A-dancing
we will go
A
fairy came a-dancing
A
jumbo jet
A
jump, a jump, a jump
A
little bird sat on a tree
A
little rabbit on a hill
A
little star
A ram
sam sam
A
squash and a squeeze
All
around the singing well
All
by myself
All
the little ducks turn upside down
As
swift as a swallow
At
the bottom of the sea
Last updated: 4/23/2023
10:47 AM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about
compiled,
adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Return to the ‘Singing games for
children’ home
To
listen to music from these songs click on 🔊
To watch the author sing a song click on
the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 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.
|
A-dancing
we will go / Hi ho
the derry oh 🔊
Learn to move in different ways around each other without touching. Make up your own movements Move around the room
individually or in short lines weaving in and out of each other. |
|
A-dancing we will go, A-dancing we will go, Hi ho the derry oh, A-dancing we will go. A-hopping we will go... A-skipping we will go... A-waving we will go... A-stamping we will go... A-marching we will go... A-tip-toeing we will go... |
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A fairy came a-dancing 🔊
In the summer as a young child I would feed the fairies in my garden
with teeny tiny potatoes dug up by an old gardener who would save them for me
when he worked on the railway embankment; I would serve them to the fairies
on rose petal plates. Now I sit outside in the garden looking out for wildlife . All those
in my song have appeared regularly here in the summer months despite living
in the centre of a small city; the railway line nearby is a natural
passageway. We might have been in lockdown but the animals below certainly weren’t
– maybe just the fairy! Move as suggested by the
words. |
|
A fairy came a-dancing, A-dancing, a-dancing, A fairy came a-dancing, Upon a summer’s day. Tra la la la la la, Tra la la la la la. A fairy came a-dancing, Upon a summer’s day. A bumble bee came
a-buzzing... A butterfly came
a-fluttering... A magpie came a-swooping... A slow worm came a-sliding... A fox came a-creeping... A badger came a-scampering... |
|
A jumbo jet 🔊
An action game for a transport topic. Sung to the same tune as ‘A ram sam sam’. Jumbo jet: arms out to the
side like an air plane. Helicopter: twirl finger in the air. Rocket: hands together above
head. Big red truck: mime driving
a big car. Little Mini Mini: mime driving a small car. Ferrari: slick back hair
with one hand then the other. |
|
A jumbo jet, a jumbo jet, A little helicopter and a
jumbo jet, A jumbo jet, a jumbo jet, A little helicopter and a
jumbo jet. A rocket, a rocket, A little helicopter and a
jumbo jet, A rocket, a rocket, A little helicopter and a
jumbo jet. A big red truck, a big red
truck, A little Mini Mini and a big
red truck, A big red truck, a big red
truck, A little Mini Mini and a big
red truck, A Ferrari, a Ferrari, A little Mini Mini and a big
red truck, A Ferrari, a Ferrari, A little Mini Mini and a big
red truck. |
|
A jump, a jump, a jump
🔊
Adapted by Dany Rosevear. A different take on the bean game and a good
warm up activity. Also try with BROAD BEANS! BAKED BEANS! Wait for instructions
(jumping beans) then jump vigorously, turn round and repeat. Do the same with other
movements. |
|
JUMPING BEANS! A jump, a jump, a jump, A-turning around and then, A-jump, a jump, a jump, And turning around again! KIDNEY BEANS! A hop, a hop, a hop, A turning around and then, A hop, a hop, a hop, And turning around again! JELLY BEANS! A shake, a shake, a shake, A turning around and then, A shake, a shake, a shake, And turning around again! FROZEN BEANS! Stand still, stand still,
stand still, Don’t turn around but then, Stand still, stand still, stand
still, Ready to move again! RUNNER BEANS! |
|
A German song translated into English by Mabel F. Wilson from ‘Music
time’ a infant teacher’s classic music book in the 1960s. 1, Open and close thumb and
forefinger. 2. Move fore finger like a
worm. Make hands fly. 3. Brush cheeks for cat’s
whiskers. 4. Hold up hands in
crouching position. Count with fingers to three. 5. Clap hands. 6. Make hands fly, hold
hands to chest. |
A little bird sat on a tree,
on a tree, on a tree,
A little bird sat on a tree:
Still was he.
He saw his breakfast on the
grass, on the grass, on the grass
He saw his breakfast on the
grass:
Down flew he!
A pussy cat was hiding
there, hiding there, hiding there,
A pussy cat was hiding there
Near the tree.
He set himself to make a
spring, make a spring, make a spring,
He set himself to make a
spring:
One! Two! Three!
But we began to clap our
hands, clap our hands, clap our hands,
But we began to clap our
hands
Noisily!
So then our little bird flew
off, bird flew off, bird flew off,
So then our little bird flew
off:
Glad
were we.
|
A little rabbit on a hill 🔊
Play as an action game or hand play (see video). Find this song in ‘Handbook for First Year Experimental Language
Development: Book Three’ Published in Australia May 73. Set to ‘I had a
little nut tree’. Addresses emotions and the past tense. 1. With paws together jump
or bob up and down. 2. Turn round with hands behind and wiggle. 3.Move two
finger rabbit ears upwards. 4. Place hand to one ear then circle eyes. 5.
Brush cheeks to show whiskers and tremble. 6. Whirl round and downwards. |
A little rabbit on a hill
Was jumping up and down.
Its fluffy tail was soft and
white,
Its two long ears were brown.
But when it heard a tiny
sound,
Its eyes flashed black as
coal,
Its little whiskers trembled
As it scuttled down a hole!
|
A little star / The stars, moon and me 🔊
Try the impossible for dreams do sometimes come true; a simple action
song. Find the original verse in ‘Child-land in song and rhythm’ Words: Florence Newell Barbour 1866 – 1946. Music and last two verses by Dany Rosevear. Verse 1. Reach high into the
air and try on tip toes to catch with your hand. Jump twice with vigour, and
spread out arms , move around flapping. Verse 2. As before then make
climbing action. Put hands on hips and look puzzled. Walk around with hand to
forehead. Shrug and throw hands out. Verse 3. Crouch down with
hands to cheek. Jump up high hands together like a rocket. Dance round alone,
with a partner or in threes. |
I tried to catch a little
star,
But, oh! I could not reach
so far!
I jumped and jumped, I tried
to fly,
But still I could not reach
the sky.
I tried to visit the Man in
the Moon,
But, oh! He disappeared too
soon.
I searched and searched the
skies round,
But still that moon could
not be found.
I went to bed when the night
time came,
And, oh! The moon was there
again!
Off into dreamland I did
fly,
Where the stars, moon and me
danced way up so high.
|
This song comes from Morocco but the words are nonsense ones as in
‘Hey diddle diddle’. It is now popular as a two or four part round and as an action rhyme
both in the Scouting movement and with more simple movements for young
children. First time sing at normal voice. Second and third time sing faster. Actions: A ram sam sam: clap or beat fists together Guli guli...: roll arms round the other A rafi: shoot hands up high and wiggle fingers. |
|
A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam, Guli guli guli guli guli ram
sam sam. A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam, Guli guli guli guli guli ram
sam sam. A rafi, a rafi, Guli guli guli guli guli ram
sam sam. A rafi, a rafi, Guli guli guli guli guli ram
sam sam. |
|
A squash and a squeeze 🔊
An action game with a big surprise. Stillness, security and vigorous
movement. Staying still is not always easy for the very young. Younger ones
might intially like to play this with an adult singing the words as they join
in with the ‘BOO! and ‘BOING!s. The presents have been opened and enjoyed but it is often the leftover
boxes that intrigue and provide continual fun for the little ones. Words and music by Dany Rosevear. 1. Crouch down with hands
over the head. Cover eyes. Put fingers to lips. 2. Jump up and shout ‘BOO!’
Stretch tall. Bounce around the room. |
For my poor little knees,
To fit in a box so small;
I curl up so tight
Where it’s dark as the night,
No-one knows that I’m in here at all.
But then I jump out
With a great big shout! “BOO!”
I stretch up ever so tall,
Then bounce away like a ball!
“BOING! BOING! BOING!”
|
All around the singing well 🔊
A cheerful ‘choose a partner’ game. Learn about opposites. Words by Dany Rosevear set to a classic nursery rhyme tune. Hold hands with a partner,
skip or walk one way then the other. Drop hands skip round the room looking
for a new partner. ‘High five’ first one opposite hand and then the other.
Skip round the room with new partner holding hands to ‘La, las’ finishing
with five stamps. |
All around the singing well,
Up and down the garden
In and out the house we go;
“Whoops, I beg your pardon!”
La, la, la, la, la, la, la,
la …
|
All by myself 🔊
A song to encourage independence and perseverance. It’s so much quicker to get outside if you can dress yourself. ‘Look at me!’ is the perennial children’s cry as they take pride in a
new achievement. Add more verses according to the circumstances. Words by Dany Rosevear set to a Dutch folk tune. Children can mime or
demonstrate actions while singing. |
Watch me put my shoes on, my
shoes on, my shoes on,
Watch me put my shoes on,
without any help!
It’s this way and that way,
and this way and that way,
Watch me put my shoes on,
all by myself.
Watch me put my coat on, my
coat on, my coat on,
Watch me put my coat on,
without any help!
It’s this way and that way,
and this way and that way,
Watch me put my coat on, all
by myself.
Watch me do my zip up…
Watch me fix my buttons…
Watch me take my coat off…
|
All the little ducks turn upside down O
A good movement song with a lovely quiet ending. 1.
Hold palms out and turn them over. 2. Put palms together and wiggle from side
to side. 3. Flap elbows up and down. 4. Flap hands up and down. 5. Hands open
and close like beaks. 6. Squat down with hands to the cheek.
|
|
As swift as a swallow 🔊
Use similes to make
comparisons. A poem by Rosemary Garland
from ‘Sing a song of everything’. Music arranged by Dany
Rosevear. Move in character around the room. |
|
As
high as a house, As
slow as a snail, As
quiet as a mouse, As
proud as a peacock, As red
as a rose, As fat
as a pumpkin, As
pink as my toes. |
|
At the bottom of the
sea 🔊
A traditional singing game from Denmark. It is more commonly played as
a name game. Music, words and game here have been slightly adapted by Dany
Rosevear. Encourage children to think of other creatures and how they live and
move on the seabed. For larger groups split the class into 2-4 groups. Children sit spaced out
around the room waving arms in the air like seaweed. One child, the fish,
swims in and out of the others. At ‘Oh, oh!’ that child taps another on the
shoulder, they stand up and follow the lead child swimming or moving in role,
changing each time. Finally everyone sits down and moves as before as
seaweed. |
|
At the bottom of the sea, All the fish are swimming, Here and there and
everywhere, Oh, oh! Little fish, little
fish, we love you! At the bottom of the sea, All the crabs are crawling, Here and there and
everywhere, Oh, oh! Little crabs, little
crabs, we love you! At the bottom of the sea, Old octopus is sprawling, Here and there and
everywhere, Oh, oh! Octopus, octopus, we
love you! At the bottom of the sea, All the sharks are gliding, Here and there and everywhere, Oh, oh! Hungry shark, hungry
shark, we don’t love you! At the bottom of the sea, All the plants are swaying, Here and there and
everywhere, Oh, oh! Everybody, everybody,
we love you! |
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