Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

Whatever the weather

Good morning Mr. Wind

I hear thunder

It rained a mist

It’s raining it’s pouring / Rain rain go away

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs

Like a leaf or feather

Michael Finnegan

Mr. Frog

Noah

The weather witch

Who has seen the wind?

Last updated: 7/9/2015 8:21 PM

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

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Good morning Mister Wind O

A song from BBC’s Words and Pictures by Ian Humphris.

Good morning Mister Wind, and how are you today?

I hope you puff your cheeks and blow the clouds away.

Good morning, good morning, good morning Mister Wind. x2

Good morning Mister Sun, I hope you’re feeling fine,

The day has just begun, it’s time for you to shine.

Good morning, good morning, good morning Mister Sun. x2

I hear thunder O

A song to brighten up the gloomy weather.

I hear thunder, I hear thunder,

Hark, don’t you, hark, don’t you?

Pitter patter raindrops, pitter patter raindrops,

I’m wet through, so are you!

Put hand to ears.

Move fingers down like the rain.

Point to self and another.

I see blue skies, I see blue skies,

Way up high, way up high,

Hurry up the sunshine, hurry up the sunshine,

You’ll soon dry, so will I!

Put hand to eyes. Point up.

Make the shape of the sun.

Point to another and self.

It rained a mist O

This song is said to be a Virginia folk song in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American Folk Songs for Children. Her version is possibly derived from a tragic tale of two little boys lured into a ladies garden ‘The fatal flower garden’. Find out more at:

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26213

This version has been adapted to continue the weather theme.

It rained a mist, it rained a mist,

It rained all over the town, town, town,

It rained all over the town.

The sun came out, the sun came out,

The sun shone over the town, town, town,

The sun shone over the town.

The children then went out to play,

They tossed their ball all around, round, round,

They tossed their ball all around.

At first they tossed their ball down low,

And then they threw it up high, high, high,

And then they threw it up high.

They tossed it into a lady's garden

Where roses and lilies lie, lie, lie,

Where roses and lilies lie.

It’s raining, it’s pouring

Rain, rain go away O

Will it never stop? These two songs work really well together:

"It's Raining, It's Pouring" Roud Folk Song Index number 168.

"Rain Rain Go Away" Roud Folk Song Index number 19096.

It's raining; it's pouring,

The old man is snoring.

He went to bed and bumped his head,

And couldn't get up in the morning.

Rain rain, go away, come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play, come on mother’s washing day!

Rain rain, go away, come again another day.

Rain rain, go to Spain, never show your face again.

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs O

This is a very old saying about heavy rain. Collect other sayings about the weather.

Move fingers for the rain and mime animals with hands – the video will show you how..

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs,

They’re falling from the sky.

It’s fun for fish, it’s fun for frogs,

But not for you nor I!

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs,

They’re falling from the sky.

It’s fun for fish, it’s fun for frogs,

But not poor butterfly!

Like a leaf or feather O

A movement song for windy weather.

1. Make the shape of a leaf or feather.2. Move body on the spot as if blown by the wind. 3. Move round high and low. 4. Gently move down to the ground.

Like a leaf or feather

In the windy, windy weather,

We will twirl about and whirl about

And all fall down together.

Like a leaf or feather

In the windy, windy weather,

We will tumble down and swirl around

And all float down together.

Michael Finnegan O

A song I learnt at college. The verses are many and various.

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He grew whiskers on his chin-i-gan,

The wind came out and blew them in again,

Poor old Michael Finnegan. Begin again!

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He went fishing with a pin-a-gan,

Caught a fish and dropped it in again,

Poor old Michael Finnegan. Begin again!

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He fell down and broke his shin-i-gan,

Folks said ‘Mike, you’ll never swim again’,

Poor old Michael Finnegan. Begin again!

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He grew fat and then grew thin again,

Then he died, and had to begin again,

Poor old Michael Finnegan. Begin again!

Mr. Frog O

Poor old frog –it can be so very wet if you venture away from the pond.

Get jumping – in and out of the pond.

Jump, jump jumpetty jump,

Jump, jump jumpetty jump.

Mr. Frog jumped out of the pond one day,

And found himself in the rain.

“Oh dear, I’ll get wet

And might catch a cold,

A-a-a-tchooooo!

So he jumped in the pond once again!

Noah O

My favourite interpretation of the Noah story. This is one I learnt from the BBCs Music Box programme. It was written by Veronica Clark.

Mime movement of the water and the animals. Enjoy making the animal noises.

Well the rain came down and the waters rose,

It swished and it swirled round the animals’ toes.

Noah said as he opened the doors,

‘Stand in pairs and wipe your paws.’

First came the ducks, Quack, quack!

Followed by the cats, Miaow, miaow!

Then came the owls, Twit-twoo!

Followed by the rats, Eek, eek!

Then came the sheep Baa, baa!

Followed by the dogs Woof, woof!

Then came the snakes Hiss, hiss!

Followed by the frogs Ribbet, ribbet!

Then came the pigs Oink, oink!

Followed by the larks Chirrup, chirrup!

Then came the ants… Silence

Followed by the sharks Swish, swish!

Then came the tigers Growl, growl!

Cow and bull Moo, moo!

‘STOP!’ said Noah, Clap, clap, clap!

‘The ark is full.’ Hip hip hooray!

Well the rain came down and the waters rose,

It swished and it swirled round the animals’ toes.

Noah said as he closed the doors,

I’m glad they came in twos and not in fours!

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…

The north wind doth blow O

Winter is a on its way and the cold winds begin to blow..

The north wind doth blow,

And we shall have snow,

And what will the robin do then, poor thing?

He’ll sit in the barn and keep himself warm,

And hide his head under his wing, poor thing!

The north wind doth blow,

And we shall have snow,

And what will the dormouse do then, poor thing?

Rolled up like a ball,

In a nest snug and small,

He’ll sleep till warm weather comes in, poor thing!

The north wind doth blow,

And we shall have snow,

And what will the children do then, poor things?

When lessons are done,

They must skip, jump and run,

Until they have made themselves warm, poor things!

The weather witch O

A song for sailors.

I found this song in BBC Radio for schools Time and Tune: Spring term 1966. Cannot find out much more about it though it can supposedly be sung as a round.