Playground favourites

Doctor Dingle, Doctor Jingle

Down by the river

Knees up Mary Muffet

Sally go round the sun

We are going to Kentucky

When Susie was a baby

Last updated: 19/08/2015 13:44

The songs below are part ofAway we go’ Round and about

compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on title at O

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:

·       you must give the original author credit

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·       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.


 

 

Doctor Dingle, Doctor Jingle O

 

 

Move in time and you’ll feel so fine! The more vigorously the better. Try counting in different languages.

 

As well as below this song can be played cumulatively adding a new action each time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Doctor Dingle, Doctor Jingle, Doctor Number Nine,

Tell me what shall I do? Don’t feel so fine.

I went to the doctor and the doctor said,

Now let’s get the rhythm of our head,

Ding dong!

Now I’ve got the rhythm of my head,

Ding dong!

Now we’ve all got the rhythm of the number nine.

One,__ two,__ three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine!

 

Doctor Dingle, Doctor Jingle, Doctor Number Nine,

Tell me what shall I do? Don’t feel so fine.

I went to the doctor and the doctor said,

Now let’s get the rhythm of our hands, Clap clap!

Now I’ve got the rhythm of my hands, Clap clap!

Now we’ve all got the rhythm of the number nine.

One,__ two,__ three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine!

 

Below substitute lines four and five with:

 

Now let’s get the rhythm of our hips,

Boom boom!

 

Now let’s get the rhythm of our knees,

Knock knock!

 

Now let’s get the rhythm of our feet,

Ho-ot dog!

 

Put it all together and what have you got:

Ding dong!

Clap clap!

Boom boom!

Knock knock!

Ho-ot dog!

 

Move it all backwards and

what have you got:

Ho-ot dog!

Knock knock!

Boom boom!

Clap clap!

Ding dong!

Move rhythmically to the music clicking fingers from side to side.

 

Lightly tap head as it moves from side to side.

 

Use fingers to count.

 

Perform actions suggested by words in bold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Down by the river O

 

From the early years of the last century this song has been chanted as a skipping rope game where the named child joins the skipper. It has also been popular as a playground game where sweethearts have been invited into the circle with a ‘will you marry me?’

 

As an alternative to the simple game below, each time the song is sung a new named child enters the circle where they form a small inner circle. This grows until the outer circle is left with a single child who then enters the newly formed ring for the game to start again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Down by the river where the green grass grows,

There sits ---- a-washing her clothes,

She sings, she sings, she sings so sweet,

She calls to her playmate across the street.

Playmate, playmate, won’t you come to tea,

Come next Sunday at half past three.

Teacakes, pancakes, everything you see,

Won’t we have a jolly time at half past three.

The players form a circle and skip round a child in the middle who chooses the person she wishes to join her in the ring. They both play the part of host and guest, acting out teatime.

 

The ‘guest’ becomes the new named child in the middle next time the song is sung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


Knees up Mary Muffet O

 

This traditional playground ring game is a variation of ‘Knees up Mother Brown’ sung to the tune of ‘My old man’s a dustman’.

 

Listen to a snippet from Kathy Reid Naiman’s delightful album: http://www.amazon.de/Knees-Up-Mary-Muffet/dp/B003DRNPRM

 

See the web site: http://www.jackiesilberg.com/ where it is used as a nappy changing song. Substitute a child’s name for Mary Muffet and add ‘Toes up / fingers up / arms up.

You will find this a great site with good ideas for promoting child development.

 

Begin the game in a large circle side by side with a partner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Knees up Mary Muffet,

Knees up Mary Brown,

Knees up Mary Macaroni,

Let’s dance round the town.

 

Swing them by the right hand,

Swing them by the left,

Swing them by the right again,

Then let them have a rest.

 

In and out the houses,

Round and round the town,

Knees up, knees up, don’t

let the fleas up,

Bless you Mother Brown.

Circle to the left skipping with high knees in skating position with a partner – face the same direction, right hands joined above and left as below.

 

Right hand turn once.

Left hand turn.

Right hand turn, finish in original place.

Get ready to weave.

 

La chaine anglaise

Partners face each other and then move round the circle in a passing motion, one clockwise the other counter clockwise. They offer a left hand to their partner, pass by and offer their right hand to the next and so on round the circle. Finish with a new partner at the end of the verse.Skip around to the right.

 

On ‘Whoops!’ kick legs high in the air and clap under the knee.

Start off in the opposite direction each time the song is sung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


Sally go round the sun O

 

Once a playground favourite and now sung in nurseries around the world, this game has the charm of perpetual motion. Versions include ‘around the churchyard / mulberry bush / hickory stick / omnibus / rainbow’ ending with ‘Whee! / Hi! / Oh! / Hoop la! / Bump! / Boo!’

Once children are familiar with this simple game allocate a number round the circle. Each time ‘afternoon’ is sung the numbered child turns outwards. When all have turned out take it in turns to return to facing the centre of the circle. The child who turns could be named each time the game is played eg ‘Brendan / Charlie / Erin go round the sun’.

 

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5VAnR0eBfU&feature=related

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Sally go round the sun,

Sally go round the moon,

Sally go round the chimney pots,

On a Sunday afternoon. WHOOPS!

Skip around to the right.

 

On ‘Whoops!’ kick legs high in the air and clap under the knee.

Start off in the opposite direction each time the song is sung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

We are going to Kentucky O

 

 


Traditionally this is a game played by girls with a ‘senorita’ in the middle. For a more co-ed approach try ‘my sister Rita’ or ‘my brother Rico with flowers in his hand’, depending who is in the middle. Alternatively, if you don’t mind hoots of laughter, substitute ‘senorita’ with a child’s name and a food of choice in their hair; Daniel with pizza in his hair, Samantha with meatballs in her hair and so on.

 

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1se1GhzBXs&feature=related

 

 

 

 


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SPOKEN: Uno, dos, tres

 

We are going to Kentucky,

We’re going to the fair,

To see the señorita,

With flowers in her hair,

So we’ll shake it, shake it, shake it,

Shake it all you can,

Shake it like a milkshake,

Just do the best you can,

Oh, we rumble to the bottom,

And rumble to the top,

Then turn around and turn around,

Until we holler STOP!

 

SPOKEN:

Turn to the east, turn to the west, turn to the very one that you like the best.

Turn to the north, turn to the south, and turn to the one who’s the stillest in the house.

 

Clap for each number then hold hands in a circle.

 

Walk round the child in the middle.

 

 

The children in the circle clap as the child in the centre shakes their body.

 

 

Roll forearms round each other first down low then up high.

Everyone turns round and shouts ‘stop’ and then freezes in a shape.

 

Everyone chants without moving. The child in the centre points to the one they like the best and then the one who is most still. That child then joins the one in the middle to make a small circle. The game continues until no one is left in the circle.


 

 

When Susie was a baby O

 

Also known as “When Lucy/Pebbles (of Flintstones fame) was a baby”, in this song Susie moves through the stepping stones of life.

As an alternative ending sing the following: “When Susie was in the sky”, she cries in astonishment, “Oh it’s beautiful!” flaps her wings and spins round.

Find more words, some quite risqué, “Ooh ah, lost my bra, found my knickers in my boyfriend’s car!” by following the wonderful Mudcat’s online discussion forum at: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=109480 There are also many versions on YouTube such as: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d51I4VVwQXY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


When Susie was a baby, a baby, a baby, a baby,

When Susie was a baby,

She just went like this: Wah! Wah! Wah!

 

When Susie was a little girl, etc.

She went like this: Na-na-na-na-na!

 

When Susie was a teenager, etc.

She just went like this: “Am I boverred!”

 

When Susie was a mother, etc.

She just went like this:Brush your teeth, comb your hair and don’t forget your underwear!

 

When Susie was a granny, etc.

She just went like this: Oi, oi, oi, I have back ache! I have aching hands! I am so old!

 

When Susie was a skeleton, etc.

She just went like this: Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety- clickety - clickety-clack clickety-clack!                   

Or SILENCE

Stand in pairs and clap rhythm on each other’s hands. Clap, slap right, clap, slap left. Continue this pattern.

Rub eyes or suck thumb and cry.

 

Repeat clapping pattern as above.

Thumb the nose or stick out tongue.

 

Repeat clapping pattern as above.

Place hands on hips, turn head from side to side and shrug shoulders.

 

Repeat clapping pattern as above.

Mime actions including pulling up pants.

 

Repeat clapping pattern as above.

Bend, hobble with hand to back.

 

 

Repeat clapping pattern as above.

Move like a skeleton with jaw banging up and down.

 

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