Tiptoeing in the dark
The apple tree / Here is a tree with
leaves so green
The bird’s nest
The earth needs the raindrops
There was a hungry hunter
This little mountain
This little tiger is very wild
Tiny little bird
Tommy Thumb
Tommy Thumb is up
Two fat gentlemen
Two little
blackbirds sitting in the snow
Two little
blackbirds sitting in the sun
Two little dickie birds
Two little feet go tap tap tap
Two little houses
Up the tall white candlestick
Up to the ceiling, down to the floor
Wiggle them, wiggle them
Worms, snails and slugs
Last updated: 4/27/2020 3:06 PM
These songs are nursery rhymes and
other traditional songs compiled,
illustrated and music arranged 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:
©
Dany Rosevear 2013 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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The apple tree / Here is a tree 🔊
A simple hand play
for Autumn for the very young. 1. Put forearms together and spread hands. 2. Make hands
into fists. 3. Move hands like the wind and fists tumble down with rolling
arms. 4. Make a basket with hand, pick up apples and put them in the basket. |
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Here is a tree with leaves so green. Here are the apples that hang in between. When the wind blows the apples will fall, And here is a basket to gather them all. |
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The bird’s nest 🔊
A Froebel hand play
for Spring. Music arranged by
Dany Rosevear to a German nursery tune, ‘Little John’. 1. Palms up. 2. Open and close thumb and forefinger, cup
palms. 3. Hold up two fingers put in nest. 4. Hands to cheek. 5. Thumb up, hand to ear.
6. Two fingers poke through curled fist. 7. Hand to ear, open and close forefingers and thumbs. 8.
Hands to heart, open and close forefingers and thumbs. |
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Here upon the leaves at rest, A little bird has built her nest. Two tiny eggs within she’s laid, And many days beside them stayed. Now she’s happy; listen well! Two baby birds break through the shell. Don’t you hear them? “Peep! Peep! Peep! We love you, mother, “Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!” |
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The earth needs the raindrops 🔊
A
hand play to remind us we are all dependent on each other and the world
around us. Words
by J. Kartsch and music by A. Wagner . Verse 1. Draw a large circle with
hands, make rain fall with fingers. Shade eyes. Hands open and close. Put
hands to cheek. Verse 2. Arm and hand make a tree. Cup hand on thumb. Put
crossed hands to heart. |
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The earth needs the raindrops, The day needs a light, And heaven needs little stars When the day turns to night. The tree needs a little branch Where the bird builds her nest, And we need a little heart To love and to trust. |
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There was a hungry hunter 🔊
This humorous and alliterative hand
play is from ‘Acting rhymes’ by Clive Sansom published in the 1960s where it
is suggested that a bear speaks line 5 and 6. The author is unknown. Dany
Rosevear added the tune and the handplay below. 1-4. Rub tummy, put circled thumb and forefingers to eyes. Hold up fore
finger and middle to make ears. 5-6. Rub tummy and look fierce. 7-8. Roll
arms over each other and make two fingers run. |
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Went hunting for a
hare, But where he hoped the
hare would be He found a hairy bear! “I’m very very hungry: I get hungry now and then.” The hunter turned
head-over-heels And hurried home
again. |
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This little mountain
This hand play is from John M.
Feierabend’s collection ‘Wiggles and tickles’ published 1999. It can be
played with baby wiggling fingers and drawing sun on palm or tummy, dotting
rain with fingers and so on; or as below with older children. Line 1. Touch thumb and make circle with thumbs and forefinger. 2.
Touch forefinger and make rain fall with fingers. 3 .and 4. Touch middle
finger then shade eyes and peer. 5. Touch ring finger then put hands to
cheek. 6. Make a pointed cap above head. 7. And 8. Point to little finger and
shape tree with palms together. This little mountain finds the sun, This little mountain drinks the rain, This little mountain shades its eyes And looks across the plain. This little mountain is ready for bed With a white cap on top of its head; And this little mountain is up to its knees, In so many wonderful
Christmas trees! |
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This little tiger is very wild 🔊
Not too scary! Tune by Dany Rosevear. Start with the thumb and touch each finger in sequence. 1.Growl like a
tiger. 2. Kiss second finger. 3. Draw stripes on middle finger. 4. Bend finger
down. 5. Wiggle finger, circle round the palm of the other and sniff. Bite
left hand with right. |
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This little tiger is very
wild, This little tiger is a
loving child. This little tiger has
big black stripes, This little tiger is
tucked up for the night. This little tiger
likes to prowl and smell, But his teeth are too
small to bite quite well. |
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Tiny little bird O
A Turkish song for winter, ‘Mini
Mini Bir Kus’, melody and words by Saip Eguz. Move
thumb and forefinger like beak. Perch bird on other hand. Cup hands. Cover
hand and open and close beak. Cross hands to make wings, flap and move
upwards and away. Throw out hands and
look sad. |
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Tiny, little bird was frozen stiff, Sitting on my window sill. Gently did I cradle him, To make him warm and hear him sing. Suddenly he flapped his little wings, Off he flew in the wind and snow. Mini Mini Bir Kus
Donmustu Pencereme konmustu Aldim onu iceriye Cik cik cik cik
otsun diye Pir pir ederken canlandi Ellerim bak bos kaldi… |
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Tiptoeing in the dark 🔊
This
spooky hand play would work well at Halloween! It
could also be played as an action rhyme; pairs of children holding hands
creep in and out of each other, when the candle is blown out they huddle
together for reassurance. The
words came from a collection of nursery
rhymes.
Music
and game by Dany Rosevear. Point up, point down, place finger
to mouth – Shhh! Fingers creep forward, finger moves round,
make a roof shape. Fingers creep forward and about. Move hands like the wind
and shake head, put finger up like a candle, blow out flame – Phwooh! |
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Upstairs, downstairs, quiet as a mouse; Shhhh! Tiptoe, tiptoe, all around the house. Tiptoe, tiptoe, creep and creep about; I hope the wind won't come along and blow my candle out! Phwooh! |
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Hide hands behind the back and
bring them out with thumbs upright.
Wiggle thumbs to the music and bow on the last line. Bring
out fingers in sequence for the subsequent verses; fore fingers, middle
fingers, ring fingers and little fingers and make them move too.
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Learn to identify and move each
finger. Make
the thumb move as directed. On the last line tuck the thumb into the fist. Do
the same with each of the other fingers. |
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Tommy Thumb is up and Tommy Thumb is down, Tommy Thumb dancing all around the town. Dancing on my shoulders, dancing on my head, Dancing on my knees and then tucked up in bed! Peter Pointer’s… Toby Tall… Ruby Ring… Baby Small… (quietly) (loudly) Finger Family’s up and Finger Family’s down, Finger Family’s dancing all around the town. Dancing on my shoulders, dancing on my head, Dancing on my knees and then tucked up in bed! |
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Have
fun singing each voice in character. In
the first verse bend thumbs each time ‘bowed’ and ‘How do you do?’ is sung. Bend
fingers in sequence for the subsequent verses; fore finger, middle finger,
ring finger and little finger.
Two fat gentlemen
met in a lane, Bowed most politely
then bowed once again. How do you do? How do you do? And how do you do
again! Two thin ladies met
in a lane... Two tall policemen
met in a lane... Two school children
met in a lane... Two little babies
met in a lane... |
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Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow 🔊
A
seasonal alternative to the classic nursery rhyme and an opportunity to
encourage an understanding of opposites. Encourage children to make up more
rhyming verses. Stick a little blackbird on each
forefinger. 1. Move fingers fast or slow each time emphasising opposite pairs
by motion. 2. Make voice appropriately quiet or loud. 3. Move fingers high or
low each time it is mentioned. |
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Two little blackbirds, sitting in the snow, One named Fast and the other named Slow. Fly away Fast and fly away Slow, Come back Fast and come back Slow. Two little blackbirds, sitting on a cloud, One named Quiet and the other named LOUD! Fly away Quiet and fly away LOUD! Come back Quiet and come back LOUD! Two little blackbirds flying in the sky, One named Low and the other named High. Fly away Low and fly away High, Come back Low and come back High! |
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Two
little blackbirds sitting in the sun 🔊
This can be chanted as a rhyme or
sung to the little tune I wrote. It is a classic from ‘This little Puffin’ Use
forefingers for the birds and folded arms for the wall. |
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Two little blackbirds sitting in the sun, One flew away and then there was one. One little blackbird feeling very small, She flew away and then there was the wall. One little brick wall lonely in the rain, Waiting for the blackbirds to come and sing again. (Here they come, here they come!) |
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Two little dickie birds 🔊
This
rhyme is mostly heard as a chant but there are also many tunes written for
it. I think the one below is the one I have used in the past. You
could easily make up your own verses using different names. Find
out more about these two rhymes at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Little_Dickie_Birds It has a
Roud number of 16401. Mark
the index nail of one hand and the middle finger of the second. If you are
feeling creative stick a little bird picture on the nails! Hold
your fists up and wiggle marked fingers to show the birds. On the 5th
line throw one hand past head and put the marked finger down replacing it
with the one next to it and then bring the hand back. Do the same with the
other hand. On the last two lines swap the unmarked finger for the marked on.
It
is a wonderful way to puzzle children.
Two little dickie birds, Sitting on a wall; One named Peter, And one named Paul. Fly away Peter, Fly away Paul! Come back Peter, And come back Paul
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This
song is usually chanted but the tune below seems to go well with the words. Move as the words suggest.
Two little feet go tap,
tap, tap, Two little hands go clap,
clap, clap, A quick little leap up
from my chair, Two little hands reach
high in the air. Two little fists go bump,
bump, bump, Two little feet go jump,
jump, jump, One little body turns
round and round, And one little child sits
quietly down. |
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Two little houses
A simple hand play
for the very youngest. Raise both hands. Close fists. Open fists. Put hands side by side with fingers radiating out. Ten fingers stand tall. Walk with fingers. |
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Two little houses, Closed up tight. Let’s open the windows, And let in some light. The bright sun is shining, what a delight! Ten little people stand tall and straight. Ready for school at half past eight. |
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An action song. My class would chant this one
while waiting to dip their wicks in hot wax to make candles. Have a go – it
is great fun to see the candle grow with each dip! 1. Make arm into a candlestick. 2.
Run two fingers up the arm. 3. Sit mouse on the candlestick and shake head.
4. Cup hands to mouth and shout. 5. Curl fists and roll them downwards.
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Up to the ceiling, down to the floor 🔊
Learn the difference between right
and left hands. 1. Raise both hands up, then put them
down.2. Point left with the left hand, then right with the right hand. 3.
Raise right hand, then raise left hand, keeping the right hand up. 4. Twirl
both hands round. 5. Hit fists on top of the other. |
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Up to the ceiling, Down to the floor, Left to the window, Right to the door. This is my right hand, Raise it up high, This is my left hand, Reach for the sky. Right hand, left hand, Twirl them both around. Left hand, right hand, Pound, pound, pound. |
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Wiggle them, wiggle them midi
Hand gymnastics for youngsters. Use
this finger play to release wiggles and calm children. Chant as a rhyme or sing to the
melody by Dany Rosevear The words suggest what you need to do. For fun do the same movements with the feet, sitting down of course! |
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Wiggle them, wiggle them, Wiggle them so; Wiggle them up high, And wiggle them low. Wiggle to the left And wiggle to the right. Wiggle them, wiggle them, Out of sight! Shake them… Squeeze them … Wave them… |
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Worms, snails and slugs 🔊
A summer hand play by Dany
Rosevear. The words suggest what you need to do. |
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Worms, snails and slugs and other bugs, In my garden creep and crawl; While blackbird spies with greedy eye A supper from the wall. Wriggle worms! Slither slugs! You need to speed away; Or hide beneath a shady leaf, To live another day. Now worms are slow and snails more so, And slugs are bugs that slide, But cat’s about, and children shout, Blackbird decides to fly! Wriggle worms! Slither slugs! You still must speed away; Or hide beneath a shady leaf, For gardener comes this way. |
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