Autumn songs B-D

Big Harvest moon

Big red tractor

Bringing in the hay

Collecting things

Come, little leaves

Come with me and dance with me

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round

Crimson leaves in Autumn

Crows in the cornfield

Did you see the wind today? Autumn leaves

Down, down, down

Down with darkness

Also find:

Pick up a leaf

The leaves are green

Last updated: 10/31/2022 9:59 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:

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.

Big Harvest moon 🔊

A harvest lullaby and hand play.

This song is based on the traditional ‘Big yellow moon’

Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

1. Arms above head in circle shape. Arms gently move from left to right. Place hands together at side of face. Forefinger in front of mouth.

2. Arms above head move down in front of body. Arms move above head in circle shape. Stretch arms up. Place hands together at side of face. Forefinger in front of mouth.

Big Harvest moon up there so high,

Sails across the starry sky.

Looks down at me asleep in bed,

Whispers, "Good night, sleepyhead

Big Harvest moon, your turn is done.

Here comes Mr. Morning Sun.

I wake up, You go to bed,

"Sleep well, Moon, you sleepyhead.

Big red tractor 🔊

A harvest song for the pre-schoolers.

Encourage children think of fruit/vegetables that are the same colour as the tractor.

Children will enjoy bumping up and down in time to the music.

Bumping up and down on the big red tractor,

Bumping up and down on the big red tractor, Bringing in the Hay, HAY!

Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bringing in some … beetroot

Bumping up and down on a big yellow (sweet corn), blue (blueberries), green (cabbages), purple (plums) etc…

Bringing in the hay 🔊

Words by George Reiter Brill and music by Granville Bantock.

Hear the merry laugh of children,

Hear the chestnut horses neigh!

See the mice all scurry,

See the farmers hurry,

When it's time for

Bringing in the hay!

Good smells coming from the kitchen,

We'll get lots of treats today!

Cattle are a-mooing

Pigeons are a-cooing,

As they watch us

Bringing in the hay!

Pitchforks shining in the sunlight,

As the farmers work all day,

They were early starting,

And they won't be parting,

'Til we finish

Bringing in the hay.

Collecting things 🔊

An Autumn number song for nature’s harvest.

From ‘We grow and play’ by Maisie Cobby, published 1954.

Words adapted and music by Dany Rosevear.

Make other Autumn collections for the nature table, count them and compose verses for acorns, fir cones, Autumn leaves etc.. When counting ask what ‘two more’ would be.

Hold up one finger for each item with two fingers popping up to finish.

Pick up the conkers,

Glossy, bright conkers,

One and two and three and four.

Five and six and seven and eight,

Pick up two more then ten you’ll make!

Pick up the apples,

Rosy red apples,

One and two and three and four.

Five and six and seven and eight,

Pick up two more then ten you’ll make!

Come, little leaves 🔊

A poem by George Cooper 1838–1927. My version came from ‘The book of a thousand poems’ but according to some internet sources there are two more verses. There are also some great blogs to show this poem has been loved by past generations: http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com/blind_pig_the_acorn/2013/10/appalachia-through-my-eyes-come-said-the-wind.html

This is another one that can be mimed by gently moving back and forth, round and round, up and down to represent the wind, leaves and snow, finishing falling gently down to the floor and sleeping.

“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,

“Come over the meadows with me and play;

Put on your dresses of red and gold;

For summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,

Down they came fluttering, one and all;

Over the fields they danced and flew,

Singing the soft little songs they knew.

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went;

Winter had called them and they were content;

Soon, fast asleep in their earthy beds,

The snow laid a coverlet over their heads.

Come with me and dance with me 🔊

For cooler Autumn days. Can also be sung as a round.

Come with me and dance with me,

In the cool of Autumn,

All the leaves are golden now,

All the bells are ringing.

Ring ring ring-a-ding-ding-dong,

Dance and sing together,

Ring ring ring-a-ding-ding-dong,

In your shoes of leather.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round 🔊

Autumn’s treasure. A hand play. Have not yet indentified the origins of this rhyme. Music by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Put one fist on top of the other when ‘conkers’ is sung. Make a pocket out of one hand and slide the other hand in. Roll fists round each other for falling conkers. Spread both hands facing away for leaves. 2. As before. Last line make conker action then wiggle fingers down from the heap.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round,

Put them in your pocket when you find them on the ground.

Conkers, conkers fall from the trees,

A pocket full of conkers and a bunch of yellow leaves.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round,

Put them in your pocket when you find them on the ground.

Conkers, conkers, fall from the trees,

A heap of shiny conkers and a pile of fallen leaves.

Crimson leaves in Autumn 🔊

Don’t forget the birds as the days and nights grow colder.

Talk about the other names for the colour red and indeed the other great colours of Autumn.

Words: Anon. Music: Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise hands to show leaves.Pick up berries from palm of hand and place in finger and thumb beak. Rub arms. 2. Wiggle fingers downward. Show hand branches. As before.

Crimson leaves in Autumn,

Crimson leaves and gold.

Berries for the little birds

When nights are growing cold.

Fallen leaves in winter,

Branches brown and bare.

Seed and bread for little birds,

As much as you can spare.

Crows in the cornfield 🔊

A simple action play for harvest time.

The Harvest is nearly ready to be gathered in, don’t let those pesky crows get there first!

1. Open and close beaks with hands. Shoo crows away. Throw out hands 2. Stretch out arms and flap hands, make funny faces. Point to another.

Crows in the cornfield, “Shoo crows, shoo!”

What will you do, poor farmer?

Build a funny scarecrow, that will do,

Build a funny scarecrow, just like you!

Build a funny scarecrow, “How do you do?!”

Then I’ll be a happy farmer!

Did you see the wind today? / Autumn leaves 🔊

Wind and falling leaves, a perfect partnership.

Written by Zoë McHenry, 1901-1971, who wote many charming songs for young children including ‘Kangaroo Brown’ and ‘The elephant is so slow’, she also worked for Australia’s ‘Kindergarten of the air’.

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

Did you see the wind today,

Blow the autumn leaves away?

From the trees they flutter down,

Some are red and some are brown;

Rustling up and down the street,

Dancing round my little feet;

Did you see the wind today,

Blow the leaves away?

Down, down, down 🔊

A high to low movement song for Autumn or Fall. Words, notes, dance and leaves in harmony moving in one direction. Encourage children to see the link by playing a xylophone vertically.

Use the Winter verse for falling snow, as below later in the year.

From a Teacher's Handbook, Iowa University Special Education Curriculum Development Centre, published1969. Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Move hands and body fluidly downwards in a gentle twirling movement, again using floating scarves in autumn colours.

Down, down, down, yellow and brown,

The leaves are falling all over the town.

Down, down, down, fluttering round,

Snowflakes are falling all over the town.

Down with darkness 🔊

Nights are growing longer, it's time to bring out the light.

Also known as ‘The lantern song’and often sung on lantern walks at Michelmas. Written by E. Amiran and S. Levi-Tanai, this was translated from the Sanskrit by Tom Glazer who also added the middle lines of the second verse. Sing in a circle round a bonfire, on a lantern walk or make movements as below.

Find out more about this song at: The Joy of My Life, and other things: Down With Darkness, Up With Light (the-joy-of-my-life-and-other-things.blogspot.com)

Verse 1. Move hands up and down. Cross hands on chest, raise one finger. Throw out arms then bring palms together and bow. Swing hands across body to the right then downwards. Swing in the opposite direction, throw out arms wiggle fingers. Verse 2. Move hands up and down. Wiggle fingers and bring hands together. Throw out arms then bring palms together and bow. Swing hands across body to the right then downwards. Swing in the opposite direction, throw out arms wiggle fingers.

Down with darkness, up with light,

Up with sunshine, down with night.

Each of us is one small light,

But together we shine bright.

Go away, darkest, blackest night,

Go away, give way to light!

Down with darkness, up with light,

Up with sunshine, down with night.

Small lights gather one by one,

Drive out dark till night is done.

Go away, darkest, blackest night,

Go away, give way to light!

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page