Summer
songs I-N
I do
like to be beside the seaside
I
went to the beach
I
will plant a garden green
I’m a
tall, tall sunflower
I’m
forever blowing bubbles
In my
little garden bed / The little plant
Lily
pond
Linstead
Market
Little
ant nibbled at my hand
Little
bird up in a tree
Mary
Ann
Moon
on the meadow
Monkey
and the tiger
My
big blue boat
My
shadow
Nature
carol
Nine
little tailors
Also
see:
Down in the grass, curled up in
a heap
She sailed away on a lovely summer’s day
Last updated: 7/24/2023
9:52 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:
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you must give the original author credit
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you may not use this work for commercial purposes
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for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
|
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. |
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I
went to the beach 🔊
A seaside hand play. Encourage
children to add their own ideas. Words adapted by Dany Rosevear and
music added. 1. Open and close thumb and forefinger pointing to self. 2. Place one
hand on top of the other with thumbs out and flap quickly. 3. Wiggle fingers.
4. Place left hand across the other and wiggle fingers downwards. 5. Place
hands above head then point to self. |
|
I went to the beach and what did I see? A great big seagull squawking at me! I went to the beach and what did I see? A fish in a rock pool splashing near me! I went to the beach and what did I see? A shell in the water sparkling at me! I went to the beach and what did I see? A crab on the seashore waving me! I went to the beach and what did I see? Children in sunhats just like ME! |
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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! |
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I’m a
tall, tall sunflower 🔊
A simple, cheering, summer action
rhyme Words adapted by Dany Rosevear. Set
to the tune: ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ The sun is out and the sunflowers
are shining bright in the fields. Line 1. Stand tall. Place
hands with open finger petals round face. 2. Pull hands up body to grow, flap
hands each side. 3. Make sun and raise hands then with sunflower hands to
face slowly move head from left to right. 4. Move hands downwards then place
hands to one cheek. |
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I’m a tall, tall sunflower as you can see, I have a stem and big, green leaves. When the sun is up I turn my head And when the sun goes down it’s time for bed. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Lily
pond 🔊
This delightful little song to the
tune of ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ was written by Vashti Bunyan. |
|
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. |
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Linstead
Market 🔊
A Jamaican calypso about hunger and
not being able to feed the children. I taught the children of recent
arrivals from the West Indies in the 1960s (and also little ones from the
Punjab) in a Birmingham (UK) school near the Soho Rd. The music curriculum was lively,
fun and an eye opener for a young teacher like myself who was enthused by a
peripatetic piano teacher with a great repertoire of songs such as this one. Calypso music at this time had
been introduced by recent immigrants to a wider national audience. |
|
Carry mi ackee, go a Linstead Market, Not a quattie worth sell. Carry me ackee, go a Linstead Market, Not a quattie worth sell. Chorus: Lawd, what a night, not a bite, What a Saturday night! Lawd, what a night not a bite What a Saturday night! Everbody come a feel up, feel up, Not a quattie worth sell. Everybody come a feel up, feel up, Not a quattie worth sell. Lady come and buy nice fresh ackee, They are tasty to eat. Lady come and buy nice fresh ackee, They are tasty to eat. |
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Little
ant nibbled at my hand 🔊
‘La fourmi m’a piqué la main’
Summer is the time for picnics and pesky insects. This delightful little song
is French; I have translated it so it remains fun and rhymes. Best if you can
sing it in French too! Each time flick offending creature of the part of the body. 1. Run
fingers down arm and tickle hand. 2. Fly finger bee across face and wiggle
earlobe 3. Run fingers up chest and cover nose with the hand. 4. Interlock
fingers with one out for the sting then wiggle chin. 5. Peck back with thumb
and forefinger. |
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La fourmi m'a piqué la main La coquine, la coquine La fourmi m'a piqué la main La coquine, elle avait faim Little ant nibbled at my hand, Oh, how naughty, oh, how naughty, Little ant nibbled at my hand, Oh, how naughty, I said, “Scram!” Then a bee tried to sting my ear, Oh, how naughty, oh, how naughty, Then a bee tried to sting my ear, Oh, how naughty, “Sleepy little bee!” Hairy spider jumped upon my nose, Oh, how naughty, oh, how naughty, Hairy spider jumped upon my nose, Oh, how naughty, “Off you go!” Next a wasp tried to sting my chin, Oh, how naughty, oh, how naughty, Next a wasp tried to sting my chin, Oh, how naughty, “You won’t win!” And a bird tried to peck my back, Oh, how naughty, oh, how naughty, And a bird tried to peck my back, So I pecked that sparrow back! La fourmi m'a piqué la main La coquine, la coquine La fourmi m'a piqué la main La coquine, elle avait faim L'araignée m'a piqué le nez La coquine, la coquine6 L'araignée m'a piqué le nez La coquine, elle était fâchée Et l'abeille m'a piqué l'oreille La coquine, la coquine Et l'abeille m'a piqué l'oreille La coquine n'avait pas sommeil Le bourdon m'a piqué le menton Le coquin, le coquin Le bourdon m'a piqué le menton Le coquin voulait un bonbon Et l'oiseau m'a piqué le dos Le coquin, le coquin Et l'oiseau m'a piqué le dos Le coquin était un moinea |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Monkey
and the tiger 🔊
Catching colds is all too easy if
you don’t know how to stop it spreading. Fortunately monkey does know how to
do this with a crooked arm, something impossible for a tiger to do and monkey
also knows how to dance the Boogie Woogie up in the branches. Another monkey song written for a
grandson who has a passion for monkeys. Written by Dany Rosevear based on a
classic children’s song. |
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Deep in the forest where bananas grow, A monkey dropped down on a tiger’s nose, The tiger growled then the tiger sneezed, “ATCHOO!!” And the monkey flew back way up in the tree. Hoo-hoo-hoo! Dance the monkey boogie woogie, Hoo-hoo-hoo! Dance the monkey boogie woogie, Hoo-hoo-hoo! Dance the monkey boogie woogie, Yes, the monkey flew back way up in the tree. “ATCHOO!!” |
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Moon on
the meadow 🔊
Time for the outdoors, camp fires
and making new friends. This lovely summer camp song was
written in the 1970s by Leslie
Griffin Lawson, Peg Pageler Clark. The original words were ‘ Wild Horse to Slushy, Dry Lakes, the Peaks’ but
is now more often sung as below. |
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Chorus: Moon on the meadow, bugs in our ears, Smoke in our eyes,wet wood and tears, Up on the meadow, water somewhere, We were the only ones there. Wild horses rushing, dry lakes to peaks, Finding the love there that everyone seeks. Hiking to rainbows, sunset and stars, Just finding out who we are. Chorus We will return here one lucky day, Our hearts will guide us, they know the way. People in cities don’t understand, Falling in love with the land. Moon on the meadow, bugs in our ears, Smoke in our eyes,wet wood and tears, Up on the meadow, water somewhere, With you my friend I am there. |
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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! |
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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! |
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My shadow 🔊
Shadows are
such great fun to observe so make the most of the sunny days of summer and
learn about their qualities. Words by
Virginia Baker, music adapted from an English folk song by Dany Rosevear. Outside in the sunshine tiptoe to the rhythm of
the song, look forward, turn back. Jump skip and walk, dance around, all the
time watching how the shadow moves. |
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Shadow, funny and black, Far ahead or else at my back, You can jump and skip and walk; I wish you could sing and laugh and talk. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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