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
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:
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you must give the original author credit
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you may not use this work for commercial purposes
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for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
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 |
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. |
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, The wise man built his house upon the rock, The wise man built his house upon the rock, And the rain came tumbling down. The rain came down, and the floods came up, The rain came down, and the floods came up, 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, The foolish man built his house upon the
sand, The foolish man built his house upon the
sand, And the rain came tumbling down. The rain came down, and the floods came up, The rain came down, and the floods came up, 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! |
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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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. |
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!” |
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, Tommy was a baker, Tommy was a baker, I know, I know, I know. All do as I do, All do as I do, 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. |
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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