Last
updated: 5/9/2019 4:56 PM
The apple tree / Here is a tree with
leaves so green
The bird’s nest
The earth needs the raindrops
The golden sun is shining
The oak tree
The owl and the brownies
The rainbow
The snake charmer
The sun it rises
The waves on the sea
There was a hungry hunter
This little mountain
This little tiger is very wild
This pretty planet
Three little owlets
Tiny little bird
Tiptoeing in the dark
These songs are nursery rhymes and
other traditional songs compiled,
illustrated and music arranged 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:
©
Dany Rosevear 2013 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.
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The apple tree / Here is a tree 🔊
A
simple hand play for Autumn for the very young. 1. Put forearms together and spread hands.
2. Make hands into fists. 3. Move hands like the wind and fists tumble down
with rolling arms. 4. Make a basket with hand, pick up apples and put them in
the basket. |
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Here is a tree with leaves so green. Here are the apples that hang in between. When the wind blows the apples will fall, And here is a basket to gather them all. |
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The bird’s nest 🔊
A
Froebel hand play for Spring. Music
arranged by Dany Rosevear to a German nursery tune, ‘Little John’. 1. Palms up. 2. Open and close thumb and
forefinger, cup palms. 3. Hold up two fingers put in nest. 4. Hands to cheek. 5. Thumb
up, hand to ear. 6. Two fingers poke through curled fist. 7. Hand to ear, open and close forefingers
and thumbs. 8. Hands to heart, open and close forefingers and thumbs. |
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Here upon the leaves at rest, A little bird has built her nest. Two tiny eggs within she’s laid, And many days beside them stayed. Now she’s happy; listen well! Two baby birds break through the shell. Don’t you hear them? “Peep! Peep! Peep! We love you, mother, “Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!”
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The golden sun is shining 🔊
An early morning hand play to remind us to look up and
appreciate the wonders of our world. Music and second verse by Dany Rosevear. Verse 1. Draw a
large circle with hands, wiggle fingers. Raise upturned hands to the sky and
look up. Put hands together and bow, draw smiling mouth. Point to audience. Verse 2. With
circled thumb and forefingers make moon rise up. Hands to face draw apart and
look through. Put hands together and bow. Hand to forehead, hands to cheek. |
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The golden sun is shining, Up in the sky so blue; Good morning, happy morning, Good morning, sun, to you. The pale moon is a-rising, Up in the dark it peeps; Good evening moon, good evening, Keep watch, the world’s asleep. |
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The golden sun is shining 🔊
An early morning hand
play to remind us to look up and appreciate the wonders of our world. Music
and second verse by Dany Rosevear. Verse 1. Draw a large circle with hands, wiggle
fingers. Raise upturned hands to the sky and look up. Put hands together and
bow, draw smiling mouth. Point to audience. Verse 2. With circled thumb and forefingers make moon
rise up. Hands to face draw apart and look through. Put hands together
and bow. Hand to forehead, hands to cheek.Verse 1. Draw a large circle with
hands, wiggle fingers. Raise upturned hands to the sky and look up. Put hands
together and bow, draw smiling mouth. Point to audience. Verse 2. With circled thumb and forefingers make moon
rise up. Hands to face draw apart and look through. Put hands together
and bow. Hand to forehead, hands to cheek. |
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The oak tree 🔊
This song can be found in ‘Sing a song’ published in 1978. Written by
David Dyer, I have accompanied it with a simpler tune and slightly adapted
the words to accommodate the new music. Verse 1. Show small with thumb and forefinger, point
to another child and self. Repeat. Fingers fall downwards. Lift up arms, hold
hand above head. 2. As before. Put finger through hand and grow into a tree.
3. Hold hand above head, point to another child and self. Repeat. With hands
stretch move as on a windy day. |
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Smaller than you, smaller than me, Smaller than you, smaller than me, The tiny acorn falls from the oak tree, Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me! Smaller than you, smaller than me, Smaller than you, smaller than me, The tiny acorn grows into an oak tree, Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me! Bigger than you, bigger than me, Bigger than you, bigger than me, Now there’s a great big spreading oak tree, Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me! |
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The owl and the brownies 🔊
How quiet can you be? Written by Maude Burnham from
‘Rhymes for little hands’ published 1906. The music is by Lucille F. Wood and
can be found in the classic ‘Singing Fun’ published in 1966. Here it is adapted
and arranged by Dany Rosevear. Line 1. Place two fingers thumb of hand. 2. Put finger
to lips. 3. Place thumb and forefingers round eyes. 4. Look around then shake
finger. 5. Fingers run up arm. 6. Put finger to lips 7. Two forefingers make
beak. 8. Fingers jump off arm, fly and hide behind back. 9. Place two fingers
on the other arm. 10. Put finger to lips. |
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An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree, He was as quiet as quiet could be; ‘Twas night and his eyes were open like this! He looked all around; not a thing did he miss! Some brownies crept up to the branch of the tree, And sat there quietly as still as could be; Said the wise owl, “Too-whoo, Too-whoo!” Then up jumped the brownies and away they all
flew! An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree, He was as quiet as quiet could be. |
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The rainbow 🔊
Appreciate the wonder of our world - how a rainbow is made. Sing
cheerfully. Another from the
words of Emilie Poulsson, music by
Eleanor Smith. Line 1. Make a big round shape, wiggle fingers
downward. 2. Put hand to mouth. 3. Point upwards. 4. Make rain as before and
wiggle fingers up for the sunshine. 5. Hands move outwards. 6. Sweep hands
overhead. |
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Sun shining, rain falling, And everyone calling, Oh! Look at the glorious sky! For shower and shining, In beauty combining, A rainbow have painted on high. |
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The snake charmer 🔊
This familiar piece of musicis associated with belly dancing and has a
number of titles including ‘The streets of Cairo’; you can also find children’s
verses with inappropriate words! These words come from flute and piano
tutors. 1. Hand and arm
make a basket. 2. The other hand rests on arm through hole made. 3.Play
pretend flute. 4. Snakes head rises, looks around, bends and sways. |
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In a place I know, A magician has a show; In his basket deep Lies a cobra fast asleep. When the master plays a haunting sound, It rises up and looks around, It bends and sways While the master’s music plays. |
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The sun it rises 🔊
A gentle had play to calm everyone or before bedtime. Discuss where the
sun rises. Can also be sung
as a round. Line 1. and 2. While sitting lift arms from lap in a
rounded shape and move slowly from low left, overhead and then gently down on
the right side. 3. and 4. Bring rounded arms up in front, open arms and
wiggle fingers downwards in front to settle in lap. |
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The sun it rises in the day, And in the evening slips away. The moon it comes up in the night, And fades away in the morning light. |
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The waves on the sea 🔊
All at sea. A great one for accompanying with percussion as well as for
actions, and you can easily add your own marine verses. Line 1. Wave hands up and down. 2. Place hands
together and swish from side to side. 3. Open and close hands. 4. Roll arms
round each other. 5. With hands face down wiggle fingers. 6. Hands and arms
make a leaping motion. 7. Pull an imaginary lever for each toot. |
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The waves on the sea go up and down, Up and down, up and down. The waves on the sea go up and down, All day long. The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish, Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish, All day long. The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap, Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap, All day long. The seals in the sea roll round and round, Round and round, round and round, The seals in the sea roll round and round, All day long. The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble,
wibble, Wibble, wobble, wibble, wibble, wobble, wibble, The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble,
wibble, All day long. The dolphins in the sea they dip and dive, Dip and dive, dip and dive, The dolphins in the sea they dip and dive, All day long. The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot, Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot, toot, The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot, All day long. |
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There was a hungry hunter 🔊
This humorous and
alliterative hand play is from ‘Acting rhymes’ by Clive Sansom published in
the 1960s where it is suggested that a bear speaks line 5 and 6. The author
is unknown. Dany Rosevear added the tune and the handplay below. 1-4. Rub tummy, put circled thumb and forefingers to
eyes. Hold up fore finger and middle to make ears. 5-6. Rub tummy and look
fierce. 7-8. Roll arms over each other and make two fingers run. |
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Went
hunting for a hare, But
where he hoped the hare would be He
found a hairy bear! “I’m very very hungry: I get hungry now and then.” The
hunter turned head-over-heels And
hurried home again. |
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This little mountain
This hand play is from
John M. Feierabend’s collection ‘Wiggles and tickles’ published 1999. It can
be played with baby wiggling fingers and drawing sun on palm or tummy,
dotting rain with fingers and so on; or as below with older children. Line 1. Touch thumb and make circle with thumbs and
forefinger. 2. Touch forefinger and make rain fall with fingers. 3 .and 4.
Touch middle finger then shade eyes and peer. 5. Touch ring finger then put
hands to cheek. 6. Make a pointed cap above head. 7. And 8. Point to little
finger and shape tree with palms together. This little mountain finds the sun, This little mountain drinks the rain, This little mountain shades its eyes And looks across the plain. This little mountain is ready for bed With a white cap on top of its head; And this little mountain is up to its knees, In so many
wonderful Christmas trees! |
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This little tiger is very wild 🔊
Not too scary! Tune by Dany
Rosevear. Start with the thumb and touch each finger in
sequence. 1.Growl like a tiger. 2. Kiss second finger. 3. Draw stripes on middle
finger. 4. Bend finger down. 5. Wiggle finger, circle round the palm of the other
and sniff. Bite left hand with right. |
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This
little tiger is very wild, This little
tiger is a loving child. This
little tiger has big black stripes, This
little tiger is tucked up for the night. This
little tiger likes to prowl and smell, But
his teeth are too small to bite quite well. |
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This pretty planet 🔊
This wonderful
song by Tom Chapin is more usually sung as a round. It is also sung as a
lullaby. This amazing song went round
the entire world when it was one of the songs used to wake up the astronauts,
including John Glen, on the Discovery 7 space shuttle! 1.Make a ball with hands, roll forearms round each
other. 2. Make flower round face, arms make waves, hands together as in
prayer. 3. Lift arms up and outwards, as in first line. 4. Hands to cheek,
hold arms, Lift arms up and outwards. |
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This pretty planet, spinning through space, Your garden, your harbour, your holy place. Golden sun going down, Gentle blue giant spin us around. All through the night, Safe ‘til the morning light. |
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Three little owlets 🔊
From ‘A Child's Own Book of Verse’ by Ada Skinner. Music by Dany Rosevear. 1. Raise three fingers then fingers to eyes, cuddle
self put fingers together. 2. Make moon with thumb and forfingers, spread dew.
Flap crossed hands. 3. Use thumb and forefinger to make beak, repeat 1. 4. Raise two forefingers to mouth to make curved beak. |
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Three little owlets In a hollow tree, Cuddled up together Close as could be. When the moon came out And the dew lay wet, Mother flew about To see what she could get. She caught a little mouse, So velvety and soft, She caught a little sparrow, And then she flew aloft To the three little owlets In a hollow tree, Cuddled up together Close as could be. "Tu-whoo!" said the old owl, "Isn't this good cheer!" "Tu-whit!" said the owlets, "Thank you, mother dear!" “Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit, Tu-whoo!” “Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit, Tu-whoo!”. |
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Tiny little bird O
A Turkish song
for winter, ‘Mini Mini Bir Kus’, melody and words by Saip Eguz. Move thumb and forefinger like beak. Perch bird on other hand.
Cup hands. Cover hand and open and close beak. Cross hands to make wings,
flap and move upwards and away. Throw
out hands and look sad. |
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Tiny, little bird was frozen stiff, Sitting on my window sill. Gently did I cradle him, To make him warm and hear him sing. Suddenly he flapped his little wings, Off he flew in the wind and snow. Mini
Mini Bir Kus Donmustu Pencereme
konmustu Aldim
onu iceriye Cik
cik cik cik otsun diye Pir pir ederken canlandi Ellerim bak bos kaldi… |
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Tiptoeing in the dark 🔊
This spooky hand play would work well at Halloween! It could also be played as an action rhyme; pairs of
children holding hands creep in and out of each other, when the candle is
blown out they huddle together for reassurance. The words came from a collection of nursery
rhymes. Music and game by Dany Rosevear. Point up, point
down, place finger to mouth – Shhh! Fingers creep
forward, finger moves round, make a roof shape. Fingers creep forward and
about. Move hands like the wind and shake head, put finger up like a candle,
blow out flame – Phwooh! |
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Upstairs, downstairs, quiet as a mouse; Shhhh! Tiptoe, tiptoe, all around the house. Tiptoe, tiptoe, creep and creep about; I hope the wind won't come along and blow my
candle out! Phwooh! |
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