Summer songs O-S

Oh, Mister Sun

Oh, oh, the sunshine

Oh what a beautiful morning

Old Chang the Crab

Paint-box / Cauliflowers fluffy

Picnic tea

Play on the seashore

Riding on a donkey

Ring, ring my bicycle

Rockpool safari

Roll with the waves

Seagull, seagull sit on the shore

Seagull, seagull sit on the shore (2)

Seashell, seashell

Seaside fun

Seaside fun (2)

Shadows go round

Shake the papaya down

She sells seashells

Shore

Sing a song of sunshine

Sponge fishing

Sun on the water

Summer is here

Summer sunset

Summertime

Sunbeams and shadows

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: 7/17/2023 10:08 AM

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

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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…

Oh, what a beautiful morning 🔊

A song that gives you a burst of happiness when you hear it sung.

A song that was oh, so familiar through my childhood as my mother had a wonderful collection of the musical shows at the time, this one was from Oklahoma!’ by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. I still wake up with this song in my head when the early morning sun peeps through the window in the summertime, it is so cheerful.

Chorus:

Oh what a beautiful morning,

Oh what a beautiful day,

I've got a wonderful feeling,

Everything's going my way.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,

The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,

An' it looks like its climbin' clear up to the sky.

Chorus

All the cattle are standing like statues,

They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by.

But a little brown mav'rick is winking her eye.

Chorus

All the sounds of the earth are like music,

The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree,

And an ol' Weepin' Willer is laughin' at me.

Chorus

Old Chang the Crab 🔊

A rhyme from China that can used as a hand play.

From Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes translated by Isaac Taylor Headland, published 1900. Music by Otto W. Meissner, arranged by Dany Rosevear.

1. Cross fists at wrists, open and close thumbs and forefingers, put hand to ear.

2. Place one hand on top of the other with outer thumb and little finger stretched out. 3. Open and close forefingers and long fingers. 4. Do the same with one finger above the other. Lift one towards the mouth.

Old Mister Chang, I have often heard it said,

You wear a basket on your head;

You've two pairs of scissors to cut your meat,

And two pairs of chopsticks with which you eat.

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.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

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 of bees!

Play on the seashore 🔊

The place to be when the sun is warm It is soon the summer holidays and round here that means down to the grandparents for trips to one of the many beaches a short trip away.

Dramatise seashore play.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Play on the seashore

And gather up shells,

Kneel in the damp sand,

Digging wells.

Run on the rocks

Where the seaweed slips,

Watch waves roll in

And the beautiful ships.

Ring, ring my bicycle 🔊

Practice makes perfect; work hard to become an expert. A cheerful song to show how happy this can make you.

An Indonesian song by A.T. Mahmud; it tells a story about two children who are given things, a bicycle and shooes because they work hard. In my adaptation the children succeed in a task because they try and try again. Translation by Dany Rosevear.

This Indonesian song and music was sent to me by a very kind young teacher and her colleagues; I am most grateful to Grace Sandy, Mr. Rudy, Ms.Tere and the rest of the team; thank you!

Ring, ring, ring, I’m on my bike,

It has handlebars I like;

Father taught me how to ride,

He knows just how hard I tried!

Tap, tap, tap, just see my shoes,

Made of leather, bright and new;

Mother shows me how to dance,

I practice hard at every chance.

Kring..kring kring ada sepeda (ring..ring ring here is my bike)

Sepedaku roda tiga (it's a three wheels bike)

Kudapat dari ayah (I got it from my father)

Karena rajin bekerja (because I'm a hard worker)

Tuk tuk tuk ada sepatu (tap tap tap here are my shoes)

Sepatu kulit lembu (they are made of leather)

Kudapat dari ibu (I got it from my mother)

Karena rajin membantu (because I love to help her)

Rockpool safari 🔊

When the grandchildren come to visit during the school holidays at least one day is spent on a beach where there are rockpools and there is always great excitement to be had discovering different creatures brought in by the tide. A cup and bucket is all you need but make sure they are returned to the pool once they have been identified.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Make up more verses for other inhabitants: seaweed, barnacle, mussel, blenny, cuttle fish, anenome, prawn, limpet.

I spy, identify!

I spy a claw – what could it be?

A crab, a crab, washed in by the sea.

I spy a shell – what could it be?

A whelk, a whelk, hiding from me!

I spy an arm – what could it be?

A starfish, a starfish, waving at me!

I spy a tentacle – what could it be?

A jellyfish, a jellyfish, please don’t sting me!

I spy antennae – what could it be?

A shrimp, a shrimp, as small as can be!

Roll with the waves 🔊

Music by Michael Levine, lyrics by Eric Litwin and Michael Levine, they have a delightful site of accessible and often original songs, on occasion using classical music as an inspiration at: https://www.thelearninggroove.com/ .

Rolling, rolling; roll with the waves. x2

Come now with me to my boat on the sea,

We'll bounce on the waves in the cool summer breeze,

Sometimes the boat, it will rock to and fro,

So we let out the sail and away we go! Oh we are..

Rolling, rolling; roll with the waves. x2

Deep in the ocean there swims a blue whale,

Watch as he moves with a swoosh of his tail,

All of the fishies get out of his way

Splashing about, you can hear the fish say that we are...

Rolling, rolling; roll with the waves. x4

Seagull, seagull sit on the shore 🔊

I originally found a simple version of this on BBC Schools TV ‘Music time’ broadcast in the late 80s. This version is usually sung as a two part song and the arrangement was written by Susan Brumfield.

Seagull, seagull, sit on the shore, sit on the shore, sit on the shore.

Seagull, seagull, sit on the shore, and sail on my Santy Anna.

Captain, captain, hoist up the sails, hoist up the sails, hoist up the sails,

Captain, captain, hoist up the sails, and sail on my Santy Anna.

For my love is far away, far away, far away,

For my love is far away, ‘cross the ocean.

Blue horizon, heading for home, heading for home, heading for home,

Blue horizon, heading for home, oh, sail on my Santy Anna.

‘Cross the waves and back again, back again, back again,

‘Cross the waves and back again, Santy Anna.

Sail on my Santy Anna.

Seagull, seagull sit on the shore (2) 🔊

This simpler version for younger children can be played as a hand play and comes from BBC Schools TV ‘Music time’ broadcast in the late 80s. The verses might be a little different.

1. Cross hands at wrists, flap and fly. 2. Make hand dip and dive. 3. Flap hands. 5. Pull at an imaginary rope.

Seagull, seagull, sit on the shore, sit on the shore, sit on the shore.

Seagull, seagull, sit on the shore, sail away my Santy Anna.

Penguin, penguin, swim in the sea, swim in the sea, swim in the sea,

Penguin, penguin, swim in the sea, sail away my Santy Anna.

Puffin, puffin, follow the ship, follow the ship, follow the ship,

Puffin, puffin, follow the ship, sail away my Santy Anna.

Captain, captain, hoist up the sails, hoist up the sails, hoist up the sails,

Captain, captain, hoist up the sails, sail away my Santy Anna.

Seashell, seashell 🔊

Hear the sea calling. It is such a magical experience to pick up a conical shell and listen to the sound of the sea. Music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Older children might like this one I wrote about the same experience:(1) Here is a seashell - hear the sea calling - YouTube

Seashell, seashell,

Sing a song for me,

Sing about the ocean,

Tell me about the sea.

Seashell, seashell,

When I hold you near,

I can hear the ocean,

Whispering in my ear.

Seaside fun 🔊

There is so much to do at the beach! Experience some of those lively and more gentle movements with this seaside action game. Younger children might like to just move to the first verse. Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Jump up and down. Stretch. Flap arms and fly around. Curl up small. 2. Jump forward. Make swimming movements. Trot. Kneel and dig. 3. Wobble all over. Sit and row. Mime holding a net and digging. Run the sit down and pretend to eat.

Bounce, bounce, bounce, like a bouncy beach ball,

Stretch up high, like a lighthouse tall;

Spread your wings, like a sailing seagull,

Curl up small like a sea snail in its shell.

Jump, jump, jump, over little wavelets,

Swim, swim, swim, like the fishes in the sea;

Trot, trot, trot, along the beach like donkey,

Dig, dig, dig, make a sandcastle for me!

Wibble, wibble, wobble, like a floating jellyfish,

Row, row, row, a boat so merrily;

Dip, dip, dip your net into a rock pool

Run to the shack to buy fish and chips for tea!

Seaside fun (2) 🔊

An action rhyme to mime with a partner or individually.

When the grandkids come to visit we spend much of the time at the beach whatever the time of year. So it is not surprising that I’ve inadvertently managed to write a second song about some off the things that happen while we’re there!

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Facing each other stretch arms up high. 2. Curl up small. 3. Spread arms and fly. 4. Kneel and dig. 5. Sit opposite partner holding hands and row. 6. Pretend to swim. 7. Stand still holding hands make a big jump forward.

Stretch up as tall as a lighthouse;

Curl up as small as a flea.

Spread your wings like a seagull high,

Dig in the sand with me.

Row a boat in the ocean,

Swim with the fish in the sea;

Stand and watch as the waves roll in,

Jump over a big one with me!

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.

Shake the papaya down 🔊

A calypso work song. It works well as a partner song.

A. Sing 1.-4. sequencially. B. Sing 1.&2. together. C. Sing 1.&2. Together. D. Sing 2.

1. Mama says no play, this is a work day,

Up with the bright sun, get all the work done.

If you will help me, climb up the tall tree,

Shake the papaya down.

2. Shake them down, shake them down,

Climb the tall tree, shake them down,

Shake them down, shake them down,

Shake the papaya down.

3. I love papaya, yes I do, juicy papaya, yes I do,

If you will help me, I’ll help you,

Shake the papaya down.

4. Sweet, sweet papaya, fruit of the island,

When all the work’s done, dance on the white sands,

If you will help me, climb up the tall tree,

Shake the papaya down.

She sells seashells 🔊

A seashore tongue twister with a seaside holiday adaptation. Sing slow, sing fast.

It is suggested, without evidence, that the Victorian fossil hunter Mary Anning was the inspiration for this tongue twister ‘She sells seashells.’ It was originally part of a music hall song, written in 1908 by Terry Sullivan with music by Harry Gifford:

She Sells Seashells and Mary Anning: Metafolklore with a Twist | Folklife Today (loc.gov)

When the waves have retreated, a whole world emerges on the shore especially where there are rockpools. My grandchildren just loooove rockpooling and shell hunting on one of the many beaches round here in Devon.

Dany Rosevear has arranged the tune from the original chorus of this much longer song and has added a two more seaside fun verses.

Find the original song here: She Sells Sea-Shells - Sheet Music Collection (University of Illinois Chicago) - CARLI Digital Collections

Chorus

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore,

The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure.

For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore,

Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.

Starfish, clams dwell by the sea-shore,

In low tide rock pools you’ll find much more;

There are fish, shrimps, winkles, mussels and snails,

So get dipping with your nets and pails!

Chorus (faster)

Farewell seashells on the seashore,

And seaweed, sandfleas, green crabs and more.

Farewell seagulls sailing*, big waves that roar,

But we’ll be back again for sure!

Chorus (much faster)

Alternate words: *snorkeling, sand dunes, sandcastles, sandy toes, sailboats, surfing, squawking

Shore 🔊

This delightful poem by Mary Britton Miller gives a very succinct picture of time on the beach. Since lockdown ended we have had the pleasure of taking the grandkids to three very different beaches, oh what fun they had with a combination of these: damp sand, dry sand, big waves, little waves, pebbles, rock pools, large rocks and one beach where you could see a number of vast cruise ships parked offshore waiting for better days.

Music by Dany Rosevear. This can be played as an action rhyme or hand play.

Play on the seashore

And gather up shells,

Kneel in the damp sand,

Digging wells.

Run on the rocks

Where the seaweed slips,

Watch the waves

And the beautiful ships.

Sing a song of sunshine 🔊

A daytime wake up song.

The sun is out, we’re out, time to sing, shout and smile.

1. Draw a round sun and wiggle fingers to make it shimmer. 2. Draw smile then repeat sun movement 3. Sweep hands outwards. 4. Make smile again. 5. Conduct singing.

Sing a song of sunshine,

Be happy every day.

Sing a song of sunshine,

And chase those clouds away;

Be happy every moment

No matter what you do,

Just sing and sing and sing and sing / smile and smile

And let the sunshine through!

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,

La, la, la, la, la, la!

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.

Summer is here

Summer has begun. Find a grassy spot filled with daisies and learn how to make a daisy chain.

A rhyme from BBC Radio Oxford Schools programme in the 1970s.

Line 1. Rub upper arms. 2. Shape sun, move fingers upwards. 3. Cross forefingers for bee movement. Join thumbs and flap hands like butterflies. 4. Sweep hands outwards.

5. Pretend to make a daisy chain and place on head.

Winter has gone,

Summer is here,

Bees and butterflies dance in the air.

Daisies and buttercups grow everywhere,

A gold and white crown I’ll put in my hair.

Summer sunset 🔊

An end of summer song by Roger Quilter 1877-1953, he also wrote it to music in a classical style. While I was reading the poem Alan was singing a folk song, ‘Brigg Fair’, the poem and tune both seemed well matched hence the new setting by Dany Rosevear.

Silver flows the river,

Golden gleams the sky;

Lovely days of summer,

You must bid goodbye.

Don a veil of silver,

Crown your head with gold,

Ere the night has fallen

Deep and dark, and cold.

Dying days of summer,

Lay you gently down

With your shroud of silver

And your golden crown.

Summertime 🔊

A lullaby composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the opera ‘Porgy and Bess’. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward.

One from my mother’s extensive collection of musical show LPs. All now sadly disappeared!

Summertime, and the livin' is easy,

Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high.

Oh, your daddy's rich, and your ma is good-lookin',

So hush little baby, don't you cry.

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing,

And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky.

But till that morning come, there ain't a-nothin' can harm you

With mammy and pappy standin' by.

Sun on the water 🔊

Let the sun into your heart and soul as summer approaches.

Every so often in Spring there are days that give you a hint of the summer to come. The last few mornings at swimming the sun has shone brightly on the surface of the pool where such delights and time to reflect set off a song.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Sun on the water, ripples and dances,

Sun on the buttercup, shines just like gold;

Sun on the children, big smiles and laughter,

Summer is a-comin’, so I’ve been told. x2

Rain on the rooftops, pitters and patters,

Rain in the guttering, splashes and swirls,

Off down the rivers, out in the oceans,

All the lovely rainbows give hope to the world. x2

Sun in each kind heart, ripples and dances,

Sun in each little step gives joy to us all;

Wind in our wings brings big smiles and laughter,

Fly and chase each rainbow, feel love in your soul. x2

Sunbeams and shadows 🔊

Live our lives, making the most of the good times, with love and light in our hearts but beauty and comfort can be found in both the light and dark, in ourselves and the natural world.

Having safely survived a recent heatwave (small compared with elsewhere in the world!) I would like to celebrate sunlight but also shade and shadows – they are not always the darker side of life!!

In these warmer days we seek out those precious shady spots in our gardens, parks and countryside. Perhaps to sit or picnic under the trees where it is cool; and where we can appreciate the lovely patterns made as the sunlight filters through the canopy above.

Light and dark both play their part in our lives.

Learn to look for the positive in each one and the beauty that can be found as they dance together like those ephemeral butterflies, first there then flown away, disappearing, perhaps fleetingly, as a cloud moves across the blue sky.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Sunbeams and shadows,

Flicker softly through the trees,

Happy thoughts and sad ones,

Whisper with the gentle breeze.

Chorus

Sunbeams and shadows,

Hold them close to your heart;

Feathered wings and flutterings

Dipple-dappled, light and dark.

Sunbeams and shadows,

Seek their cheerful, merry ways;

Frolicking together

Best of friends, they love to play.

Chorus

Sunbeams kiss the flowers,

Shadows cool the scented air;

Butterflies a-dancing,

Flying off, I know not where.

Chorus

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