Summer songs I-S

I do like to be beside the seaside

I will plant a garden green

I’m forever blowing bubbles

In my little garden bed / The little plant

Lily pond

Little bird up in a tree

Mary Ann

My big blue boat

Nature carol

Nine little tailors

Oh, Mister Sun

Oh, oh, the sunshine

Paint-box / Cauliflowers fluffy

Picnic tea

Shadows go round

Sponge fishing

Also see:

Summer songs A-H, T-Z

Down in the grass, curled up in a heap

Scraping up sand (Shiloh)

She sailed away on a lovely summer’s day

Last updated: 7/11/2018 1:43 PM

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

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To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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I do like to be beside the seaside 🔊

A popular British music hall song in the hey day of fashionable Victorian seaside holidays, redolent of bathing machines and swimming costumes that covered the body. Words and music by John A. Glover-Kind 1907.

Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside,

I do like to be beside the sea.

I do like to stroll upon the

Prom, Prom, Prom,

Where the brass bands play

Tiddely-om-pom-pom!

So just let me be beside the seaside,

I'll be beside myself with glee;

For there's lots of girls besides

I should like to be beside,

Beside the seaside, beside the sea.

I will plant a garden green 🔊

Teach this action song about planting to go alongside gardening acivities in the summer term.

Words adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Pretend to dig, plant seeds and water plants.

I will plant a garden green,

Then I'll watch it grow.

I'll dig some holes here in the earth,

In a nice straight row.

With a dig-dig here,

And a dig-dig there,

Here a dig, there a dig,

Everywhere a dig-dig,

Digging holes is so much fun;

We’re ready now to sow!

I will plant a garden green,

Then I'll watch it grow.

In each hole I'll drop a seed,

In each hole row by row.

With a drop-drop here,

And a drop-drop there,

Here a drop, there a drop,

Everywhere a drop-drop,

Planting seeds is so much fun

Just watch them sprout and grow!

I will plant a garden green,

Then I'll watch it grow.

I'll water each plant one by one,

They'll sprout up in a row.

With a squirt-squirt here,

And a squirt-squirt there,

Here a squirt, there a squirt,

Everywhere a squirt-squirt,

Watering plants is so much fun

Just watch them grow and grow!

I’m forever blowing bubbles 🔊

This waltz was popular in the Music halls of the 1920s; the music was written by John Kellette and the lyrics by a collective of writers, it was published in 1919; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Forever_Blowing_Bubbles for more about this charming song and the verses which are not so suitable for young children.

How exciting it is for young children to blow, catch and watch bubbles. Encourage them to move freely to this song ideally among a forest of bubbles!

Alternatively move holding hands with a partner, swaying them from side to side with two ‘turn the blanket over’ - raising hands high and moving under in the middle of the song and at the end.

I'm forever blowing bubbles,

Pretty bubbles in the air.

They fly so high,

Nearly reach the sky,

Then like my dreams they fade and die.

Fortune's always hiding,

I've looked everywhere.

I'm forever blowing bubbles,

Pretty bubbles in the air.

In my little garden bed / The little plant 🔊

From ‘Finger plays’ by Emilie Poulssen, music C. C. Roeske.

Verse 1. Draw a patch in front of you. Rake fingers of one hand. Plant seeds.

Cover with one hand. 2. Make your arms into a big circle above head. Sprinkle fingers down like rain. 3. Point fingers downward and wiggle. Thumbs wiggles upwards. 4. Wiggle thumb upwards high into the air. Open hands up like flowers.

In my little garden bed

Raked so nicely over,

First the tiny seeds I sow,

Then with soft earth cover.

Shining down the great round sun,

Smiles upon it often;

Little raindrops pattering down,

Help the seeds to soften.

Now the little plant awakes!

Down the roots go creeping.

Up it lifts its little head

Through the brown mould peeping.

High and higher still it goes,

Through the summer hours,

Till some happy day the buds,

Open into flowers.

Lily pond 🔊

This delightful little song to the tune of ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ was written by Vashti Bunyan.

In a lily pond I lay,

All upon a summer's day.

Then I chased a dragonfly,

All across an ancient sky.

Falling with a thousand stars,

Down the Milky Way to Mars.

Back again in time for day,

In a lily pond I lay.

La lala la la lala la la,

La lala la la la la la.

La lala la la lala la la,

La lala la la la la la.

Little bird up in a tree 🔊

An American folk song.

Can be played as a simple dance: hold hands in a circle and walk eight steps right and then to the left.

Little bird up in a tree, in a tree, in a tree,

Little bird up in a tree, sing a song to me.

Sing about the roses, on the garden wall;

Sing about the birdies, in the tree-top tall.

Sing about the farmer, planting beans and corn,

Planting peas and carrots, on the summer morn.

Sing about the mountain, sing about the sea,

Sing about the rainbow, sing a song for me.

Mary Ann 🔊

A calypso from the West Indies, such songs became very popular in the UK in the 1970s, especialy in places such as Birmingham where there were many recent immigrants from those islands. I taught in Handsworth, Birmingham at this time and had the pleasure of singing many songs from that part of the world.

The words here are by Kathy Alexander and arranged by Douglas Coombes for BBC Schools ‘Singing Together’ Summer 1975.

All day, all night, Miss Mary Ann,

Down by the seaside, sifting sand,

All the little children love Mary Ann,

You too, will love her, Miss Mary Ann.

If you come to this island fine,

You'll love the sea and bright sunshine,

You will be enchanted with this fair land,

You'll be bewitched by Miss Mary Ann.

My big blue boat O

A cheerful action song for a seaside trip.

1. Row back and forth with a partner (as in ‘Row row row your boat’). 2. Hold hands high to make sails. 3. Holding hands move up and down from a crouched position 4. Holding hands move from side to side. 5. Row as in first verse. 6. Pretend to catch a fish and eat it!

I love to row in my big blue boat,

My big blue boat, my big blue boat.

I love to row in my big blue boat,

Out on the deep blue sea.

My big blue boat has two red sails,

Two red sails, two red sails,

My big blue boat has two red sails,

Out on the deep blue sea.

My big blue boat goes up and down,

Up and down, up and down,

My big blue boat goes up and down,

Out on the deep blue sea.

My big blue boat goes from side to side,

Side to side, side to side,

My big blue boat goes from side to side,

Out on the deep blue sea.

So come with me in my big blue boat,

My big blue boat, my big blue boat.

So come with me in my big blue boat,

Out on the deep blue sea.

We’ll catch a fish in my big blue boat,

My big blue boat, my big blue boat.

We’ll catch a fish in my big blue boat,

And take it home for tea!

Nature carol 🔊

A song from the Philippines for either summer, harvest or Christmas festivals.

It can be found in BBC’s ‘Singing Together’, Summer 1978. From ‘Three Far Eastern Carols’ O.U.P, the words are translated by Malcolm Seageant.

Alternatively move holding hands with a partner, swaying them from side to side with two ‘turn the blanket over’ - raising hands high and moving under in the middle of the song and at the end.

Coral, amber, pearl and shell,

Gifts we gather from summer seas,

Find and bind make love the spell,

Take our gifts if they charm and please.

Chorus:

Aloha! Aloha! Hanaw, hanaw, aloha!

Aloha! Aloha! Hanaw, hanaw, Aloha!

Ruby, onyx, rain and dew,

Weave a crown with your jewelled light,

Show and know whose world is new,

Who is prince of the day and night.

Meadow, orchard, field and vine.

Melon, grape and maize are here,

Leaf and sheaf with tendrils twine,

Bring your harvests far and near.

Mountains, flowers, trees and hills,

Laugh and sing where such blessings fall,

Wind and waves, lagoons and rills,

Shout our love for the Lord of all.

Nine little tailors O

A German folk song (Neunundneunzig Schneider???). Translated text by Helen Henschel and arranged by Herbert Wiseman from ‘A third sixty songs for little children’ published 1960. I have also come across it in a NZ publication for schools.

Nine little tailors had a feast,

Upon a summer’s day,

All nine of them, all nine of them,

All ninety-nine and nine of them

Sat on a stalk of hay,

Singing, Hey down, down,

Derry down down down,

A tailor’s life for me! Repeat

And when the splendid feast was done,

They all began to sing,

All nine of them, all nine of them,

All ninety-nine and nine of them

They danced round in a ring,

Singing, Hey down, down,

Derry down down down,

They danced round in a ring. Repeat

And after that they went to sleep,

Upon their stalk of hay,

All nine of them, all nine of them,

All ninety-nine and nine of them

On that one stalk of hay,

Singing, Hey down, down,

Derry down down down,

On that one stalk of hay. Repeat

Oh, Mister Sun O

I began this song on a lovely sunny Spring day; by the time I’d finished it was pouring with rain. There’s always hope though!

Oh, Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun, please shine down on me.

Oh, Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun, hiding behind a tree.

These little children are asking you, to please come out so we can play with you.

Oh, Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun, won’t you please shine down on me?

Oh, Mistress Moon, Moon, bright and silvery moon, please shine down on me.

Oh, Mistress Moon, Moon, bright and silvery moon, hiding behind a tree.

These little children are asking you, to please come out so we can sleep for you.

Oh, Mistress Moon, Moon, bright and silvery moon, won’t you please shine down on me?

Oh, little stars, stars, little twinkling stars, please shine down on me.

Oh, little stars, stars, little twinkling stars, hiding behind a tree.

These little children are asking you, to please come out so they can wish on you.

Oh, little stars, stars, little twinkling stars, won’t you please shine down on,

Please shine down on, please shine down on me?

Oh, oh, the sunshine O

A song from Texas from ‘American songs for children’ 1948 by Ruth Crawford Seeger.

This song covers clothing weather and colour topics!

Oh, oh, the sunshine,

Sally's got a red dress, buttoned behind,

Sally's got a red dress, buttoned behind.

Oh, oh, you can’t shine,

Ethan has green wellies on, ready for rain,

Ethan has green wellies on, ready for rain.

Nancy has blue jeans, buttoned in front…

Isaac has black shoes with Velcro on top…

Paint-box / Cauliflowers fluffy O

A song for harvest time by V.P. Mitchell and H.C. Mitchell. Sometimes called ‘Cauliflowers fluffy’ and popular in school assemblies.

It was a favourite of my infant classes after a summer outing to sing on the coach journey back home.

Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green,

Strawberries sweeter than any I’ve seen.

Beetroot purple and onions white:

All grow steadily day and night.

Chorus

The apples are ripe, the plums are red,

Broad beans are sleeping in a blankety bed.

Blackberries juicy and rhubarb sour,

Marrows fattening hour by hour,

Gooseberries hairy and lettuces fat,

Radishes round and runner beans flat.

Chorus

Orangey carrots and turnips cream,

Reddening tomatoes that used to be green.

Brown potatoes in little heaps,

Down in the darkness where the celery sleeps.

Chorus

Picnic tea O

A minibeast poem for summer by David Harmer.

Find his website at: http://davidharmer.com/poetry-days-in-schools/some-poems/

We found a shady spot under a tree.

Here’s what we had for a picnic tea;

We had ants in the sandwiches,

Wasps in the jam,

Slugs in the lettuce leaves,

Beetles in the ham,

Midges in the orange juice,

Flies on the cheese,

Spiders on the sausages,

Ice-cream full off bees!

Shadows go round 🔊

A circle game to play outside on a sunny day; watch how the shadows lengthen and shorten as the circle moves round.

Alternatively play with a partner. Repeat three times, the second quickly and the third slowly.

Shadows go round, shadows go round,

Shadows go round with me.

Skip and dance in the sunshine,

All the way round with me.

Sponge fishing / Xekina mia psaropoula 🔊

A traditional song from Greece. I remember this one from BBC broadcasting for Schools Music Box from the 1980s but originally it came from ‘East West songs’ 1960.

Hear ‘Xekina mia psaropoula’ sung in its original language at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilZmeOc9FfQ and https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-trata-mas-i-kourelou/id1102324986.

Australia has a considerable Greek population and different interpretations of the song published by the Australian ABC broadcasting for Schools are discussed here: file:///C:/Users/daros/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/49-218-1-PB.pdf.

Ξεκινά μια ψαροπούλα απ’ το γιαλό, απ’ το γιαλό

ξεκινά μια ψαροπούλα απ’ την Ύδρα τη μικρούλα

και πηγαίνει για σφουγγάρια, όλο γιαλό, όλο γιαλό

Little boat we’ll go a-fishing,

Out from the shore,

Out from the shore.

When the evening bell is ringing,

Many sponges we’ll be bringing,

And we’ll sail for home with singing,

Out from the shore,

Out from the shore.

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