More action songs T

Tall as a tree

Teddy has the measles

The black cat yawns

The elephant wobbles from side to side

The golden boat song

The lighthouse song

The other day I met a bear

The prehistoric animal parade

The snail

The wise man and the foolish man

There was a crocodile

There’s a spider on the floor

Tippy tippy tiptoes

Today is Monday

Tohora nui

Tom saw a sailor

Tommy was a baker

Tony Chestnut

Touch your nose, touch your chin / The touch game

Touch your shoulders

Two little boats are on the sea

Two little hands

Two, two, what are two?

Last updated: 11/2/2020 11:07 AM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ Round and about

compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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Tall as a tree

Tackle concepts of size and comparison in a fun way. Be quiet or noisy at the end as the mood takes you!

Tall as a tree.

(Stand up and reach up high.)

Wide as a house.

(Stretch out arms and legs.)

Thin as a pin.

(Stand tall, as thin as you can.)

Small as a mouse.

(Curl into a ball.)

Tall as a tree, how tall can you be?

Wide as a house, how wide can you be?

Thin as a pin, how thin can you be?

Small as a mouse, how small can you be?

And how very, very, quiet can you be?

As quiet as a mouse - Shhh!

BOO! How very LOUD can you be?!

(Jump up high!) Leave last line out if you wish to finish on a quiet note!!!

Teddy has the measles 🔊

Originally ‘Dolly has the measles’, I’ve only found this rhyme in one place on the internet to encourage young children to engage in hospital play. My three year old granddaughter enthusiastically enjoys doctor play at present so this is for her.

Music and extra verses by Dany Rosevear with help from Ethan.

1. Rock teddy then dolly in arms, point to spots. 2. Mime phoning, nod with thumb up. 3. Hands to cheek. 4. Mime tucking in. 5. Tip water. 6. Tap teddy gently.

Teddy has the measles, dolly has them too,

Send for the doctor, she’ll know just what to do;

Send the patients straight to bed,

Keep them tucked up tight,

Give them lots of water,

They’ll soon be quite all right.

Bunny has the chickenpox, puppy has them too,

Send for the vet today, he’ll know just what to do;

Send the patients straight to bed,

Keep them tucked up tight,

Give them lots of water,

They’ll soon be quite all right.

Piglet has the sneezes, duckling has them too, Quackchoo!

Send for the farmer, he’ll know just what to do;

Send the patients straight to bed,

Keep them tucked up tight,

Give them lots of water,

They’ll soon be quite all right.

Grandma has the hiccups, grandad has them too,

Send for the grandchildren, they’ll know just what to do; BOO!

The black cat yawns 🔊

Nonchalantly dramatize the movement of a cat.

This Playschool version is based on a poem by Mary Britton Miller; the poem is well worth reading. I was inspired to record this after watching a YouTube buddy of mine play his banjo while his black cat moved in a very similar fashion.

1. On knees and hands open mouth wide. 2. Sit back and stretch arms and fingers. 3. On hands and knees arch back then lower it slowly. 4. Move away with arm and hand waving for tail.

Oh, the black cat yawns,

Opens up her jaws,

Stretches her legs,

And shows her claws.

Then she gets up

On her delicate toes,

Arches her back

As high as it goes.

She lets herself down

With particular care,

And pads away

With her tail in the air.

The black cat yawns,

Opens her jaws,

Stretches her legs,

And shows her claws.

Then she gets up

And stands on four

Long stiff legs

And yawns some more.

She shows her sharp teeth,

She stretches her lip,

Her slice of a tongue

Turns up at the tip.

Lifting herself

On her delicate toes,

She arches her back

As high as it goes.

She lets herself down

With particular care,

And pads away

With her tail in the air.

The earth needs the raindrops 🔊

Words by J. Kartsch and music by A. Wagner.

Verse 1. Draw a large circle with hands, make rain fall with fingers. Shade eyes. Hands open and close. Put hands to cheek. Verse 2. Arm and hand make a tree. Cup hand on branch. Put crossed hands to heart.

What shall we do in our garden this fine day?The earth needs the raindrops,

The day needs a light,

And heaven needs little stars

When the day turns to night.

The tree needs a little branch

Where the bird builds her nest,

And we need a little heart

To love and to trust

The elephant wobbles from side to side O

Make different movements for each animal.

This song is an adaptation, by Peter Charlton, for the Australian ABC Play School programme, of the classic nursery game ‘The elephant goes like this and that’.

1. Move from one leg to the other waving an arm for a trunk. Hold hands up high and the wide. Put hands to mouth to shout last line. 2. Move slowly with head outstretched and then as before. 3. Jump in a bouncy manner and then as before.

The elephant wobbles from side to side,

He's terribly big and he's terribly wide,

And people shout wherever he goes,

"Goodness, gracious, what a nose!"

The tortoise goes with a slurpety slop,

If he went much slower he would stop,

And people shout when they see him go,

"Goodness, gracious aren’t you slow!"

The kangaroo goes with a bumpety bump,

He’ll never walk when he can jump,

And people shout to him in the street,

"Goodness, gracious, what big feet!"

The golden boat song 🔊

A rowing action song.

From ‘The child’s own music book’ published in 1922.

Arranged by Dany Rosevear

Children sit one behind the other with legs out in a v shape. This could be in a circle or in lines of six or so. Make a rowing action by bending forward with arms straight out, and thumbs touching; backs of hands uppermost on a level with shoulders. Sweep arms to bring hands to the floor in time to the music.

On ‘see how we splash' children pat the ground with open palms as though splashing water.

Chorus:

Here we float in our golden boat,

Far away, far away,

Here we float in our golden boat

Far away.

See how we splash and water dash,

While on the air the sun shines fair,

Singing of birds and lowing herds,

Far, far, far away. x2

Chorus

See how we splash and water dash,

While in the trees the summer breeze,

Sings of the wind and hills behind,

Far, far, far away. x2

Chorus

See how we splash and water dash,

While all the stars through cloudy bars,

Beckon us home, no more to roam,

Far, far, far away. x2

The lighthouse song O

A lighthouse song by Jennie Brockhurst based on Twinkle, twinkle little star.

Twinkle, twinkle little light,

Flashing brightly through the night,

When it's stormy you must show,

All the sailors where to go,

Twinkle, twinkle little light,

Flashing brightly through the night.

The other day I met a bear 🔊

This very popular humorous community song was written in 1919 by Carey Morgan and David Lee. The gun verse has been ommited as the song hangs easily together without it.

This is a natural song for inventive actions.

The other day, The other day,

I met a bear, I met a bear,

A great big bear, A great big bear,

Away out there! A way out there!

The other day I met a bear,

A great big bear away out there.

He looked at me… I looked at him…

He sized up me… I sized up him...

And so I ran… Away from there…

But right behind… Me was that bear...

Ahead of me… There was a tree…

A great big tree… O glory be!...

The nearest branch… Was ten feet up…

I had to jump…. And trust my luck...

And so I jumped… Into the air…

And missed that branch… Away up there...

Now don’t you fret… And don’t you frown…

I caught that branch… On the way back down...

That is the end… There ain’t no more…

Unless I meet… A dinosaur...

The prehistoric animal parade 🔊

Words and music by M.L.Reeve. A song in four different keys.

Some might point to the historical inaccuracies; brontosaurus is now apatosaurus, a woolly mammoth is not a dinosaur but this song was written in the 1970s when such niceties were uncommon or unknown.

It is a great song for using percussion.

Move as the words suggest to a slow beat.

Listen to the chorus,

Of the brontosaurus

And the stegosaurus

Down by the swamp.

Along comes a dinosaur,

Making such a loud roar,

Thumping with his feet

And going stomp, stomp, stomp.

Pterodactyl flapping,

Long beak clacking,

Big teeth snapping,

Down from a tree.

Here's a woolly mammoth,

Tusks all curly,

Joins the hurly burly.

Oh dear me!

What a noise!

It's the boys and the girls

Of the prehistoric animal brigade!

The snail O

A children’s song from Devon which can be found in the songbook ‘Sing a song One’ published in 1978. Subsequently I have heard it sung by both Cyril Tawney and Bill Murray, who noted on his CD info that it was collected from Fanny Maunder who was born in Buckfastleigh, Devon, in 1849.

It needs to be sung at a steady pace as it alternates between 6/8 and 9/8 time.

It can be played as below or as a finger rhyme with the fist slowly moving up the arm with two fingers out like horns.

Children curl up like a snail and slide along the floor with arms up like the snail’s horns. One or more children pretend to be blackbirds and creep among the snails flapping their elbows like wings. On the last line they choose a child to tap gently; these children then become the new blackbirds.

The snail creeps out with his house on his back.

You can tell where he's been by his slimy track.

Chorus:

Creep, creep, creep, oh how slowly he goes.

And you'd be the same if you carried your house.

You can't see him but you know where he's been

He feeds on the leaves of the plants so green.

Still, still, still, in the darkness of night.

He steels away ere the morning light.

With horny eye he peers about.

But the blackbird at last has found him out.

Tap, tap, tap on the roof of his house.

He gobbles him up as a cat would a mouse.

The wise man and the foolish man O

A simple retelling of the parable from the New Testament; it also teaches a universal message about building our lives on firm foundations.

1. Place fists alternately on top of the other. Make a house shape and then place fist firmly on the palm of the hand. Fingers wiggle downwards for the rain and hands move upwards for the floods. On the last l line place one fist firmly on top of the other hand.

2, Move palms facing down over each other then as before. Clap loudly on the last line.

The wise man built his house upon the rock,

And the rain came tumbling down.

The rain came down, and the floods came up,

And the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

And the rain came tumbling down.

The rain came down, and the floods came up,

And the house on the sand fell flat!

There was a crocodile 🔊

A camp fire sustitution song. Sing through with actions in time to the music as below.

Crocodile: Arms open and close. Orangutan: Scratch under arms. Eagle: Cross arms at wrists and flap. Fish: One hand on top of the other with thumbs out ‘swim’. Bunny: Two fingers to each side of head flop. Beaver: Two forefingers dangle from mouth. Elephant: Sway arm like a trunk.

There was a crocodile, an orangutan, a flying eagle and a slippery fish.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was snippety snap, an orangutan, a flying eagle and a slippery fish.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, scritchety scratch, a flying eagle and a slippery fish.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, and a scritchety scratch, a flippety flap and a slippery fish.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, and a scritchety scratch, a flippety flap and a swish swash.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, and a scritchety scratch, and a flippety flap and a swish swash.

A boing boing, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, and a scritchety scratch, and a flippety flap, and a swish swash.

A boing boing, a munch munch, a crazy elephant. Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a snippety snap, and a scritchety scratch, and a flippety flap, and a swish swash.

A boing boing, a munch munch, a trumpetty trump. Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There was a crocodile, an orangutan, a flying eagle and a slippery fish.

A bunny, a beaver, a crazy elephant.

Na na na na na na, na na na na na na!

There’s a spider on the floor O

The original Raffi version of this song was written by Bill Russell from Canada.

I heard the song at a Mother and Toddler session recently with my grandchild; this seems to be the version sung in nurseries in England nowadays. It has the same tune as ‘Put your finger in the air’.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,

There’s a spider on the floor

And he’s coming through the door,

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

Now that spider’s on my knee, on my knee,

Now that spider’s on my knee,

And he’s looking right at me,

Now that spider’s on my knee, on my knee.

Now that spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy,

Now that spider’s on my tummy,

And I think I want my mummy,

Now that spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy.

Now that spider’s on my arm, on my arm,

Now that spider’s on my arm,

But he won’t do me any harm,

Now that spider’s on my arm, on my arm.

Now that spider's on my head, on my head,

Now that spider’s on my head,

Can he come to you instead?

Hooray! That spider on my head has just jumped off.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,(fast)

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,

There’s a spider on the floor…

Phew! Now, he’s crawling out the door.

Goodbye dear old spider on the floor.

There was a little turtle O

Watch out for the little turtle – he’s got a mean bite!

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in the puddles.

He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at the mosquito.

He snapped at the flea.

He snapped at the minnow.

And he snapped at me!

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn't catch me!

Make hand into a fist with thumb out. Cover turtle with the other hand.

Place one hand on top of the other and make thumbs ‘swim’.

Hands make a climbing motion

Snap thumb and finger x3s.

Snap at self.

Grab three times.

Shake finger from side to side and point to self.

Tippy tippy tiptoe 🔊

Children love an excuse to tiptoe, find a dramatic theme like Hallowe’en or grandma sleeping as an excuse to move in a quiet manner. The words are anonymous and music is by Milton Kaye from ‘Music for living: music through the day’.

Move around the room weaving in and out of each other or with a partner.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, here we go,

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, to and fro.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, through the house,

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe like a mouse.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, here we go,

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, to and fro.

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, time to hop,

Tippy, tippy, tiptoe, time to stop.

Today is Monday 🔊

Sequence the days of the week. A traditional cumulative rhyme that has been charmingly updated by the wonderful Eric Carle; you can find it in his beautifully illustrated picture book of the same name.

The foods can be changed to reflect your children’s favourites, one of my grandchildren loves pizza!

String beans – wave hands back and forth. Spaghetti – roll hands round each other. Zoooop – spoon towards mouth. Pizza – slice. Fresh fish – palms of hands together and swim. Chicken – flap elbows. Icecream – lick. Hungry children – rub tummy. Pretend to eat.

Today is Monday, today is Monday, Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Tuesday, today is Tuesday, Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Wednesday, today is Wednesday, Wednesday, zoooop,

Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Thursday, today is Thursday, Thursday, pizza,

Wednesday, zoooop,

Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Friday, today is Friday, Friday, fresh fish,

Thursday, pizza,

Wednesday, zoooop,

Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Saturday, today is Saturday, Saturday, chicken,

Friday, fresh fish,

Thursday, pizza,

Wednesday, zoooop,

Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Today is Sunday, today is Sunday, Sunday, ice-cream,

Saturday, chicken,

Friday, fresh fish,

Thursday, pizza,

Wednesday, zoooop,

Tuesday, spaghetti,

Monday, string beans,

All you hungry children, come and eat it up!

Tohora nui / The big whale 🔊

A singing game from New Zealand in the Maori language.

English translation / interpretation and written music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Stretch arms out to the side. 2. Stretch arms up. 3. Arms make big circle in front. 4. Put wrists together with hands out above head. 5. Hands beind back and shooting out. 6. Hands, in front and side by side, move up and down away from body.

Tohorā nui,

Tohorā roa,

Tohorā tino mōmona,

Tohorā whiuwhiua,

Tohorā piupiua e,

Tohorā kau kau ana I te moana e!

A whale is big,

A whale is long,

A whale is so, so, so gigantic,

Flap and swish your tail, whale,

Spout your blowhole high,

Swim around whale, swim across the oceans so wide!

Tom saw a sailor 🔊

I came across this song in ‘Merrily, merrily’ published 1979 by the Nursing Mother’s Associaton of Australia where it was credited to anonymous. However an internet seach suggests it comes from ‘Dickory's horse, and five other songs for singing and acting’ written by Anne Harding Thompson in 1933. As this publication is not available I have added an activity to play.

Divide children into two groups: sailors holding a bundle over the shoulder and children with hands on hips. Line 1. Walk around the room in and out of each other looking for a partner. 2. Stop in front of a partner and stamp three times. 3. and 4. Children sing question, sailors answer and give their child a bun to eat.

Tom saw a sailor walking down the street,

He had a spotted handkerchief and bare brown feet.

“What’s in your bundle sailor, ahoy?”

A pipe for the bosun and a bun for the boy!”

Tommy was a baker O

A great song for dramatisation.

This song is also known as ‘Johnny was a soldier’ or ‘Tommy was a soldier’.

One child chooses and mimes an occupation. The others try to guess what it is. Once they have guessed they sing the child’s name and job as that child continues to mime. They then all copy the movements or make up ones of their own to show what else people in that job can do.

Tommy was a baker,

I know, I know, I know.

All do as I do,

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh!

Zara was a doctor...

Ethan was a driver...

Nancy was a gardener...

Edward was a pilot...

Bobby was a builder...

Tony Chestnut O

Rather like ‘Head, shoulders knees and toes’ this song can be sung with words omitted in sequence with actions replacing them. Alternatively for a vigorous work out it can be sung faster each time.

Point to the toe, knee, chest, and head (nut) in turn as each word is mentioned.

Follow this by the nose and eyes, then place crossed hands over the chest (love) and point to a friend (you).

Tony Chestnut knows I love you,

Tony knows, Tony knows,

Tony Chestnut knows I love you.

That’s what Tony knows!

Touch your nose, touch your chin /

The touch game 🔊

Identify parts of the body and make funny noises.

Music added by Dany Rosevear.

1. Touch nose then chin 2. Touch eyes then knees. Pretend to sneeze and say ‘Achoo!’ sneeze on arm. 3. Touch hair then ears. Touch lips and blow raspberry. 4. Touch elbows. Place hands on hips.

Touch your nose, touch your chin,

That’s the way this game begins.

Touch your eyes, touch your knees,

Now pretend you have to sneeze. ATCHOO!

Touch your hair, touch your ears,

Touch your two red lips right here. Blow raspberry Touch your elbows just where they bend,

That’s the way the touch game ends.

Touch your shoulders 🔊

A classic rhyme with a challenging ending. Identify parts of the body and finish settled for the next activity.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Move as the words suggest making a big stretch when reaching up. Finish sitting quietly on the floor.

Touch your shoulders, touch your knees.

Raise your arms then drop them, please.

Pull your ears, and tap your nose.

Touch your ankles, tickle your toes.

Hands on hips and bend your knees.

Slowly, quietly, sit down please.

Two little boats are on the sea O

Learn about controlled slow then fast and back to slow movements.

This song can be played as a pair game, see below, or a knee bouncing activity: sway baby gently from side to side, bounce faster, then sway gently once again.

Children in pairs sit facing each other holding hands and rock back and forth gently at first then faster. Make appropriate sounds at the end of each line.

Two little boats are on the sea, Mmm mmm!

All is calm as calm as can be. Mmm mmm!

Gently the wind begins to blow, Ooooh Ooooh!

Two little boats rock to and fro. Ooooh Ooooh!

Loudly the wind begins to shout, Whoo Whoo!

Two little boats are tossed about. Whoo Whoo!

Gone is the wind, the storm, the rain, Mmm mmm!

Two little boats sail on again. Mmm mmm!

Two little hands 🔊

Words by Lucille F. Wood from ‘Singing fun’ published 1962; this book contains so many familiar children’s nursey classics in such a small volume.

Move as the words suggest or find rhythm instruments that make the same sound.

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.

Two little feet go tap, tap, tap.

Two little fists go thump, thump, thump. Two little legs go jump, jump, jump.

One little body turns around,

And everyone sits quietly down.

Two, two, what are two? 🔊

This sweet little number rhyme, possibly of Japanese origin, ends with a big hug.

A very kind viewer suggested this might be a translation of the poem "Futa-tu" by Michio Mado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVtzyL3Ap3c Wish I'd listened to it before making up a tune!

Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Put up one finger on each hand Point to each eye then each ear. 2. As before, then clap hands and stamp feet twice. 3. As before. Point to child and give a big hug.

Two, two ,what are two?

Eyes are two, one, two,

Ears are two, one, two,

Two, two, what are two?

Hands are two, one, two,

Feet are two, one, two,

Two, two, what are two?

You know you know,

My arms are two!

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