Snip, snap crocodile L-S
Poems + action and other rhymes for children
“Little by little,” the acorn
said
Little seeds we grow in Spring
Looe
Look at your hat!
Lullabye, Lullabye
Minnie and Winnie
Moby Dick
Monday’s child
Mousie, mousie
Mud
My Lady Spring
Old
John Muddlecombe
On
the Ning Nang Nong
One
day I saw a downy duck
One for sorrow, two for joy
One-eyed Jack the pirate chief
Picnic tea
Pretty cow
Pussy willow
Rat-a-tat-tat
Red in Autumn
Sampan
Sing, little bird
Six little mice
Someone came knocking
Sun and moon
Also see:
Have fun with this
collection; it’s a great way to:
• increase verbal
skills, expand vocabulary and horizons
• interact with a
partner or larger groups and understand turn taking
• learn to follow
or synchronize actions with each other
• learn to start
and stop and discover the value of rules
• use children’s
natural response to rhythm and rhyme
• sharpen
listening skills
• improve memory
• continue the
tradition of children’s verse from this and other countries
• be creative,
there are many opportunities change words or actions, add verses, use different
voices or change
roles
• above all to
have lots of tremendous fun – even the most timid child will follow the rhyme
and with the group
soon begin to join in.
The rhymes and
poems below are part of ‘Away we go!’
compiled and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
Last updated: 11/22/2020
1:23 PM
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page
To watch and
listen to the rhyme click on the title at:
©
Dany Rosevear 2012 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
·
you
may not use this work for commercial purposes
·
for
any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of
this work
·
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.
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“Little by little,” an acorn said 🔊
A tiny acorn to a magnificent oak tree; like the
little seed we too can improve every day. The longer poem has more verses ending with: “Little by little, I’ll learn to know The treasured wisdom of long ago; And one of these days, perhaps, we’ll see That the world will be the better for me”; And do you not think that this simple plan Made him a wise and useful man? Tune by Dany Rosevear. |
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“Little by little,” an
acorn said, As it slowly sank in
its mossy bed, “I am improving every
day, Hidden deep in the
earth away.” Little by little, each
day it grew; Little by little, it
sipped the dew; Downward it sent out a
thread-like root; Up in the air sprung a
tiny shoot. Day after day, and year
after year, Little by little the
leaves appear; And the slender
branches spread far and wide, Till the mighty oak is the
forest’s pride. |
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Little seeds we sow in Spring 🔊
A
Spring poem by Else Holmelund Minarik. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
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Little seeds we sow in
spring growing while the
robins sing, give us carrots, peas
and beans, tomatoes, pumpkin,
squash and greens. And we pick them one and all through the summer, through the fall. Winter comes, then
spring, and then little seeds we sow
again. |
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Hooray!
Once again the trains are running through Exeter on their way to Looe and
other parts of Cornwall after this year’s winter storms (2014) made the
journey impossible. Once steam trains followed the same route and this poem
by Roland Egan makes the excitement of the journey feel real. Imitate
the rhythm of the train when reciting this poem. Make lines trains with
hands on shoulders – move with a shuffle Don’t forget to wave and stoop down
through the tunnel. |
|
Bidderly-do,
bidderly-do, I'm on a train and I'm
off to Looe. Ra-ta-ta-tar,
ra-ta-ta-tar, I'm going to visit my
Grandmamma. Tickety-tack,
tickety-tack, Into a tunnel that's
ever so black. A-rumpety-tum,
a-rumpety-tum, I'm taking a present to
Granny from Mum. Tickety-boo, tickety-boo, I always enjoy the
journey to Looe. Chi-chi-chi-choo, Chi-chi-chi...........CHOO! |
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Look at your hat! 🔊
This
comic rhyme from Barabara Ireson comes from her collection written with
Christopher Rose ‘Over and over again’. You
will need to be sensitive to the feelings of others when singing but children
also enjoy laughing at themselves and expressing exasperation or bemusement. It
is also a song that lends itself to dramatisation. |
|
Look at your hat! Just look at your hat! It’s back to front And squashed quite
flat. Look at your hat! Look at your shirt! Just look at your
shirt! It’s inside out And black with dirt. Look at your shirt! Look at your dress! Just look at your
dress! It’s rumpled and
crumpled And needs a press. Look at your dress! Look at your shoes! Just look at your
shoes! They’re full of holes Not fit to use. Look at your shoes! Look at your face! Just look at your face! It hasn’t been washed What a disgrace! Look at your face! GO HOME |
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Lullabye, Lullabye 🔊
A
gentle poem by Phyllis L. Garlick. Music
by Dany Rosevear. |
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Lullaby, Lullaby, Shadows creep across
the sky. See, the sun has gone
to rest, Lullaby. Lullaby, Lullaby, Little one to Dreamland
fly, Till the morning sun
awakes, Lullaby. |
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Minnie and Winnie 🔊
A
delightful poem and lullaby by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Music
by Dany Rosevear; there are several lovely tunes set to this poem but none I
found easy to sing. |
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Minnie and Winnie Slept in a shell. Sleep, little ladies! And they slept well. Pink was the shell
within, Silver without; Sounds of the great sea Wander’d about. Sleep, little ladies! Wake not soon! Echo on echo Dies to the moon. Two bright stars Peep’d into the shell. “What are you dreaming
of? Who can tell?” Started a green linnet Out of the croft; Wake, little ladies, The sun is aloft! |
A wonderful poem by R.C. Scriven. Whales
are the biggest mammals in the world which makes them a very attractive topic
for young children; like many adults they can begin to understand the
difficulties faced by whale populations in our world. |
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Moby Dick is the great
white whale with a tiny little eye and a big black tail. He snorts and wallows
where the icebergs roll round and round the huge North Pole. The ice at the Pole is
ten feet thick. What do I care? What do I care? - asks
Moby Dick. I’m Moby Dick the great
white whale with a tiny little eye and a big black tail And I make my breakfast
and my dinner and my tea Of all the little
fishes in the deep blue sea. |
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Monday’s child 🔊
How does this traditional rhyme accord with your own
experience! It is normally recited as a rhyme rather than sung
as a song. Arranged and set to music by Dany Rosevear. |
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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, And the child that is born on the Sabbath day Is bonny, and blithe, and good, and gay. |
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A poem by Rose Fyleman. Rose
Fyleman is a wonderful children’s poet and you will find many more delightful
rhymes for
4-8 year olds in any anthology that includes her work. More
favourites by this poet: ‘The goblin’, ‘I think mice are rather nice’,
‘Wanted’. |
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Mousie, mousie, Where is your wee
little housie? Here is the door, Under the floor, Said mousie, mousie. Mousie, mousie, May I come into your
housie? You can’t get in, You have to be thin, Said mousie, mousie. Mousie, mousie, Won’t you come out of
your housie? I’m sorry to say, I’m busy all day, Said mousie, mousie. |
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Mud 🔊
This
poem by Polly Chase Boyden was always a favourite in my classes; very few
children dislike playing in mud but only a small number get to do so with
bare feet. Music
by Dany Rosevear. |
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All squishy-squash between the toes! I’d rather wade in wiggly mud Than smell a yellow rose. Nobody else but the rosebush knows How nice mud feels Between the toes. |
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My Lady Spring 🔊
A poem from
‘The book of 1,000 poems’. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
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My Lady
Spring is dressed in green, She
wears a primrose crown, And
little baby buds and twigs Come
clinging to her gown; The sun
shines if she laughs at all, But if
she weeps the raindrops fall. My Lady
Spring. My Lady Spring! |
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Losing
things is common problem for the elderly but the young also have their
moments of forgetfulness; a song to be enjoyed by all. |
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Old John Muddlecombe Couldn’t find his hat. He looked for it everywhere, Poor old chap. He went down the high street And everybody said. Silly Johnny Muddlecombe; Your hat is on your head! |
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On the Ning Nang Nong O
A
wonderful nonsense poem by Spike Milligan. Set to music for the Australian
Play School. |
|
On the Ning Nang Nong Where the Cows go Bong! And the Monkeys all say BOO! There's a Nong Nang Ning Where the trees go Ping! And the tea pots Jibber Jabber Joo. On the Nong Ning Nang All the mice go Clang! And you just can't catch 'em when they do! So it's Ning Nang Nong! The Cows go Bong! Nong Nang Ning! The trees go Ping! Nong Ning Nang! The mice go Clang! What a noisy place to belong, Is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong! The Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!! |
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One day I saw a downy duck 🔊
Or
‘Good Morning’ by Muriel Snipe. A greeting song. This
one is great for the use of adjectives and making up further verses. Traditional
music arranged by Dany Rosevear. |
|
One day I saw a downy
duck With feathers on its
back; I said, “Good morning,
downy duck,” And it said, “Quack,
quack, quack!” One day I saw a timid
mouse It was so shy and meek; I said, “Good morning,
timid mouse,” And it said, “Squeak,
squeak, squeak!” One day I saw a curly
dog I met it with a bow; I said, “Good morning,
curly dog,” And it said,
“Bow-wow-wow!” One day I heard a
scarlet bird It woke me from my
sleep; I said, “Good morning,
scarlet bird,” And it said, “Cheep,
cheep, cheep!” One day I saw a snowy
owl, Three little owlets
too; I said, “Good morning,
snowy owls,” They all said, “Whoo,
whoo, whoo, Whoo are you?!” |
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One for sorrow, two for joy O
A nursery rhyme to recite / or sing when one catches
sight of one magpie or more. Traditionally the number of magpies determine
one’s fortune. Many rhymes continue: Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss, Ten
for a bird, You must not miss. Find out more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_Sorrow_(nursery_rhyme)
The one below I remembered chanting with my siblings
as a child. The melody and doleful last couplet was added by Dany Rosevear. |
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One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told. Magpie, magpie, why do you sigh? I sit so alone as the world goes by. |
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One eyed Jack, the pirate chief 🔊
A pirate
themed rhyme for pirate play set to music by Dany Rosevear. Encourage fierce
expressions in looks and voice as this song is sung. |
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One eyed Jack, the pirate chief Was a terrible, fearsome ocean thief. He wore a peg upon one leg; He wore a hook and a dirty look! One eyed Jack, the pirate chief Was a terrible, fearsome ocean thief. |
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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/
|
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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! |
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Pretty cow 🔊
A lullaby and poem by
Jane Taylor who was born on 23rd September 1783 and lived in Colchester,
England. She is remembered along with her older sister Ann as a poet, hymn
writer and children's author. It comes from Poems of Home: II. For Children. Poems like this were
often passed on by word of mouth, with the text slightly changing on the way;
music like the one below might have been added later. This version and tune is
from Bill Crawford’s ‘Biding time’ album which was collected by Dave Lowry
from a Mrs Atkinson of Rocky Park Road, Plymstock, Devon in the 1960s. The music below is
transcribed by Dany Rosevear and the two versions have been modified to work
together. |
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Thank you, pretty cow,
that gives The pleasant milk to
soak my bread, Every morning, every
night, Warm, and fresh, and
sweet, and white. Fresh and clean, and
pure, and white. Where the purple
heather grows, Where the bubbling
stream runs clear, Where the grass grows
fresh and fine, Pretty cow, go there
and dine. Do not chew the hemlock
rank, Growing on the weedy
bank; But the yellow cowslips
eat, That will make it very
sweet. Where the purple violet
grows, Where the bubbling
water flows, Where the grass grows
fresh and fine, Pretty cow, go there
and dine. |
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Pussy
willow
A poem by Aileen Fisher. Creep around the room with a sprig of pussy willow. Stroke it gently
across the children’s cheek as they sit with eyes closed. |
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Close your eyes And do not peep And I’ll rub Spring Across your cheek- Smooth as satin, Soft and sleek- Close your eyes And do not peep. |
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Rat-a-tat-tat Another
question and answer rhyme. Mime actions. Sit
the children in two lines facing and looking at each other. Once the children
are familiar with the rhyme each group take turns to ask and answer questions
using good expression (make sure you sound quizzical for the questions). Swap
over. Who was most effective? Why? Encourage use of different voices – loud,
soft, angry, amused. What other voices could they use? |
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Rat-a-tat-tat Who is that? Only grandma’s pussy
cat What do you
want? A pint of milk Where’s your
money? In my pocket Where’s your
pocket? Oh I forgot it Oh you silly
old pussy cat! |
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Red in Autumn O
A poem for Autumn by
Elizabeth Gould. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
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Tipperty-toes, the
smallest elf, Sat on a mushroom by
himself, Playing a little
tinkling tune Under a big red harvest
moon; And this is the song
that Tipperty made To sing to the little
tune he played. “Red are the hips, red
are the haws, Red and gold are the
leaves that fall, Red are the poppies in
the corn, Red berries on the
rowan tall; Red is the big round
harvest moon, And red are my new
little dancing shoon.” |
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Sampan
A poem by Tao Lang Pee
which describes a river with sampans floating on it using rhyming, repetitive
language. These boats can commonly be seen in China and Malaysia. This
arrangement can be found in the Ladybird book of ‘Bedtime rhymes’. Can be used as a hand play
as below. 1. Move hands up and down across body and in
parallel. Place on hand on the other and move thumbs. ‘clap’ fingers. Point
hands up and ‘flap’.Tap forefingers together. 2. Wind arm along. Flicker
fingers.Point fingers down and wave from side to side. Flicker fingers. 3. As in one in reverse. |
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Waves lap lap Fish fins clap clap Brown sails flap flap Chop-sticks tap tap; Up and down the long green river, Oh hey, oh hey, lanterns quiver Willow branches brush the river, Oh hey, oh hey, lanterns quiver. Chop-sticks tap tap Brown sails flap flap Fish fins clap clap Waves lap lap. |
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Sing, little bird 🔊
Oh, how we need the calming sound of bird song and
other soothing sounds of nature in this busy, noisy, chaotic and
unpredictable world of ours! A poem from ‘In the nursery of my bookhouse’, edited
by Olive Beaupre Miller and published in 1920. It comes at the end of a
little Scotch folk tale. ‘Wee Robin’s Christmas song’. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
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Sing, little bird, when the skies are blue; Sing, for the world has need of you; Sing, when the skies are overcast; Sing, when the rain is falling fast. Sing, happy heart, when the sun is warm; Sing, in the winter's coldest storm; Sing, little songs, O heart so true; Sing, for the world has need of you. |
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Not
all stories for children end happily and flattery can be successful. C’est la
vie! |
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Six little mice sat
down to spin. Pussy passed by and she
peeped in. "What are you
doing my fine little men?" "We’re weaving
coats for gentlemen." "Can I come in and
cut off your threads?" "Oh no, Mistress
Pussy, you'd bite off our heads." Said pussy, “I think
you’re wonderfully wise, I love your long
whiskers and your round black eyes.” The mice were so
pleased that they opened their doors. And pussy soon laid
them all dead on the floor! |
Spin with
first fingers and thumbs. Make
hands into creeping paws. Slyly. Spin with
first fingers and thumbs. Snip with
fingers two and three. Draw finger
across throat. In a
flattering voice. Indicate
whiskers and eyes. Open tiny
door enthusiastically. Sweep hand
across. |
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Someone came knocking
A night time poem. By Walter de la Mare, 1873-1956, one of England's
greatest poets and a writer especially for children. Recite with a sense of
mystery. Mime the
actions. |
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Some one came knocking At my wee, small door; Someone came knocking; I'm sure-sure-sure; I listened, I opened, I looked to left and right, But nought there was a-stirring In the still dark night. Only the busy beetle Tap-tapping in the wall. Only from the forest The screech-owl's call. Only the cricket whistling While the dewdrops fall, So I know not who came knocking, At all, at all, at all. |
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Sun and Moon 🔊
A poem by
Charlotte Druitt Cole. Music by Dany Rosevear. The sun
and moon might be so very far away but still connect to us in a very intimate
way as their sunbeams and moonshine accompany us through our lives. Social
distancing has made life difficult this year but the company of these distant
heavenly bodies can be very comforting. |
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The moon shines clear as silver, The sun shines bright like gold, And both are very lovely, And very,very old. They hang up there like
lanterns, For all beneath the sky; And nobody can blow them out, For they are up too high. |
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