Lap play
or dandling games G-L
Granny
and Mama and a horse named May
Green
grow the rushes, O
Here
come three kings a-riding
Here
we go up, up, up
Hokey
pokey
Hop
up, my ladies
Horses,
horses
Horsey,
horsey don’t you stop
How
many days has my baby to play?
I
want someone to buy me a pony
I’m
Galloping Jack
Jack
be nimble
John
Smith, fellow fine
Little
blue whale
Last updated: 4/17/2023
10:14 AM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’
compiled,
adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home
page
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.
|
Granny and Mama and a Horse Named May
More fun with baby. Very similar to ‘Father and
Mother, and Uncle John’ Line 1.-3. Bounce baby on the knee 4. Slip baby gently to the right 5.
Slip baby to the left 6.-7. Bounce baby on the knee quickly for as long as
you like! |
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Granny and Mama and a horse named May, Went to market, one fine day. Granny fell off, BUMP! And Mama fell off, BUMP! And the horse named May just galloped away, Away, away, away, away, away! Gramps and Poppa and a horse named May, Went to the river one fine day. Gramps fell off, SPLASH! And Poppa fell off, SPLASH! And the horse named May just galloped away, Away, away, away, away, away! |
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Green grow
the rushes, O 🔊
This is traditionally a play party courting game from the US (Linscott
1926): http://www.trad.appspot.com/song/Green_Grow_The_Rushes,_Oh!_(II_--_Singing_Game) . It is not the one you might expect, the more familiar number song
‘I’ll give you one-o’; see at: http://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Green_Grow_the_Rushes_O In the early 1970s the song appeared in BBC for Schools ‘Music Time’. The words here are adapted from that version by Dany Rosevear as a
baby play song, it has such a great tune! Verse 1. Bounce young child
on your knee to the rhythm of this song, give the child a kiss or hug and
drop between knees and back up again. Verse 2. Repeat, then lift
toddler up high, down to lap and then give a big hug. |
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Green grow the rushes, O, Green grow the rushes, O. Kiss (hug) her quick and
let her go! Never mind the weather if
the wind don't blow. Green grow the rushes O, Blackbirds and thrushes O, Up he flies then down he
goes! Never mind the weather if
the wind don't blow. |
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Here come
three kings a-riding O
This version was recorded in Harriston, Ontario around 1920 (Opie p91
The singing game). The second verse comes from Clive Sansom’s ‘Acting rhymes’
The song is more commonly known as ‘There came three dukes’ an
advancing and retiring line game for older children. Older children could ride freely, hands moving back and forth, in
space and change direction when the second verse is sung. Bounce young child on your
knee to the rhythm of this song. On the second verse move knees to the left. |
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Here come three kings a-riding, A-riding, a-riding, Here comes three kings a-riding, With a rancy tancy tiddly-i-o. They turned and rode them
westward, Rode westward, rode
westward, They turned and rode them
westward, With a rancy tancy
tiddly-i-o. |
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Here we go
up, up, up 🔊
A trotting song. This song was originally sung by Mrs. Kate Newton Middleton, Mobile, 7
July 1947 who called also called it a lullaby as her father sung to her
before bedtime swinging her up and down and back and forth on his foot. I found this song in ‘An Alabama Songbook: Ballads, Folksongs, and
Spirituals’ collected by Byron Arnold. I have adapted both the music and
words to make it easier to sing. There is a much simpler, more commonly known
song with the same title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wWOYcqq-Co Bounce young child on your
knee or foot to the rhythm of this song, up, down, back and forth, then
slowly from side to side. On the last line move knees to the left and right,
lift child up high and plant a kiss on its forehead! |
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Here we go up, up, up, up, up. And here we go down, down daisy. Then we go forward and trot, trot, trot, And then we go little and easy. Oh, my merry canary, Fly, fly away! Up, up, up in the airy. |
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Hokey, pokey, penny a lump O
Hokey pokey was the word for
ice-cream in the USA and the cry could be heard ‘hokey pokey penny a lump’.
It is said that it provided the inspiration for ‘The hokey cokey’ UK / ‘The
hokey pokey’ USA http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/hokey-pokey/ Lines 1& 2 Bounce young child on your knee with a regular rhythm. Line 3 Lift child up into the air and then down to fall through your
lap. Line 4. Resume bouncing. |
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Hokey, pokey, penny a lump, That’s the stuff to make you jump. If you jump you’re sure to fall, Hokey pokey, that is all! Hokey, pokey, penny a lump, Up and down with a bumpity-bump! If you jump you’re sure to fall, Hokey pokey, that is all! |
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Hop up, my ladies O
A folk song
from Virginia. Older children
can be play this as a simple circle game: skip round holding hands, then stop
and jump each time ‘hop’ is sung. For younger
children play as below. 1. Bounce baby on your lap 2. On each ‘hop’ lift
baby high. 3. Drop baby (gently!) between legs on the word ‘tumble’ for the
last verse. |
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Did you ever go to meeting, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe Did you ever go to meeting, Uncle Joe? Did you ever go to meeting Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? Don't mind the weather when the wind don't blow! Chorus Hop up, my ladies, three in a row Hop up, my ladies, three in a row Hop up, my ladies, three in a row Don't mind the weather when the wind don't blow! Will your horse carry double … Is your horse a single footer… Say, don't you want to gallop… Say, you might take a tumble… |
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Horses, horses I’ve got
horses O
This song has made its way into many children’s song books but as yet has
not registered on the internet. It is sometimes known as ‘I love horses’. Place baby on your lap and away you go. Older children might like to
gallop around the room.
Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey, Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey. When I give them corn to eat, They leap five and twenty feet, Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey. Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey, Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey. When I give them sugar sweet, They leap five and thirty feet, Horses, horses I’ve got horses, White and dapple grey. |
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Horsey. horsey don’t you
stop O
The full words of this children’s song written in 1938 and its authors
can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsey_Horsey Let young children trot round to the music while babies can bounce up
and down ‘riding’ on an adult or child’s lap.
Horsey horsey, don't you stop, Just let your feet go clippetty clop. Your tail goes swish and the wheels go round, Giddy up, we're homeward bound. Horsey horsey, on your way, We’ve done this journey many a day. Your tail goes swish and the wheels go round, Giddy up, we're homeward bound. |
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How many
days has my baby to play? 🔊
Learn the days of the week. Music by Dany Rosevear. Bounce baby, facing you, gently
on your lap, for the days of the week clap baby’s hand to the beat of the
words. Second verse bounce faster, then swing baby up high. |
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How many days has my baby to play? Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Hop away, skip away, My baby wants to play, My baby wants to play every day! |
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I want someone to buy me a pony O
This is great as a lap game; bounce
gently on the first six lines and more vigorously for the last twos. Older
children can trot around the room with knees high or low according to their
ability. |
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I want someone to buy me a pony, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. Not too fat and not too bony, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. For I want to go for a ride, All along the countryside, With a jig jog, jig jog, jig jog, jig jog, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. When I get my nice little pony, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. He will be my one and only, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. I will give him every day, Corn and oats and scented hay, With a jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-jog, Jig-jog, jig-jog, jig-ga-jog gee. |
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I’m Galloping Jack 🔊
A delightful song that can be used
as a lap play or for young children to gallop, fast and slow, and in and out
of each other around the room. Written by Zoë McHenry, 1901-1971,
who wote many charming songs for young children including ‘Kangaroo Brown’,
she also worked for Australia’s ‘Kindergarten of the air’. |
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I’m Galloping Jack the farmer’s horse, Away, away, away, Oh, I gallop over the dusty road, I’m Galloping Jack, away-oh! |
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Jack be nimble O
In my teaching days I sang this
song with my class while candle dipping. We went round the tables for each of
three dips so there was plenty of time to sing winter and Christmas songs as
we waited for our turn. Find out more about this song’s
history at: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/jack_be_nimble.htm It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13902. Use the rhythm of this knee bouncing song to move a young child up and
down on your knees. Raise the toddler
up high on the last line. On the last verse hold high then low, high again
and the drop down to the floor. |
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Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick! Jack be nimble, Jack be spry, Jack jump over the apple pie! Jack jumped high, Jack jumped low, Jack jumped over and burnt his toe! Riding along on a big red/blue/colour of
your choice tractor Riding along on a big red tractor Bringing in the Hay- Yay! |
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John Smith, fellow fine O
This is just one of the many ‘English’ nursery rhymes that originated
in Scotland. Jog the toddler on your lap as you sing this song. Alternatively hold feet and tap them together other in time to the
music, then tap toes and heel followed by bouncing the child up and down for
the last two lines.
John Smith, fellow fine, Can you shoe this horse of mine? Yes indeed, that I can Just as well as any man! There's a nail upon the toe, For to make the pony go; There's a nail upon the heel, For to make him scamper well. Scamper well, scamper well, For to make him scamper well. |
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Little blue
whale 🔊
A bath or lap play game for the summer season. Music by Dany Rosevear. 1. Bounce baby, facing you,
gently on your lap. 2. Move from side to side and make hands swim. 3.-5. Dip child back and down, lift child
up, dip child down between legs Lift child up high or out of the water. |
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Little blue whale in the
big blue sea, Splish! Splosh! Swim with
me. Dip a little, Dive a little, Dunk a little whale, Come back up… and flip
your tail! |
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