Snip, snap crocodile U-Z
Poems + action and other rhymes for children
Under a stone where the earth
was firm
Under the blanket
Walk fast in snow
We have a secret, just we three
What do you suppose?
What does little birdie say?
When daddy fell into the pond
When you see a daffodil
Which is the way to Fairyland?
Whisky Frisky
Who likes the rain?
Also see:
The
night will never stay by Eleanor Farjeon
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: 2/1/2021
11:19 AM
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.
Under the blanket
A
poem for camping
Under the dark there is a
star,
Under the star there is a
tree,
Under the tree there is a
blanket,
Under the blanket there
is me!
Under a stone where the earth was firm
A
hand rhyme.
Discover
other creatures under stones, logs and other vegetation. There is a world of
fascinating minibeasts to be found.
Under a stone where the
earth was firm,
I found a wriggly,
wriggly worm;
(use forefinger for
worm and cover with other hand)
‘Good morning’, I said.
‘How are you today?’
(uncover the
forefinger)
But the wriggly worm just wriggled away! (wriggle
forefinger up other arm)
Walk fast in snow
A
Devonshire saying for winter. Jonathan Swift in January 1710-11 observed “It is a
good proverb Devonshire people have.” https://archive.org/details/englishfolkrhyme00nortuoft
Walk
fast in snow, in frost walk slow,
And
still as you go, tread on your toe;
When
frost and snow are both together,
Sit
by the fire, and save shoe leather.
|
We have a secret, just we three 🔊
‘The secret’ is by anonymous from ‘The Golden Book
of Poetry’ (1947). Music by Dany Rosevear. |
|
We have a secret, just we three, The robin, and I, and the sweet cherry-tree; The bird told the tree, and the tree told me, And nobody knows it but just us three. But of course the robin knows it best, Because she built the—I shan't tell the rest; And laid the four little—something in it— I'm afraid I shall tell it every minute. But if the tree and the robin don't peep, I'll try my best the secret to keep; Though I know when the little birds fly about Then the whole secret will be out. We have a secret, just we three, The robin, and I, and the sweet cherry-tree; The bird told the tree, and the tree told me, And nobody knows it but just us three. |
|
What do you suppose?
A poem for Summer. |
|
What do you suppose? A bee sat on my nose! (Place
finger on nose) Then what do you think? He gave me a wink, (Wink) And said, “I beg your pardon, I thought you were the garden!” |
|
What does little birdie say? 🔊
Childhood days are fleeting and this poem by Alfred,
Lord Tennyson encapsulates the ephemeral nature of these most precious years
while we wait for ‘the little wings’ to get stronger. Music by Dany Rosevear. This can work as a lullaby or a hand play: Line 1.: Open and close thumb and
forefinger. 2. Make hands into a nest. 3. and 4. Cross wrists and flap hands.
5. Put closed hands to cheek. 6. Flap elbows. 7. Hands to cheek. 8. Hands fly
away. |
|
In her
nest at peep of day? Let
me fly, says little birdie, Mother,
let me fly away. Birdie,
rest a little longer, Till
the little wings are stronger, So
she rests a little longer, Then
she flies away. What
does little baby say, In
her bed at peep of day? Baby
says, like little birdie, Let
me rise and fly away. Baby,
sleep a little longer, Till
the little limbs are stronger; If
she sleeps a little longer, Baby
too shall fly away. |
|
When Daddy Fell Into the
Pond
A
poem by Alfred Noyes. Many
people will be able to remember a story like this one. As Alan reminded me, a
few years back, when punting in Oxford, he fell into the canal and everyone
laughed – how cruel can we be?!!! He hasn’t forgotten. 😊 |
|
Everyone grumbled. The
sky was grey. We had nothing to do
and nothing to say. We were nearing the end
of a dismal day, And there seemed to be
nothing beyond, THEN Daddy fell into the
pond! And everyone’s face
grew merry and bright, And Timothy danced for
sheer delight. "Give me the
camera, quick, oh quick! He’s crawling out of
the duckweed!" Click! Then the gardener
suddenly slapped his knee, And doubled up, shaking
silently, And the ducks all
quacked as if they were daft, And it sounded as if the
old drake laughed. Oh, there wasn’t a
thing that didn’t respond WHEN Daddy fell into the
pond! |
|
When you see a daffodil
A
poem by Aileen Fisher |
|
When you see a daffodil And know it’s spring, All the songs inside of
you Begin to sing.
|
|
Whisky, Frisky
A
poem for Autumn |
|
Whisky
Frisky, Hipperty
hop, Up
he goes To
the tree top. Whirly,
twirly, Round
and round, Down
he scampers To
the ground. Furly,
curly, What
a tail, Tall
as a feather, Broad
as a sail. Where's
his supper? In
the shell, Snappy,
cracky, Out
it fell. |
|
Which is the way to Fairyland O
A poem by Eunice Close from ‘The Book of One
Thousand Poems’. Fairies capture young children’s imaginations; I
remember making fairy feasts on rose petal dishes with teeny tiny potatoes
given to me by an old fellow who worked a railway bank allotment at the
bottom of our garden. Magical times! I adapted this tune from one I heard elsewhere. |
|
Which is the way to Fairyland, To Fairyland, to Fairyland? We want to go to Fairyland, To dance by the light of the moon.x2 Up the hill and down the lane, Down the lane, down the lane, Up the hill and down the lane, You'll get there very soon.x2 Across the common and through the gate, Through the gate, through the gate, Across the common and through the gate, You'll get there very soon.x2 Over the stile and into the wood, Into the wood, into the wood, Over the stile and into the wood, You'll get there very soon. x2 Here we are in Fairyland, In Fairyland, in Fairyland, Here we are in Fairyland, We'll dance by the light of the moon. x2 |
|
Who likes the rain? 🔊
Who doesn’t like the rain? – it is so important in
our lives. A poem by Clara Doty Bates 1838-1895. It has been
slightly adapted over the years. Music by Dany Rosevear. |
|
"I,"
said the duck, "I call it fun, For
I have my little red rubbers on; They
make a cunning three-toed track In
the soft cool mud. Quack! Quack! Quack! Spoken:
Who Likes the Rain? "I,"
cried the dandelion, "I, My
roots are thirsty, my buds are dry," And
she lifted a tousled yellow head Out
of her green and grassy bed. Spoken:
Who Likes the Rain? "I
hope 'twill pour! I hope 'twill pour!" Purred
the tree-toad at his gray back door. "For,
with a broad leaf for a roof, I
am perfectly weather-proof." Spoken:
Who Likes the Rain? "I,"
shouted Ted, "for I can run, With
my high-top boots and raincoat on, Through
every puddle and runlet and pool, I
find on the road to school." Spoken:
Who Likes the Rain? Sang
the brook: "I welcome every drop, Come
down, dear raindrops; never stop Until
a broad river you make of me, And
then I will carry you to the sea." |
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