More action songs T-W

Tall as a tree

The elephant wobbles from side to side

The lighthouse song

The prehistoric animal brigade

The snail

The wise man and the foolish man

There’s a spider on the floor

Tommy was a baker

Tony Chestnut

Two little boats are on the sea

We are woodmen sawing trees

Wheels keep turning

Wiggle and freeze

Willum he had seven sons

With my little broom

You can stamp your feet

Last updated: 1/3/2017 4:08 PM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ Round and about

compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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Tall as a tree

Tackle concepts of size and comparison in a fun way. Be quiet or noisy at the end as the mood takes you!

Tall as a tree.

(Stand up and reach up high.)

Wide as a house.

(Stretch out arms and legs.)

Thin as a pin.

(Stand tall, as thin as you can.)

Small as a mouse.

(Curl into a ball.)

Tall as a tree, how tall can you be?

Wide as a house, how wide can you be?

Thin as a pin, how thin can you be?

Small as a mouse, how small can you be?

And how very, very, quiet can you be?

As quiet as a mouse - Shhh!

BOO! How very LOUD can you be?!

(Jump up high!) Leave last line out if you wish to finish on a quiet note!!!

The elephant wobbles from side to side O

Make different movements for each animal.

This song is an adaptation, by Peter Charlton, for the Australian ABC Play School programme, of the classic nursery game ‘The elephant goes like this and that’.

1. Move from one leg to the other waving an arm for a trunk. Hold hands up high and the wide. Put hands to mouth to shout last line. 2. Move slowly with head outstretched and then as before. 3. Jump in a bouncy manner and then as before.

The elephant wobbles from side to side,

He's terribly big and he's terribly wide,

And people shout wherever he goes,

"Goodness, gracious, what a nose!"

The tortoise goes with a slurpety slop,

If he went much slower he would stop,

And people shout when they see him go,

"Goodness, gracious aren’t you slow!"

The kangaroo goes with a bumpety bump,

He’ll never walk when he can jump,

And people shout to him in the street,

"Goodness, gracious, what big feet!"

The lighthouse song O

A lighthouse song by Jennie Brockhurst based on Twinkle, twinkle little star.

Twinkle, twinkle little light,

Flashing brightly through the night,

When it's stormy you must show,

All the sailors where to go,

Twinkle, twinkle little light,

Flashing brightly through the night.

The prehistoric animal brigade 🔊

Words and music by M.L.Reeve. A song in four different keys.

Some might point to the historical inaccuracies; brontosaurus is now apatosaurus, a woolly mammoth is not a dinosaur but this song was written in the 1970s when such niceties were uncommon or unknown.

It is a great song for using percussion.

Move as the words suggest to a slow beat.

Listen to the chorus,

Of the brontosaurus

And the stegosaurus

Down by the swamp.

Along comes a dinosaur,

Making such a loud roar,

Thumping with his feet

And going stomp, stomp, stomp.

Pterodactyl flapping,

Long beak clacking,

Big teeth snapping,

Down from a tree.

Here's a woolly mammoth,

Tusks all curly,

Joins the hurly burly.

Oh dear me!

What a noise!

It's the boys and the girls

Of the prehistoric animal brigade!

The snail O

A children’s song from Devon which can be found in the songbook ‘Sing a song One’ published in 1978. Subsequently I have heard it sung by both Cyril Tawney and Bill Murray, who noted on his CD info that it was collected from Fanny Maunder who was born in Buckfastleigh, Devon, in 1849.

It needs to be sung at a steady pace as it alternates between 6/8 and 9/8 time.

It can be played as below or as a finger rhyme with the fist slowly moving up the arm with two fingers out like horns.

Children curl up like a snail and slide along the floor with arms up like the snail’s horns. One or more children pretend to be blackbirds and creep among the snails flapping their elbows like wings. On the last line they choose a child to tap gently; these children then become the new blackbirds.

The snail creeps out with his house on his back.

You can tell where he's been by his slimy track.

Chorus:

Creep, creep, creep, oh how slowly he goes.

And you'd be the same if you carried your house.

You can't see him but you know where he's been

He feeds on the leaves of the plants so green.

Still, still, still, in the darkness of night.

He steels away ere the morning light.

With horny eye he peers about.

But the blackbird at last has found him out.

Tap, tap, tap on the roof of his house.

He gobbles him up as a cat would a mouse.

The wise man and the foolish man O

A simple retelling of the parable from the New Testament; it also teaches a universal message about building our lives on firm foundations.

1. Place fists alternately on top of the other. Make a house shape and then place fist firmly on the palm of the hand. Fingers wiggle downwards for the rain and hands move upwards for the floods. On the last l line place one fist firmly on top of the other hand.

2, Move palms facing down over each other then as before. Clap loudly on the last line.

The wise man built his house upon the rock,

And the rain came tumbling down.

The rain came down, and the floods came up,

And the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

And the rain came tumbling down.

The rain came down, and the floods came up,

And the house on the sand fell flat!

There’s a spider on the floor O

The original Raffi version of this song was written by Bill Russell from Canada.

I heard the song at a Mother and Toddler session recently with my grandchild; this seems to be the version sung in nurseries in England nowadays. It has the same tune as ‘Put your finger in the air’.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,

There’s a spider on the floor

And he’s coming through the door,

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

Now that spider’s on my knee, on my knee,

Now that spider’s on my knee,

And he’s looking right at me,

Now that spider’s on my knee, on my knee.

Now that spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy,

Now that spider’s on my tummy,

And I think I want my mummy,

Now that spider’s on my tummy, on my tummy.

Now that spider’s on my arm, on my arm,

Now that spider’s on my arm,

But he won’t do me any harm,

Now that spider’s on my arm, on my arm.

Now that spider's on my head, on my head,

Now that spider’s on my head,

Can he come to you instead?

Hooray! That spider on my head has just jumped off.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,(fast)

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,

There’s a spider on the floor…

Phew! Now, he’s crawling out the door.

Goodbye dear old spider on the floor.

There was a little turtle O

Watch out for the little turtle – he’s got a mean bite!

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in the puddles.

He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at the mosquito.

He snapped at the flea.

He snapped at the minnow.

And he snapped at me!

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn't catch me!

Make hand into a fist with thumb out. Cover turtle with the other hand.

Place one hand on top of the other and make thumbs ‘swim’.

Hands make a climbing motion

Snap thumb and finger x3s.

Snap at self.

Grab three times.

Shake finger from side to side and point to self.

Tommy was a baker O

A great song for dramatisation.

This song is also known as ‘Johnny was a soldier’ or ‘Tommy was a soldier’.

One child chooses and mimes an occupation. The others try to guess what it is. Once they have guessed they sing the child’s name and job as that child continues to mime. They then all copy the movements or make up ones of their own to show what else people in that job can do.

Tommy was a baker,

I know, I know, I know.

All do as I do,

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh!

Zara was a doctor...

Ethan was a driver...

Nancy was a gardener...

Edward was a pilot...

Bobby was a builder...

Tony Chestnut O

Rather like ‘Head, shoulders knees and toes’ this song can be sung with words omitted in sequence with actions replacing them. Alternatively for a vigorous work out it can be sung faster each time.

Point to the toe, knee, chest, and head (nut) in turn as each word is mentioned.

Follow this by the nose and eyes, then place crossed hands over the chest (love) and point to a friend (you).

Tony Chestnut knows I love you,

Tony knows, Tony knows,

Tony Chestnut knows I love you.

That’s what Tony knows!

Two little boats are on the sea O

Learn about controlled slow then fast and back to slow movements.

This song can be played as a pair game, see below, or a knee bouncing activity: sway baby gently from side to side, bounce faster, then sway gently once again.

Children in pairs sit facing each other holding hands and rock back and forth gently at first then faster. Make appropriate sounds at the end of each line.

Two little boats are on the sea, Mmm mmm!

All is calm as calm as can be. Mmm mmm!

Gently the wind begins to blow, Ooooh Ooooh!

Two little boats rock to and fro. Ooooh Ooooh!

Loudly the wind begins to shout, Whoo Whoo!

Two little boats are tossed about. Whoo Whoo!

Gone is the wind, the storm, the rain, Mmm mmm!

Two little boats sail on again. Mmm mmm!

We are woodmen sawing trees O

An opportunity for strong movements. Even more fun in the woods.

Investigate the connection between the wood growing there and the paper we use. Where else is wood used. In the days when I was a child we made wooden stilts and often grazed our knees falling off them!

Mime the actions suggested by the words

We are woodmen sawing trees,

Sawing, sawing, sawing trees.

We don’t stop for wind or weather,

We keep sawing all together;

We are woodmen sawing trees,

Sawing, sawing, sawing trees.

The tree falls down with a great big crash!

Now we all will take an axe,

And chop and chop with all our might,

To get some wood for the fire to light;

We are woodmen sawing trees,

Sawing, sawing, sawing trees.

Watch us carry logs along,

As we sing our merry song;

Tra la la la la la la, etc.

Wheels keep turning O

A little nostalgia written by Graham Beebee.

Some will remember this from BBC or ABC (1989’) ‘Play school’, others from the LP ‘Bang on a drum’ and yet others classroom singing from the Apusskidu’ song book published in 1975 by A&C Black.

Discuss different kinds of machines and how they might move.

Move body like a machine with arms working like levers. Then move in and out of others moving in the same way.

Some machines are fun to watch

And make a funny sound;

With some oil on, they go quieter,

That’s what I have found.

Up and down the levers go,

Pistons to and fro.

Motors churning, Brrrm! Brrrm!

Wheels keep turning, Brrrm! Brrrm!

Round and round and round and round

And round and round and round.

Wiggle and freeze O

A lively song with a cheerful beat by Cathy Bollinger, find more of her songs at:

Ready to Learn! Songs for School Success .

I’ve got a wiggle, wiggle, wiggle in my wiggling feet,

And a wiggle, wiggle, wiggle to the wiggling beat,

I’ve got a wiggle in my toes, a wiggle in my knees,

And when the music stops… everyone freeze!

I’ve got a march, march, march in my feet,

And I march, march, march to the beat,

I’ve got a march in my toes, a march in my knees,

And when the music stops, everyone freeze

I’ve got a jump, jump, jump in my feet,

And I jump, jump, jump to the beat,

I’ve got a jump in my toes, a jump in my feet,

And when the music stops… everyone freeze!

I’ve got a tiptoe, tiptoe in my feet,

And I tiptoe, tiptoe to the beat,

I’ve got a tiptoe in my toes, a tiptoe in my knees,

And when the music stops… everyone freeze!

I’ve got a hop, hop, hop in my feet,

And I hop, hop, hop to the beat,

I’ve got a hop in my toes, a hop in my knees,

And when the music stops… everyone freeze!

Willum he had seven sons O

A song in the minor key. Move to a steady beat.

This song is probably originally a Swedish one but I have yet to identify a song in that language.

The actions suggested here suit building a timber house in Sweden or the U.S.A. In the U.K. where brick houses are more common ‘laying bricks’ would be a good substitution for ‘stacking wood’.

Mime actions suggested by the words.

Willum he had seven sons

Seven sons, seven sons

Willum he had seven sons

And this is what he did.

He sent them out to build a house,

Build a house, build a house,

He sent them out to build a house,

And this is what they did.

Number one was chopping wood,

Chopping wood, chopping wood,

Number one was chopping wood,

And that is what he did.

Number two jumped up and down…

Number three was stacking wood…

Number four was hammering…

Number five was painting doors…

Number six was clapping…

Number seven was sleeping…

With my little broom O

From ‘New nursery Jingles’ by Elizabeth Barnard published in 1939.

Make large movements in a big space ending up on the floor with hands to cheek or small ones, perhaps at bedtime, just using hand movements.

Mime actions suggested by the words.

With my little broom I sweep, sweep, sweep;

On my little toes I creep, creep, creep.

With my little eyes I peep, peep, peep;

On my little bed I sleep, sleep, sleep.

You can stamp your feet O

Also called ‘The freeze game’. Great for encouraging stillness. It can also be played as a party game where children are ‘out’ if they move.

Mime actions suggested by the words. Older children can freeze as a shape, tree, balloon etc. and see if others can identify it.

You can stamp your feet,

You can knock your knees,

You can sway… and shake… and spin…

And when the music stops, you can freeze!

You can swing your arms,

You can skip along,

You can step… and jump… and hop…

And when you’ve had enough, you can stop!

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