farjeon
Have fun with this
collection; it’s a great way to:
• increase verbal
skills, expand vocabulary and horizons
• interact with a
partner or larger groups and understand turn taking
• learn to follow
or synchronize actions with each other
• learn to start
and stop and discover the value of rules
• use children’s
natural response to rhythm and rhyme
• sharpen
listening skills
• improve memory
• continue the
tradition of children’s verse from this and other countries
• be creative, there
are many opportunities change words or actions, add verses, use different
voices or change
roles
• above all to
have lots of tremendous fun – even the most timid child will follow the rhyme
and with the group
soon begin to join in.
The rhymes and poems
below are part of ‘Away we go!’
compiled and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Last updated: 11/30/2020
11:05 AM
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page
To watch and listen
to the rhyme click on the title at:
©
Dany Rosevear 2012 All rights
reserved
You are free to
copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following
conditions:
·
you
must give the original author credit
·
you
may not use this work for commercial purposes
·
for
any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of
this work
·
any of
these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder
Your fair use and other
rights are no way affected by the above.
|
The blind men
and the elephant 🔊
A poem based on a Hindu fable by John Godfrey Saxe in 1872. |
It was six men of
Hindostan,
To learning much
inclined,
Who went to see the
elephant,
(Though all of them
were blind)
That each by
observation
Might satisfy his
mind.
The first approached
the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and
sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"Bless me,it
seems the Elephant
Is very like a
wall!"
The second, feeling of
the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what
have we here
So very round and
smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty
clear
This wonder of an
Elephant
Is very like a
spear!"
The third approached
the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk
within his hands,
Thus boldly up and
spake:
"I see,"
quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a
snake."
The fourth stretched
out his eager hand,
And felt about the
knee,
"What most this
mighty beast is like
Is mighty plain,"
quoth he;
"'Tis clear
enough the Elephant
Is very like a
tree"
The fifth, who chanced
to touch the ear
Said, "Even the
blindest man
Can tell what this
resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an
Elephant
Is very like a
fan."
The sixth no sooner
had begun
About the beast to
grope,
Than, seizing on the
swinging tail
That fell within his
scope,
"I see,"
quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a
rope."
And so these men of
Hindostan
Disputed loud and
long,
Each in his own
opinion
Exceeding stiff and
strong,
Though each was partly
in the right,
And all were in the
wrong.
|
The clucking hen 🔊
How many chicks are hatched? From Aunt Effie's ‘Rhymes For Little Children’ by
Jane Euphemia Saxby published 1860. Melody adapted from a traditional tune (The Fox,
Time and Tune BBC Schools, Spring 1955) by Dany Rosevear. |
|
“Will you take a walk with me, My little wife, to-day? There’s barley in the barley field, And hay-seed in the hay.” “Thank you;” said the clucking hen; “I’ve something else to do; I’m busy sitting on my eggs, I cannot walk with you.” “Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,” Said the clucking hen; “My little chicks will soon be hatched, I’ll think about it then.” The clucking hen sat on her nest, She made it in the hay; And warm and snug beneath her breast, A dozen white eggs lay. Crack, crack, went all the eggs, Out dropped the chickens small! “Cluck,” said the clucking hen, “Now I have you all.” “Come along, my little chicks, I’ll take a
walk with YOU.” “Hallo!” said the barn-door cock, “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” |
|
The early
morning 🔊
A poem by Hilaire Belloc. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
The moon on the one hand, the dawn on the other: The moon is my sister, the dawn is my brother. The moon on my left, and the dawn on my right. My brother, good morning: my sister, good night. |
|
The fairies 🔊
A favourite of mine from my childhood. By the Irish poet William
Allingham 1824–89. With thoughts of young children I have only included two
verses; for the whole sad story of young Bridget who was taken away by the
little men visit: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Poetry/TheFairies.html Music by Dany Rosevear. |
Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feather! Down along the rocky shore Some make their home, They live on crispy pancakes Of yellow tide-foam; Some in the reeds Of the black mountain lake, With frogs for their watch-dogs, All night awake. |
|
The fairies’ lullaby 🔊
From ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ by William Shakespeare 1564-1616. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
You spotted snakes, with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen, Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, Come not near our fairy queen. Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby; Never harm, nor spell nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good-night, with lullaby. Weaving spiders, come not here; Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence! Beetles black, approach not near; Worm nor snail do no offence. Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby; Never harm, nor spell nor charm, Come our lovely lady nigh; So, good-night, with lullaby. |
|
The cold
old house O
This anonymous rhyme came from BBC Radio’s
wonderful Poetry Corner, Spring 1973; Tune by Dany Rosevear. |
|
I know a house, and a cold old house, A cold old house by the sea. If I were a mouse in that cold old house, What a cold, cold mouse I’d be! |
|
The lark is up
to meet the sun 🔊
Wise words from the past. A poem by Jane Taylor, 1783-1824, from
William Holmes McGuffey’s ‘McGuffey's Eclectic Primer’ published 1848. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
The lark is up to meet the sun, The bee is on the wing, The ant her labor has begun, The woods with music ring. Shall birds and bees and ants be wise, While I my moments waste? Oh, let me with the morning rise, And to my duties haste. Why should I sleep till beams of morn Their light and glory shed? Immortal beings were not born To waste their time in bed. |
|
The leaves had a wonderful frolic 🔊
A poem for Autumn. ‘The leaves’ is yet another
anonymous classic. Melody by Dany Rosevear. |
|
The leaves had a wonderful frolic, They danced to the wind's loud song, They whirled, and they floated, and scampered, They circled and flew along. The moon saw the little leaves dancing, Each looked like a small brown bird. The man in the moon smiled and listened, And this is the song he heard: The North Wind is calling, is calling, And we must whirl round and round, And then, when our dancing is ended We'll make a warm quilt for the ground. |
|
The leaves’ party 🔊
An Autumn /
Fall into Winter poem. Written by Alice C. D. Riley, music by By Jessie L.
Gaynor. From ‘Discovering music together’ Book 3, by Charles Leonhard,
Beatrice Perham Krone et al published 1967 by Follett Educational. |
|
The leaves had a party one Autumn day, and invited the North Wind bold; they put on their dresses of crimson and brown, with their borders splashed with gold. At first they danced to a merry tune, but the North Wind whirled them round; and tossed them roughly to and fro, till they fell upon the ground. And when kind old Dame Winter came, she pitied the tired leaves so; she laid them gently on the grass, and covered them over with snow. |
|
The Leprechaun; or Fairy Shoemaker 🔊
The song below are the words of the leprechaun from a poem by William
Allingham; find the full poem here. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
Tip-tap, rip-rap, Tick-a-tack-too! Scarlet leather, sewn together, This will make a shoe. Left, right, pull it tight; Summer days are warm; Underground in Winter. Laughing at the storm! Big boots a-hunting, Sandals in the hall, White for a wedding-feast. Pink for a ball. This way, that way. So we make a shoe; Getting rich every stitch, Tick-a-tack-too! Rip-rap, tip-tap, Tick-a-tack-too! (A grasshopper on my cap! Away the moth flew!) Buskins for a Fairy Prince, Brogues for his son, — Pay me well, pay me well. When the job is done! |
|
The little plant O
A poem by Kate Louise Brown
1924-1964. Music by Dany Rosevear. 1. Put finger in fist. 2. Put hands to cheek. 3. Stretch arms, make
shape of the sun, finger peeps through fist. 4. Stretch, make raindrops with
fingers. 5. Put hand to ear, make finger grow higher in fist. 6. Look
thrilled. |
|
In the heart of a seed, Buried deep, so deep, A dear little plant lay fast asleep. “Wake!” said the sunshine “And creep to the light,” “Wake!” said the voice of the raindrops bright. The little plant heard and it rose to see What a wonderful outside world might be. |
|
The
little tune 🔊
A lesser known poem by Rose
Fyleman. Music by Dany Rosevear. Verse 1. Play a violin or other instrument, draw sun. make hill with
hands, hands move and stop, cup hands and open. Verse 2. Play as before,
thumb and forefinger make moon shape, put hand to brow, with each hand make
rabbit ears, put hand to ears. |
|
He played his little tune One summer afternoon, And on the grassy hill The very breeze was still, While every buttercup Looked up – looked up. He played his little tune Beneath the yellow moon; So sweet it was , so light, That (oh, the darling sight) The bunnies all drew near To hear – to hear. |
|
The Moon’s the North
Wind’s cookie 🔊
A lovely poem to sing as a lullaby
as it conjures up delightful pictures in the mind. A poem by Vachel Nicholas Lindsay
(1879-1931) Music from Burl Ives CD ‘Folk Lullabies’. |
|
The Moon's the North Wind's cookie. He bites it, day by day, Until there's but a rim of scraps That crumble all away. The South Wind is a baker. He kneads clouds in his den, And bakes a crisp new moon that…greedy North...Wind...eats...again! |
|
The Owl and the
Pussycat 🔊
An old classic nonsense poem by Edward Lear set to music by Victor
Hely-Hutchinson. There are several other tunes but this is the version I was
familiar with as a child from the singing of Elton Hayes on Children’s
Favourites on BBC radio in the 1950s. |
The Owl and the
Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful
pea-green boat, They took some honey,
and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a
five-pound note. The Owl looked up to
the stars above, And sang to a small
guitar, "O lovely Pussy!
O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy
you are, You are, You are! What a beautiful Pussy
you are!" Pussy said to the Owl,
"You elegant fowl! How charmingly sweet
you sing! O let us be married!
too long we have tarried: But what shall we do
for a ring?" They sailed away, for
a year and a day, To the land where the
Bong-Tree grows And there in a wood a
Piggy-wig stood With a ring at the end
of his nose, His nose, His nose, With a ring at the end
of his nose. "Dear Pig, are
you willing to sell for one shilling Your ring?" Said
the Piggy, "I will." So they took it away,
and were married next day By the Turkey who
lives on the hill. They dined on mince,
and slices of quince, Which they ate with a
runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on
the edge of the sand, They danced by the
light of the moon, The moon, The moon, They danced by the
light of the moon. |
|
The prickly little hedgehog O
A poem for Autumn. Music by Dany Rosevear. Line
1-3. Interlink fingers and raise to make spikes, point little fingers
outwards to make snout. 4. Put hands to cheek. 5-6. As for first two lines 7.
Wag finger. 8. Make hands into a ball. |
|
The prickly little hedgehog, Goes slowly on his way. He comes out in the evening, And often sleeps by day. He’s a gentle little fellow, Who does no harm at all. But if you try to hurt him, He’ll curl up in a ball. |
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