Follow-my-leader and other line games A-I

A flea went hopping

Alabama girl

All ‘round the brickyard

All the birdies in the air

All the ducks are swimming in the water

American jump

Be kind to your web-footed friends

Black snake, black snake

Can you tell me?

Come on, everyone!

Do as I’m doing

Down the river

Engine, engine number nine

Follow me

Follow my leader

Follow my Bangalorey Man

Follow the leader

Green grow the leaves on the hawthorn tree

Here come three dukes a-riding

Hi dee roon

I went to school one morning

I’m a great big tiger

Find more line games at: http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.1%20HSAAWG/HSAAWG%2029-37%20awaywego%20w.htm

Last updated: 1/18/2020 9:03 AM

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:

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A flea went hopping O

A follow my leader round the circle game by Jenyth Worsley.

This is a great opportunity to think of other creatures that hop. If you live in Australia you will be familiar with the animals below but could also add the kangaroos, kookaburra, wallaby and the many others that jump.

Children sit in a circle, one child is chosen as the flea. The flea hops round the outside of the circle as the song is sing. On the word ‘grasshopper’ the flea stops and the nearest child becomes the grasshopper ready to follow the flea round the circle. The game continues with new creatures joining in with the hopping.

If this is challenging for younger children split the group into smaller circles and/or jump rather than hop.

A flea went hopping, hopping, hopping,

Over the field where the grass is green.

On his way he met a grasshopper…

Won’t you follow my leader with me.

A grasshopper went hopping, hopping, hopping,

Over the field where the grass is green.

On his way he met a little frog…

Won’t you follow my leader with me.

A frog went hopping, hopping, hopping,

Over the field where the grass is green.

On his way he met a rabbit…

Won’t you follow my leader with me.

A rabbit went hopping, hopping, hopping,

Over the field where the grass is green.

On his way he met a kangaroo…

Won’t you follow my leader with me.

A kangaroo went hopping, hopping, hopping,

Over the field where the grass is green.

On his way we heard him calling…

Won’t you follow my leader with me.

Alabama girl O

A lively ‘play party’ line game, you can find out more at: http://pancocojams.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/examples-of-play-party-song-alabama-gal.html

For other variations of this game watch at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/127648970661277093/

Two lines face each other each child opposite a partner.

1. The head couple join hands and sashay down the set and back again; those in the line clap. 2. Couples ‘do si do’ right shoulders passing. 3. Head couple then lead their individual lines clapping up the outside. 4. The pair make an arch for the others to go through in pairs.

The game begins again with the new head couple.

1. Come through in a hurry (x3)

Alabama Girl!

2. I don’t know how, how (x3)

Alabama Girl!

3. I'll show you how, how (x3)

Alabama Girl!

4. Ain't I rock candy (x3)

Alabama Girl?

All ‘round the brickyard 🔊

An African American play party and playground game. I can be played freely around the room, in a circle or as a follow my leader game.

The ‘leader’ chooses a movement and the rest copy. After each verse the leader moves to the back of the line so a new child improvises words and actions.

All 'round the brickyard, remember me,

I'm gonna step it, step it, step it, and a remember me.

Suggested movements:

Hop it, swing it, clap it, tiptoe, wave it, etc.

All the birdies in the air 🔊

Similar to ‘Oranges and lemons’ this game can be found in ‘This little pig went to market’ compiled by Norah Montgomerie 1966. It probably originated in ‘Traditional singing games from Scotland and the border’ collected by R. C. Douglas and K. M. Briggs; The Girl Guides Association 1955.

Dany Rosevear has added a simple tune but the words could just be chanted.

Two children make an arch; one is ‘robin’ the second ‘thrush’.

The others move round and through the arch holding on to the waist or clothing of the child in front. On the word ‘tail’ the pair making the arch lower hands to trap a child; this child then chooses either ‘robin’ or ‘thrush’ and stands behind that child.

The game continues until every child is caught and ends with a tug of war.

All the birdies in the air,

In the air, in the air,

All the birdies in the air,

Tickle tail to my tail!

All the ducks O

The English translation of this Dutch song is well known in the English speaking world even though ‘eendjes’ translates as ‘ducklings’. Lovely to sing during water play with rubber ducks.

The song below is from a book called ‘Old Dutch nursery rhymes’

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZSU1zG0M8g

Find this in Dutch at: http://singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.8%20Dutch/48-54%20On%20the%20farm.htm

Make several lines of four to six, one behind the other; the child at the head of the line is the ‘mother duck’ and leader. The leader takes their line around the room in and out of the other lines. The ‘ducks’ flap their elbows.

All the ducks are swimming in the water,

Fol-de-rol-de-rol – do, fol-de-rol-de-rol – do,

All the ducks are swimming in the water,

Fol-de-rol-de-rol – de-ray.

The bridge is broken, however shall we mend it?...

In my boat I’ll quickly row you over....

Three new pennies we will gladly pay you...

American jump O

The game below can be found in the Opie’s ‘The Oxford nursery rhyme book’ p78.

A child holds an adult’s hands and jumps up and down. On the number ‘three’ the child jumps up high and clasps an adult’s waist with their legs and lets their head fall back to near the ground. When asked ‘Dead, or alive or round the world?’ if the choice is ‘Dead’ they are dropped to the floor, if ‘Alive’ is pulled back up, if ‘Round the world’ they are swung around.If you are outside make sure you play this on the grass!

Alternatively play this game with a partner: Holding hands jump up and down. On ‘one, two, three’ jump forward, back and the forward again. On line three ‘turn the blanket over’ – swing bodies under arms held high. And then back again. Line four link arms and skip round. Drop down for ‘Dead’, jump up for ‘Alive’ skip round for ‘Round the world’.

American jump, American jump,

One, two, three.

Under the water, under the sea,

Catching fishes for my tea,

Dead,

Or alive,

Or round the world?

One, two, three.

Be kind to your web-footed friends 🔊

Have fun with this community song.

Decide how you are going to change versions: loud/quiet, high/low, fast/slow or have a verse pretending to play an instrument.

The tune is a military march ‘Stars and Stripes forever’ and was written by J. P. Sousa on Christmas Day in 1896.

March along in lines of five or six, in and out of each other, pretend to play instruments. Tiptoe when singing quietly and stamp when loud.

Be kind to your web-footed friends,

For a duck may be somebody's mother.

Be kind to your friends in the swamp,

Where the weather is always damp.

You may think that this is the end.

Well, it's not, for we are gonna sing it quieter:

Be kind to your web-footed friends… (sing quietly)

Be kind to your web-footed friends… (sing loudly)

Last time: Well it is!

Black snake, black snake O

This is a hide and seek game with an emphasis on soft / piano and loud / forte singing.

One child, the ‘snake’ chooses a colour and hides. The others walk round the room singing the song with the named colour first softly then louder when they think they are close to the snake. When they come near snake’s hiding place the ‘snake’ jumps out and chooses a new ‘snake’ who then chooses another colour so the game can begin again.

Black snake, black snake, where are you hiding?

Don’t you bite me! Ouch!

Can you tell me? O

This song can be adapted to work with your physical or dramatic objectives. One child goes in the centre of the circle and mimes an action: texting, cycling, shopping. The others guess what they are doing and then copy them.

Stand in a circle; one child chooses a movement and the other children then copy it.

Can you tell me, can you tell me,

What the girls and boys do?

They are jumping, they are jumping,

So I will jump too.

Can you tell me, can you tell me,

What Dylan can do?

He is dancing, he is dancing

So I will dance too.

Can you tell me, can you tell me,

What Nancy can do?

She is hopping, she is hopping,

So I will hop too.

Come on, everyone! 🔊

This song is from ‘Catch a song’ by Deanna Hoermann where it is suggested as a good song to start a lesson as it is a great way catch everyone’s attention.

Substitute other actions for ‘clap’. It lends itself to the follow-my-leader format below.

Make lines of five to seven children, leaders take it in turn to choose an action for everyone to copy; stamp, skip, tiptoe etc. Lines move carefully around the room making sure they give other groups space to weave in and out.