Autumn songs A-E

A leaf fell down

A little Autumn fairy

A little elf

A little man is standing within the wood

A song of bread

All around the old oak tree

All the leaves are falling

Alms in Autumn / Spindlewood, spindlewood

Among the Autumn leaves

Apple and blackberry pie

August

Autumn goodbye

Autumn leaves

Autumn leaves are falling

Autumn leaves are turning

Autumn treasure

Autumn’s finger fun

Also find:

Pick up a leaf

The leaves are green

Last updated: 9/11/2023 9:50 AM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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A leaf fell down 🔊

A Summer to early Autumn hand play. It can also be played as an Autumn dance.

Autumn begins with a few leaves changing colour and an odd one or two floating down. Soon the trees are dressed in glorious Autumn colours, the wind gets up and blows the leaves off the trees and sends them swirling down the streets to make carpets of many hues. Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1:One forefinger twirls downwards followed by the fingers on the other hand. 2. Repeat with hand tumbling downwards. 3. Put up thumb and then the rest of fingers. Throw up imaginary leaves and whirl arms downwards.

A leaf fell down then another one followed,

A-whirling and a-swirling, down, down down,

Red, yellow and brown!

Then more fell down and so many more followed,

A-whirling and a-swirling, down, down, down,

Red, yellow and brown!

Then one child came and so many more followed,

A-kicking up the leaves and throwing them around.

Red, yellow and brown!

A-kicking up the leaves and throwing them around.

Red, yellow and brown!

A little Autumn fairy 🔊

A delightfully fey song for Autumn; a mischievious seasonal sprite at play

A little Autumn fairy,

Sitting in a tree,

Is painting all the leaves,

And throwing them at me!

Sunny leaves of yellow,

Ruby leaves of red,

Come fluttering down, down, down,

All around my head.

Soon the branches will be bare,

The leaves will all be shed,

And the squirrels and the hedgehogs,

Will all be off to bed!

A little elf 🔊

A mischievous sprite at work! Can be used as a finger play.

This is a much shorter version of the “A little Autumn fairy” ;I had completely forgotten I had recorded that song hence the new tune!

Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise arms and spread fingers; place forefinger of the other hand in’branches’. 2. Paint palm of hand. 3. Tumble forearms. 4. Place hand on head.

A little elf sat in a tree,

Painting leaves to throw at me.

Leaves of yellow and leaves of red

Came tumbling down about my head!

A little man is standing in the wood 🔊

Or ‘The riddle’ It is folk song of German origin and was made popular in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel opera.. The answer to the riddle is the common woodland arum lily which has many other names: lords and ladies, cuckoo pint, jack in the pulpit, wake robin.

Just done further research online only to find that ‘a toadstool’ is suggested as the answer to the riddle – maybe have I misremembered!

A little man is standing within the wood,

He wears a purple cloak and a small black hood.

Tell me, tell me if you can,

What's the name of this small man?

In a purple cloak and a small black hood?

The little man is silent and makes no sound,

He stands with only one foot upon the ground.

Tell me who this man can be,

For he will not answer me,

Standing there with one foot upon the ground?

A song of bread 🔊

A song from ‘140 folk songs’ published in 1922 . Homer H. Harbour wrote the words to a German folk tune. Last verse adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Sing a song of golden wheat,

Golden wheat, golden wheat;

Sing a song of golden wheat

By the breeze blown.

Birds are there,

Bees are there,

Butterflies in the air:

Sing a song of golden wheat

By the breeze blown.

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Waterfalls, waterfalls,

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Turning wheels round.

Sift the wheat,

Stamp the wheat,

Till it is soft and sweet:

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Turning wheels round!

Sing a song of baking day,

Baking day, baking day,

Sing a song of baking day,

Floured, warm dough spread;

Knead the dough,

Shape the dough,

Into hot ovens go,

Sing a song of baking day,

Loaves of brown bread!

All the leaves are falling 🔊

Fall or Autumn, it’s that time of year.

A hand play to identify parts of the body and colours.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Wiggle fingers downwards, put up one finger, touch nose. Repeat each time touching named body part.

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my nose!

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my toes!

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my head!

All the leaves are falling,

Yellow, orange, red!

All around the old oak tree 🔊

A cheerful Autumn ‘choose a partner’ game. Play as below or just dance around the trees and on ‘high five’ a child on ‘Whoops! I beg your pardon’.

Adapt this song to your own setting, identify and name trees encountered outside.

Words by Dany Rosevear set to a classic nursery rhyme tune.

Verse 1. Skip round with a partner, first one way, then the other. 2. Drop hands skip round the room looking for a new partner. ‘High five’ first one opposite hand and then the other. Continue as before.

All around the old oak tree,

Autumn comes a-calling,

Red and yellow, orange and brown.

Watch the leaves a-falling!

All around the horse chestnut tree,

In the Autumn garden,

Shiny conkers, pick them up;

“Whoops, I beg your pardon!”

Alms in Autumn /

Spindlewood, spindlewood 🔊

A lantern song and poem by Rose Fyleman. Music by P. Patterson.

Spindle-wood, spindle-wood, will you lend me, pray,

A little flaming lantern to light me on my way ?

The fairy folk have vanished from the meadow and the glen,

And I would fain go seeking till I find them once again.

O, lend me now a lantern that I may bear a light,

To find the hidden pathway in the darkness of the night.

Ash-tree, ash-tree, throw me, if you please,

Throw me down a slender branch of russet-gold keys.

I fear the gates of Fairyland may all be shut so fast

That nothing but your magic keys will ever take me past.

I'll tie them to my girdle, and as I go along,

My heart will find a comfort in the tinkle of their song.

Holly-bush, holly-bush, help me in my task,

A pocketful of berries is all the alms I ask:

A pocketful of berries to thread in golden strands

(I would not go a-visiting with nothing in my hands).

So fine will be the rosy chains, so gay, so glossy bright,

They'll set the realms of Fairyland all dancing with delight.

Among the Autumn leaves 🔊

Make the most of the mellow days of Autumn by getting outside as much as possible before cold winter descends.

Move to this joyful music by Eunice Close ‘Here we come a-haying’ from an early copy of Child Education; I must do her poem when Summer comes round once more.

Autumn verses are by Dany Rosevear.

It would be lovely to move to the chorus with Autumn coloured scarves.

Here we come a-jumping,

A-laughing, a-leaping,

Here we come a-dancing,

Among the Autumn leaves.

We’ll pick apples down the lanes,

Where we’ll go exploring,

Jump off haystacks, gather nuts

Before Winter’s winds come calling.

Apple and blackberry pie 🔊

Make the most of apples, blackberries and other fruit and vegetables that grow in the gardens, hedgerows and allotments; all ready for the harvest table in August and September.

This could be played as a double circle game:

Circles one inside the other walk round in opposite directions holding hands. On the fourth line the outer circle brings arms over the inner circle and the ring walks round as one.

Apple and blackberry pie,

Sugared and crusted,

Just covered with custard,

Mmmm! Lovely apple and blackberry pie.

Carrot and green lentil soup,

It’s hearty, it’s warming,

On a cold winter’s morning,

Mmmm! Lovely carrot and green lentil soup,

Tomato and butternut squash,

Add chickpeas - delicious

For a stew so nutritious,

Mmmm! Tomato and butternut squash,

Lemon and ginger root beer,

With bubbles a-whizzing,

And busily fizzing,

Mmmm! Lovely lemon and ginger root beer,

August 🔊

A poem by Eunice Fallon.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down.

Drifting down, round and round.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down,

Down, down to the ground.

Autumn goodbye 🔊

A late Autumn song from Germany.

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

You may no longer stay;

Winter is on it’s way,

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

Swallows away have flown,

Bitter winds cry and moan;

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

Autumn leaves 🔊

A song to illustrate ascending and descending pitch.

Move hands and body fluidly high and low in a gentle whirling twirling dance, perhaps with scarves in autumn colours.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down.

Drifting down, round and round.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down,

Down, down to the ground.

Autumn leaves are falling 🔊

Also know as ‘Little leaves are falling down’.

Tune written by Dany Rosevear.

Can be played as a dance or a simple hand play.

Move hands and fingers like leaves fluttering all around.

Stretch hands up high and spread fingers, move gently from sode to side.

Autumn leaves are falling, falling everywhere.

Making all the tall trees, look so very bare.

Autumn leaves are turning 🔊

Change is on its way. An action rhyme.

Tune and second verse by Dany Rosevear.

1. Roll fists round each other. Make fingers flicker. 2. Cross hands at wrists and flap. Put thumbs to neck with fingers spread, move head to shoulders. 3. Move hands across each other in waves. Shake fingers, cross forefingers and wiggle. 4. Wiggle fingers downwards. Forefingers form a beak.

Autumn leaves are turning, turning, turning,

Autumn fires are burning, burning, burning;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Blackberries are ripening, ripening, ripening,

There’s thunder clouds and lightening, lightening, lightening,

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Summer birds are flying, flying, flying,

Summer flowers are dying, dying. dying;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Winter winds are coming, coming, coming,

No more insects humming, humming, humming;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Autumn leaves are falling, falling, falling,

Hear the barn owl calling, calling, calling;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Autumn treasure 🔊

Wonder at the natural world. An Autumn hand play.

Discuss the need for some woodland creatures to store food for the cold winter months.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Hold up palm. Hold key and turn into palm door. Throw out hands. Ring thumb and forefinger. 2. Open palm, hand to forehead. Nod, thumb up. Make cupped hands, rub upper arms. Open cupped hands. 3. Hand to ear, rub upper arms. Make squirrel with one hand as head and the other as a tail. Make squirrel pick up food.

Here is a secret door,

And here is a golden key;

I wonder what’s there, all hidden with care,

Let’s peep inside so we can see.

Open the door, look round,

Yes, someone lives here that’s for sure,

There are acorns, nuts, seeds, for cold Winter needs,

Who lives in this treasure filled store?

Hear how the North Wind blows,

And feel how the frost chills the air;

Looking busy in haste with no time to waste,

Red squirrel’s still hunting out there,

Yes, red squirrel’s still hunting out there!

Autumn’s finger fun

A Harvest hand play. Show dexterity and count.

Appreciate the different kinds of fruit that grow in our gardens and hedgerows.

Words by Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise one finger for each fruit. 2. Wiggle fingers, wiggle thumbs. 3. As before, mime picking fruit from hand. 4. As before, raise fingers, show fingers, show thumbs. Show both hands.

Apple, pear, peach, plum,

Wiggle fingers, wiggle thumbs.

Peach, plum, fig, cherry,

Pick them when they’re ripe and ready.

Blackberries raspberries, apricots,

How many fingers have we got?

Eight fingers, two thumbs

And two hands for finger fun!

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