More
circle games J-M
Jeremiah, blow the fire
Jinny go round and around
Jump little Annika
Kokoleoko
Lazy Mary
Let’s go walking
Lickety spry
Little bird hops down the
street
Little bird, little bird, fly
through my window
Little circle turning
Little hazelnut / Alunelu
Little lady from Baltimore
Little mouse be careful
Little swallow
Little Tommy Tattlemouse
Looby loo
Lucy Locket
Miss Sue / Go through your tiny
window
Mother Earth, Mother Earth
Mouse, mousie
My little boat turned over
My little dog Buff
Last updated: 1/25/2021
11:42 AM
These
songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled, illustrated and
music arranged by Dany Rosevear.
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home
page
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.
|
Jeremiah, blow the fire 🔊
Learn to identify loud and soft
with this rhyme from Ireland. It can be played as a circle game as below, just
use the first line repeated, or as a baby or toddler play game: rock baby
gently back and forth and then blow on the tummy to each puff, blow normally,
gently and roughly. Children walk round in a circle; they then stop and jump on each of
the puffs, once on the spot, then into the middle and then out again. Move in
the opposite direction. |
|
Jeremiah, blow the fire,
Puff! Puff! Puff! Jeremiah, blow the fire,
Puff! Puff! Puff! First you blow it very
gently, Then you blow it rough! Jeremiah, blow the fire,
Puff! Puff! Puff! |
|
Jinny go round and around 🔊
Move in a circle to a steady beat.
The chorus is from Missouri and can be found in ‘Sing it yourself, 220
pentatonic American folk songs’, The first verse is from elsewhere! Add you
own verses if the fancy takes you as I did. Find out more about the adult
versions at: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=45531 Children walk round in a circle swinging arms; dip down and up for
‘Down in Rockingham’. Reverse directions each time a verse is sung. |
|
Jinny go round and around
and around, Jinny go round and around
and around, Jinny go round and around
and around, Way down in Rockingham. Where did you get your
biscuits, Where did you get your jam, Where did you get your
biscuits, Way down in Rockingham. Where did you get your
‘taters, Where did you get your ham, Where did you get your
‘taters, Way down in Rockingham. |
|
This Swedish circle game, ‘Lunka på’ is traditionally played at Midsummer festivities
with adults and children dancing together round a pole. Free translation by Dany Rosevear;
‘Hop mor Annika’ translates as ‘Jump mother’s Annika’. 1. Children move (walk, tiptoe, skip etc.) forward clockwise round the
ring in pairs swinging arms back and forth in a steady manner. 2. Jump up and
down either in place or skip round the circle and then take arm hook with
partner and dance around clockwise. 3. Do the same as in 2. but dance
counterclockwise. |
|
We’ve
a long, long way to go, Walking
round, walking round, We’ve
a long, long way to go. Jump
with Annika, jump with Annika, Jump
with little Annika, Jump
with Annika, jump with Annika, Jump
with little Annika! Jump
with Annika, jump with Annika, See
your children dancing, Jump
with Annika, jump with Annika, See
your children dancing. Tiptoe
round, tiptoe round… Skipping
round, skipping round… Lunka
på, Lunka på, Vi har
långan väg att gå. Lunka
på, Lunka på, Vi har
långan väg att gå. Hopp
mor Annika, Hopp
mor Annika, Hopp
min lilla Annika! Hopp
mor Annika, Hopp
mor Annika, Hopp
min lilla Annika! Hopp
mor Annika, Hopp
mor Annika, Se din
dotter dansar! |
|
Kokoleoko 🔊
‘Kokoleoko’ is the West African equivalent of ‘Cock-a- doodle-doo’. Older children might enjoy the wonderfully complicated clapping game
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPL_Ag9OC30 Make two circles, one inside the
other with pairs facing. Develop a simple clapping routine of clapping own
hands then partner’s right hand followed by the left hand. At the end of each verse the outer
and the inner circle both jump to the right to face a new partner. Continue
the clapping pattern and movement until children are back with their original
partner.
|
|
Lazy Mary
will you get up 🔊
The Opies say it is not surprising
this song does not appear in collections aimed at children as its morality is
indefensible! There are other versions of this
song that end with ‘so early in the morning’ and ‘This cold and frosty
morning’. The one below is similar to that recorded in the Opie’ book ‘The
Singing Game’. Make a ring; a mother and daughter stand in the centre, the daughter
crouches with hands to cheek. The circle skips round them. Mother walks
towards Mary as she sings and moves back when Mary replies. |
|
Lazy Mary, will you get up, Will you get up, will you
get up? Lazy Mary, will you get up, Will you get up today? No, dear Mother, I won't
get up… What will you give me if I
get up… A slice of bread and a cup
of tea… Then, dear Mother, I won't
get up… What will you give me if I
get up… A hunk of fat and roasted
rat… Then, dear Mother, I won't
get up… What will you give me if I
get up… A nice young man with rosy
cheeks… Then, dear Mother, I will
get up… |
|
Let’s go walking 🔊
A simple circle game where children
can move round holding hands or move independently. Move as the words suggest. |
|
Let’s go walking, walking,
walking, walking, Let’s go walking, walking,
far, far away. Let’s walk back now, back
now, back now, back now, Let’s walk back now, back
now, back the same old way. Then: hopping, skipping, marching,
stamping etc. Let’s go tiptoe, tiptoe,
tiptoe, tiptoe, Let’s tiptoe, tiptoe, then
sit down on the floor. |
|
Lickety
spry 🔊
A partner game or in a circle with
a larger group. By Deanna Hoermann from her wonderful collection: ‘Catch a
song’. Skip round with a partner or in a circle. On the last bar move high or
low on the sung notes. Partners or named children turn can take turns to sing
final words high or low. |
|
Make
you choice now: low or high? Lickety
spry, me oh my! Make
you choice now: high or low? Lickety
spry, me oh my! Here
we go now: low, low, low. Lickety
spry, me oh my! Here
we go now: high, high, high. |
|
Little bird hops down the street 🔊
Don’t forget the birds in the
winter time when food is scarce: Make bird tables and seed balls to keep them
going. This song, ‘Lata
ptaszek po ulicy’ is a Polish version of ‘Ring o’ roses’. The tune is a
Mazurka, one of Poland’s national dances. The arrangement is by Elizabeth
Poston from ‘The children’s songbook’ 1961. The words are loosely translated
by Dany Rosevear. (Find many more Polish singing games translated by myself
on my home page.) The dance in the video has a
different tune but shows how the game is played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAbFiBZtY1s
The children make a circle holding hands and skip round singing, while
one child (the little bird) hops round inside the ring with elbows flapping.
On the last line this child chooses another to become the hungry bird, ready
to play the game once more. |
|
Little bird hops down the
street, Looking for some grains of
wheat. Hopping here and hopping
there, Will you have enough to
eat? Hopping here and hopping
there, Choose the one you’d like
to greet. Lata ptaszek po ulicy, Szuka sobie ziarn pszenicy. Ale ziarnek ani śladu. Będzie ptaszek bez obiadu. |
|
Little bird, little bird fly through my window 🔊
A circle game from South Carolina.
It lends itself to free rythmic play or as an arch game with children passing
through or as below. For subsequent verses children choose their favourite
bird. Children form a circle with joined hands held high to make windows.
One child takes turns to fly in and out round the circle. At the end of the
verse where the child stops is the next child to go in and out; this child
chooses a bird to be and sing. |
|
Little bird, little bird,
fly through my window, Little bird, little bird,
fly through my window, Little bird, little bird,
fly through my window, And buy molasses candy. Fly through my window, my
sugar lump, Fly through my window, my Children then choose a
favourite bird e.g. Bluebird / Robin / Magpie /
Chickadee |
|
Little circle turning 🔊
A circle game from Finland, Piiri
pieni pyörii. This translation is by Dany
Rosevear. Stand next to a partner in a circle. Line 1&2: Children walk round holding hands. 3.&4. Wag finger
x3, stamp x3. Verse 2. As before then clap x3,
tap foot x3. Verse 3. As before then turn to partner and shake right hand x3,
then left hand x3. Verse 2. As before then stand still with a serious face. |
|
Every
child is turning, Fingers
wagging no, no, no, Shoes
are stomping, so, so, so. Little
circle turning, Every
child is turning, Hands
are clapping clip, clap, clap, Shoes
are tapping tip, tap, tap. Little
circle turning, Every
child is turning, Shake
hands with a ‘How d’you do?’ Then
the other, shake it too. Little
circle turning, Every
child is turning, Now
they’re standing still you see, Just
like parents seriously. Piiri pieni pyörii, lapset siinä hyörii. Sormet sanoo so so so, kengän kannat ko ko ko. Piiri pieni pyörii, lapset siinä hyörii. Kädet panee lip lap lap, kengän kärjet kip kap kap. Piiri pieni pyörii, lapset siinä hyörii. Toisiansa tervehtää, sitten paikoillensa jää. Piiri pieni pyörii, lapset siinä hyörii. Vakavina seisovat Vallan niin kuin vanhemmat |
|
Little hazelnut / Alunelu 🔊
A Romanian dance. Find out more
about this delightful tune and dance here. Translated freely by Dany Rosevear. There are no classic movements to this dance but you can watch a class
of children dancing to it beautifully here. |
|
Little Hazelnut, come and
join the dance, Bring us all good luck as
we sing entranced; If you dance well you’ll
grow strong quickly, If you don’t dance you’ll
stay the same! Little Hazelnut, come and
join the dance, Bring us all good luck as
we sing entranced; Dance on this spot ‘til
grass is a-growing, Dance on this spot, dance
fast not slow! Alunelu, alunelu, hai la
joc, Să
ne fie, să
ne fie cu noroc! Cine horă
o să
joace mare, mare se va face. Cine no juca de fel va rămîne mititel. |
|
Little lady from Baltimore 🔊
From the album of Canadian singer Alan Mills ‘More songs to grow on’ released
1954. Music educator Beatrice
Landeck, compiled a book of American folk songs of the same name that
included this one where it was described it as a Southern song. The suggested dances were the
Samba, Rhumba, Lindy and Ickaboga; except for the nonsense last verse were
all familiar songs on the dancefloor at the time. Enjoy as a song before dancing. Children can invent ways to move to the music either in a circle or
with a partner. One child makes up a movement then the others move with the
initial child. |
|
I know a little lady from
Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore, I know a little lady from
Baltimore, Let’s see what she can do. Oh, she can do the samba, I know she can, I know she can, Oh, she can do the samba, Let’s see what she can do. Now we can do the samba, I know we can I know we
can, Oh, we can do the samba, Let’s see what we can do. I know a little fella from
Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore, I know a little fella from
Baltimore, Let’s see what he can do. Oh, he can play a guitar, I know he can, I know he can, Oh, he can play a guitar, Let’s see what he can do. Now we can play the guitar… I know an old fella from
Baltimore… Oh, he can play a cajon… |
|
Little mouse be careful 🔊
A simple Hungarian children’s circle
game for younger children. Can also be played as a hand play see video. From ‘Springboards: ideas for
music’ published 1982. Children walk round in a circle holding hands. One child, the sleeping
mouse, puts hands to cheek; the other, the cat, creeps round the outside of
the circle. At the end of the song the children drop hands and the cat chases
the mouse in and out of the circle. |
|
Little mouse be careful, Pussycat is creeping. Quickly mousie run away! Pussy wants a meal today. |
|
Little swallow 🔊
A French-Canadian singing game
‘L’hirondelle’. Find it in French with a more
literal translation at: https://archive.org/stream/negrofolksinging00port_0#page/32/mode/2up/search/l'hirondelle
The children make a circle holding hands and walk round singing, while
one child (the swallow) walks round the outside holding a hand kerchief and
drops it behind a chosen child. The handkerchief is picked up by that child
who runs after the ‘swallow’, who attempts to get to the gap left in the
circle before being caught by the pursuer. If caught, the chaser then becomes
the new swallow. |
|
Little swallow, fly to your
nest. Who goes there? Fly a fly away now! Little swallow, fly to your
nest. Fly a fly away! |
|
Little Tommy
Tattlemouse 🔊
A voice
recognition game. Children sit in a circle and one is chosen be the
mouse who sits outside on a cushion (the house) with their back to the
circle. A beanbag is passed round the circle and, after the
second “Someone’s calling” the child holding the beanbag sings, “Yes it’s
me!” The mouse then has to guess who the child is and they then swap places. |
|
Little Tommy Tattlemouse, Lived in a little house, Someone's calling, wait and see, Someone's calling, '”Yes it's me!” |
|
Looby loo 🔊
Learn to tell the difference between the left and right parts of the
body. Practice waving the appropriate hand in the air before playing the
game. Show children how to make an ‘L’ for left with their thumb and
forefinger. Sing the chorus between each verse.
|
|
Lucy Locket 🔊
A classic circle game. Its Roud folk number is 19536. Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Locket Children walk round in a circle
holding hands. One child ‘Lucy’ skips round outside in the opposite direction
holding a cloth pocket or bean bag. On ‘Dree, dree...’ ‘Lucy’ walks round the
circle for as long as she likes then drops the pocket behind a child who
picks it up and runs in the opposite direction to ‘Lucy’ The first to reach
the empty space becomes the new ‘Lucy’.
|
|
Miss Sue / Go through your tiny window 🔊
A song from the Sea Islands off the
coast of South Carolina and Georgia. This is a singing game from Tony
Saletan’s ‘The Song Bag’ Unfortunately there were no instructions for the
movements so I have added my own educated guesses. This arrangement is by Dany
Rosevear. Stand in a circle holding hands high. One child stands outside. Verse 1. This child weaves in and out of ‘windows’ round the circle.
2. Children lower hands so child has to bend knees to travel in and out of
windows. 3. and 4. Raise hands and child moves into the circle and chooses a
dance to perform, those in the circle clap a syncopated pattern. 5. The
original child chooses another to continue the game. |
|
Go through your tiny
window, Miss Sue, Miss Sue. Go through your tiny
window, Miss Susiana Sue. Now down your tiny window… Heist your tiny window… Now let me see your hustle… Now choose your tiny
window… Go through your tiny
window, dear John, dear John. Go through your tiny
window, my little Johnny Brown. |
|
Mother Earth, Mother Earth 🔊
A song for the planting season.
In a circle act out the growing
cycle. Music by Dany
Rosevear. The steady beat of a drum would go well with this song. 1. Walk round holding hands. Crouch down with hands together, move
hands upwards. Stand up with hands stretched, wiggle fingers. Fingers move
downwards. 2. Wiggle fingers down like raindrops. Sweep arms over head. Hands
together pointed up move towards the sky. 3. Hold hands in a circle and raise
them and walk towards the centre and back. |
|
Mother Earth, Mother Earth,
Take our seed and give it
birth. Father Sun, gleam and glow,
Until the roots begin to
grow. Sister Rain, Sister Rain, Shed thy tears to swell the
grain. Brother Wind, breathe and
blow Then the blade of green
will grow. Earth and Sun and Wind and
Rain Turn to gold the living
grain. |
|
Mouse,
mousie 🔊
A simple chase
game with a steady beat. Two or three smaller circles will allow more
children to take on the roles of the cat and mouse. Children sit or stand in a circle. One child chosen
to be the 'cat' outside the circle turns away as the teacher chooses a mouse
from the circle. The cat then walks around the outside of the circle. On the
word ‘Run!’ the mouse jumps up and runs around the circle. The cat chases the
mouse and tries to catch it before the mouse gets back in place. Places are
then reversed and the game begins again with a new cat. |
|
Mouse, mousie, little mousie, Hurry, hurry do, Or the kitty in the housie, Will be chasing you. Run! |
|
My little boat turned over 🔊
This song possibly comes from
Brazil; It is best played in small circle groups so the game doesn’t go on
too long! Children walk around the circle to the left singing the first verse;
as each child’s name is called out they turn round to face the outside of the
circle. The second verse is then sung as the children move to the right and
the children turn back to face the centre each time their name is sung. |
|
My little boat turned over
when the wind began to blow. It was all because of _____
who had never learned to row. Now if I were a fishy and
could swim down in the sea, I would rescue little _______
and I'd take him / her home with me. |
|
My little dog Buff 🔊
I found this counting out rhyme, a variation of ‘Drop the handkerchief’, in the Ladybird book of ‘Dancing rhymes’ published 1976. It is from a book of ‘Dorsetshire children’s games’ published in 1889 which has words less acceptable for modern sensibilities! I had a little dog and his name was
‘Buff,’ I sent him after a penn’orth of
snuff, He broke the paper and smelled the
stuff, And that’s the end of my dog
‘Buff.’ “He shan’t bite you, he shan’t bite
you etc. he shall bite you all over.” Find out more at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:The_Folk-Lore_Journal_Volume_7_1889.djvu/237 Music arranged by Dany Rosevear. Children stand in a circle, one skips around the outside and on the
last line taps each child on the shoulder. After the last ‘you’ the child
tapped and the tapper run in opposite directions to attempt to reach the
empty space first. The child who succeeds stays there while the other is
ready to skip round the outside for a new game. |
|
I had a little dog and his
name was ‘Buff,’ I sent him up the street
for a pennyworth of snuff, He broke the box and spilt
the stuff, I think my story’s long
enough. It isn’t you, it isn’t you… But it’s you! |
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home
page