Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

More action songs A-B

A-dancing we will go

A fairy came a-dancing

A jumbo jet

A jump, a jump, a jump

A little bird sat on a tree

A little star

A ram sam sam

A squash and a squeeze

All around the singing well

All by myself

All the little ducks turn upside down

As swift as a swallow

At the bottom of the sea

Baby bumblebee

Baby ducks

Bananas, bananas

Bend your body

Birthday months

Blow a kiss

Bobbing up and down like this

Bouncing baby bears

Bow to your partner

Buddies and pals

Build it up

Last updated: 12/26/2022 10:19 AM

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

compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home

To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊

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

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

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A-dancing we will go /

Hi ho the derry oh 🔊

Learn to move in different ways around each other without touching.

Make up your own movements

Move around the room individually or in short lines weaving in and out of each other.

A-dancing we will go,

Hi ho the derry oh,

A-dancing we will go.

A-hopping we will go...

A-skipping we will go...

A-waving we will go...

A-stamping we will go...

A-marching we will go...

A-tip-toeing we will go...

A fairy came a-dancing 🔊

In the summer as a young child I would feed the fairies in my garden with teeny tiny potatoes dug up by an old gardener who would save them for me when he worked on the railway embankment; I would serve them to the fairies on rose petal plates.

Now I sit outside in the garden looking out for wildlife . All those in my song have appeared regularly here in the summer months despite living in the centre of a small city; the railway line nearby is a natural passageway.

We might have been in lockdown but the animals below certainly weren’t – maybe just the fairy!

Move as suggested by the words.

A fairy came a-dancing,

A-dancing, a-dancing,

A fairy came a-dancing,

Upon a summer’s day.

Tra la la la la la,

Tra la la la la la.

A fairy came a-dancing,

Upon a summer’s day.

A bumble bee came a-buzzing...

A butterfly came a-fluttering...

A magpie came a-swooping...

A slow worm came a-sliding...

A fox came a-creeping...

A badger came a-scampering...

A jumbo jet 🔊

An action game for a transport topic.

Sung to the same tune as ‘A ram sam sam’.

Jumbo jet: arms out to the side like an air plane. Helicopter: twirl finger in the air.

Rocket: hands together above head.

Big red truck: mime driving a big car. Little Mini Mini: mime driving a small car.

Ferrari: slick back hair with one hand then the other.

A jumbo jet, a jumbo jet,

A little helicopter and a jumbo jet,

A jumbo jet, a jumbo jet,

A little helicopter and a jumbo jet.

A rocket, a rocket,

A little helicopter and a jumbo jet,

A rocket, a rocket,

A little helicopter and a jumbo jet.

A big red truck, a big red truck,

A little Mini Mini and a big red truck,

A big red truck, a big red truck,

A little Mini Mini and a big red truck,

A Ferrari, a Ferrari,

A little Mini Mini and a big red truck,

A Ferrari, a Ferrari,

A little Mini Mini and a big red truck.

A jump, a jump, a jump 🔊

Adapted by Dany Rosevear. A different take on the bean game and a good warm up activity.

Also try with BROAD BEANS! BAKED BEANS!

Wait for instructions (jumping beans) then jump vigorously, turn round and repeat.

Do the same with other movements.

JUMPING BEANS!

A jump, a jump, a jump,

A-turning around and then,

A-jump, a jump, a jump,

And turning around again!

KIDNEY BEANS!

A hop, a hop, a hop,

A turning around and then,

A hop, a hop, a hop,

And turning around again!

JELLY BEANS!

A shake, a shake, a shake,

A turning around and then,

A shake, a shake, a shake,

And turning around again!

FROZEN BEANS!

Stand still, stand still, stand still,

Don’t turn around but then,

Stand still, stand still, stand still,

Ready to move again!

RUNNER BEANS!

A little bird sat on a tree O

A German song translated into English by Mabel F. Wilson from ‘Music time’ a infant teacher’s classic music book in the 1960s.

1, Open and close thumb and forefinger.

2. Move fore finger like a worm. Make hands fly.

3. Brush cheeks for cat’s whiskers.

4. Hold up hands in crouching position. Count with fingers to three.

5. Clap hands.

6. Make hands fly, hold hands to chest.

A little bird sat on a tree, on a tree, on a tree,

A little bird sat on a tree:

Still was he.

He saw his breakfast on the grass, on the grass, on the grass

He saw his breakfast on the grass:

Down flew he!

A pussy cat was hiding there, hiding there, hiding there,

A pussy cat was hiding there

Near the tree.

He set himself to make a spring, make a spring, make a spring,

He set himself to make a spring:

One! Two! Three!

But we began to clap our hands, clap our hands, clap our hands,

But we began to clap our hands

Noisily!

So then our little bird flew off, bird flew off, bird flew off,

So then our little bird flew off:

Glad were we.

A little star / The stars, moon and me 🔊

Try the impossible for dreams do sometimes come true; a simple action song.

Find the original verse in ‘Child-land in song and rhythm’

Words: Florence Newell Barbour 1866 – 1946.

Music and last two verses by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Reach high into the air and try on tip toes to catch with your hand. Jump twice with vigour, and spread out arms , move around flapping.

Verse 2. As before then make climbing action. Put hands on hips and look puzzled. Walk around with hand to forehead. Shrug and throw hands out.

Verse 3. Crouch down with hands to cheek. Jump up high hands together like a rocket. Dance round alone, with a partner or in threes.

I tried to catch a little star,

But, oh! I could not reach so far!

I jumped and jumped, I tried to fly,

But still I could not reach the sky.

I tried to visit the Man in the Moon,

But, oh! He disappeared too soon.

I searched and searched the skies round,

But still that moon could not be found.

I went to bed when the night time came,

And, oh! The moon was there again!

Off into dreamland I did fly,

Where the stars, moon and me danced way up so high.

A ram sam sam O

This song comes from Morocco but the words are nonsense ones as in ‘Hey diddle diddle’.

It is now popular as a two or four part round and as an action rhyme both in the Scouting movement and with more simple movements for young children.

First time sing at normal voice. Second and third time sing faster.

Actions:

A ram sam sam: clap or beat fists together

Guli guli...: roll arms round the other

A rafi: shoot hands up high and wiggle fingers.

A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam,

Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam.

A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam,

Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam.

A rafi, a rafi,

Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam.

A rafi, a rafi,

Guli guli guli guli guli ram sam sam.

A squash and a squeeze 🔊

An action game with a big surprise. Stillness, security and vigorous movement. Staying still is not always easy for the very young. Younger ones might intially like to play this with an adult singing the words as they join in with the ‘BOO! and ‘BOING!s.

The presents have been opened and enjoyed but it is often the leftover boxes that intrigue and provide continual fun for the little ones.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Crouch down with hands over the head. Cover eyes. Put fingers to lips.

2. Jump up and shout ‘BOO!’ Stretch tall. Bounce around the room.

It’s a squash and a squeeze

For my poor little knees,

To fit in a box so small;

I curl up so tight

Where it’s dark as the night,

No-one knows that I’m in here at all.

But then I jump out

With a great big shout! “BOO!”

I stretch up ever so tall,

Then bounce away like a ball!

“BOING! BOING! BOING!”

All around the singing well 🔊

A cheerful ‘choose a partner’ game. Learn about opposites.

Words by Dany Rosevear set to a classic nursery rhyme tune.

Hold hands with a partner, skip or walk one way then the other. Drop hands skip round the room looking for a new partner. ‘High five’ first one opposite hand and then the other. Skip round the room with new partner holding hands to ‘La, las’ finishing with five stamps.

All around the singing well,

Up and down the garden

In and out the house we go;

“Whoops, I beg your pardon!”

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la …

All by myself 🔊

A song to encourage independence and perseverance.

It’s so much quicker to get outside if you can dress yourself.

‘Look at me!’ is the perennial children’s cry as they take pride in a new achievement. Add more verses according to the circumstances.

Words by Dany Rosevear set to a Dutch folk tune.

Children can mime or demonstrate actions while singing.

Watch me put my shoes on, my shoes on, my shoes on,

Watch me put my shoes on, without any help!

It’s this way and that way, and this way and that way,

Watch me put my shoes on, all by myself.

Watch me put my coat on, my coat on, my coat on,

Watch me put my coat on, without any help!

It’s this way and that way, and this way and that way,

Watch me put my coat on, all by myself.

Watch me do my zip up…

Watch me fix my buttons…

Watch me take my coat off…

All the little ducks turn upside down O

A good movement song with a lovely quiet ending.

1. Hold palms out and turn them over. 2. Put palms together and wiggle from side to side. 3. Flap elbows up and down. 4. Flap hands up and down. 5. Hands open and close like beaks. 6. Squat down with hands to the cheek.

All the little ducks turn upside down,

Upside down, upside down,

All the little ducks turn upside down,

When they dabble at the bottom of the pond.

All their little tails go wiggle, waggle, wiggle...

All their little wings go flap, flap, flap...

When they’ve dabbled at the bottom of the pond.

All their little feet go paddle, paddle, paddle...

All their little beaks go quack, quack, quack...

All the little ducks fall fast asleep,

Fast asleep, fast asleep,

All the little ducks fall fast asleep,

When they snuggle up to mother in the pond.

As swift as a swallow 🔊

Use similes to make comparisons.

A poem by Rosemary Garland from ‘Sing a song of everything’.

Music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Move in character around the room.

As swift as a swallow,

As high as a house,

As slow as a snail,

As quiet as a mouse,

As proud as a peacock,

As red as a rose,

As fat as a pumpkin,

As pink as my toes.

At the bottom of the sea 🔊

A traditional singing game from Denmark. It is more commonly played as a name game.

Music, words and game here have been slightly adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Encourage children to think of other creatures and how they live and move on the seabed.

For larger groups split the class into 2-4 groups.

Children sit spaced out around the room waving arms in the air like seaweed. One child, the fish, swims in and out of the others. At ‘Oh, oh!’ that child taps another on the shoulder, they stand up and follow the lead child swimming or moving in role, changing each time. Finally everyone sits down and moves as before as seaweed.