More
circle games D-E
Dance with me
Dancing in a ring
Dancing through the corn
Darby, Darby dressed in black
Dog tick
Doggie, doggie
Down in the holler
Down in the valley, two by two
Down is the Earth, up is the
Sky
Down the Mississippi
Dry bones come skipping
Fire child sing
Fishing fun
Fly like an eagle
Frère Jacques
Frog in the meadow
Also see:
Last updated: 8/16/2021
2:16 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
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Dance with me 🔊 A song of the
seasons. From ‘The 3rd
60 songs for little children’ published in 1960. Written by Helen Henschel to
a Pomeranian tune. Words adapted by Dany Rosevear. Dance in a circle or in pairs, swirling up and down
among the falling leaves. |
Dance with me, dance with
me, In the springtime merrily; Dance with me, dance with
me, In the summer by the sea. Dance with me, dance with
me, Swirl amongst the autumn
leaves; Dance with me, dance with
me, Gaily round the Christmas
tree. |
Dancing in a ring 🔊 Make groups up
to five. A song from Norway. You can hear it sung beautifully by Kari
Malmanger in Norwegian here. Translation by
Dany Rosevear. I am bemused
as the tune sounds very familiar but I cannot find it elsewhere on my site. Verse 1. Hold hands and move round in a circle. 2.
Dance on the spot then each time together as before. 3. Turn to a partner and
dance in pairs. 4. Make groups of three and dance. 5. Make goups of four. |
|
Dancing in a ring, dancing
in a ring, Dancing in a ring, dancing
in a ring, All are dancing, all are
dancing, All are dancing in a ring. Dancing one by one,
dancing one by one, Dancing one by one,
dancing one by one, All are dancing, all are
dancing, All are dancing in a ring. Dancing two by two,
dancing two by two, Dancing two by two,
dancing two by two, All are dancing, all are
dancing, All are dancing in a ring. Dancing three by three,
dancing three by three, Dancing three by three,
dancing three by three, All are dancing, all are
dancing, All are dancing in a ring. Dancing four by four,
dancing four by four, Dancing by four, dancing
four by four, All are dancing, all are
dancing, All are dancing in a ring. |
Dancing through the corn O Delighted to find this harvest song in ‘Infant Joy’, 1954 by Desmond
Mac Mahon, as I had already come across the tune and similar dance in the
French song ‘À la Monaco’, a traditional song of war from the Ile de France;
the dance is described as ‘la chaine anglaise’. Find the French version at: The first half is a circle dance.
The second part is a chain as in the diagram below.
|
Darby, Darby dressed in black 🔊 This
traditional rhyme comes from Britain and can be found in ‘Sixty songs for
little children’ published in 1933; at present I have found it nowhere else. The original
tune was composed by W. Gillies Whittaker but I have adapted it radically to
make it easier to sing for young voices. The rhyme also
suggests a children’s dance so I have used a familiar format ‘Bow
wow wow’ and adapted it to the words. Divide the class into two or three groups (maximum
six pairs). Pairs face each other in a group circle, back to back with other
couples. 1. Place hands on hips, show off swinging from side
to side, stamp feet; left, right, left. 2. Hold hands, walk four steps round exchanging
places. 3.Tap right heels three times then toes three times. 4. Shake hands twice then jump to make a half turn
and face new partner. Repeat this sequence round the circle each time
meeting and greeting each new partner with a smile – it comes naturally! Last verse: jump to first partner, shout ‘WOW!’ in
recognition. |
Darby, Darby dressed in black, Silver buttons down your
back, Heel to heel and toe to
toe, This is the way we turn to go. |
Dog tick O This song from
Louisiana is in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s wonderful ‘American folk songs for
children’ pub 1948. I used songs from this publication regularly during my
teaching career. The text and
game below came from Dorothy Christensen, Richmond, CA, 1979. Children stand in a circle holding hands tightly
around a player in the centre. This child sings the first line of the song
while trying to break out of the ring. The group answers with, ‘Don't care…’.If
the one in the middle eventually manages to escape, the two from where the
circle is broken chase and try to catch the escapee. The chaser who succeeds
then becomes the new child in the centre and the game continues |
Dog tick, dog tick, dog
tick ‘bacco worm, Why can’t a dog tick dance
like a ‘bacco worm? Dog tick, dog tick, dog
tick ‘bacco worm, Why can’t a dog tick dance
like a ‘bacco worm? Circle game version: Solo: Dog tick, dog tick,
dog tick biting me. Group: Don't care, don't
care, can't get out of here. Solo: Red ant, black ant,
big ant biting me. Group: Don't care, don't
care, can't get out of here. Solo: Bumble bee, bumble
bee, bumble bee stinging me. Group: Don't care, don't care,
can't get out of here. Solo: Grandma, grandma,
grandma calling me. Group: Don't care, don't
care, can't get out of here. |
Doggie, doggie O A singing game
to challenge children’s listening skills and an opportunity for children to
sing solo. Children sit in a circle with hands behind backs,
one child in the ring is given a card ‘bone’ to hold. Another child ‘doggie’
sits crouched in the centre with hands over eyes. The children in the circle sing the first and
subsequent lines except when the child holding the bone sings the second line
‘Somebody stole…’ and when ‘doggie’ sings the ‘Zoo’ line of the song choosing
any animal to insert instead of ‘monkey’. At the end ‘doggie’, having listened carefully,
tries to identify the thief with three tries. |
Doggie doggie, where's
your bone? Somebody stole it from my
home. Guess who! Maybe you… Maybe the monkeys in the zoo. Wake up doggie and find
your bone! |
Down in the holler 🔊
A pioneer play party game from
Kansas collected by Lola Adams Carter (FHKSC), Dodge City, 1957 and transcribed
by John Chambers. It was later published in Sackett and Koch, Kansas Folklore
in 1961.
There are no instructions for
playing but as it is very similar in words and tune to the New England game
‘Somebody’s waiting’ the circle game there could well be a model for ‘Down in
the holler’.
Instructions see
‘Somebody’s waiting’: http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.2%20Awaywego/20%20More%20circle%20games%20R-T%20w.htm
1. Down in the holler
Where the pigs used to
waller,
Oh there's somebody waitin'
for me.
Take the one, leave the
other,
Take the one, leave the
other,
Take the one, leave the
other for me.
2. Way down in the holler….
Down in the valley, two by two O Make up and copy a variety of movements in a lively manner. Make two circles one inside
the other with partners facing. Verse 1: Hold partners hands
and ‘shimmy’ down, coming up on ‘rise, sugar. Verse 2: The children on the inside make a movement that in the second half is copies by their partner. Verse 3: Move to the right
to a new partner and the outside child makes a movement for their partner to
copy. The game then continues as before. |
Down in the valley, two by two,
My baby, two by two, my baby, two by two,
Down in the valley, two by two,
Come on and rise, sugar, rise.
Let me see you make a motion, two by two,
My baby, two by two, my baby, two by two,
Let me see you make a motion, two by two,
Come on and rise, sugar, rise.
Choose another partner, two by two,
My baby, two by two, my baby, two by two,
Choose another partner, two by two,
Come on and rise, sugar, rise.
Down is the Earth, up is the Sky 🔊 This is a traditional
early morning circle greeting rhyme from the Waldorf canon. Music by Dany
Rosevear. Stand in a circle holding hands. 1. Point hands down
then raise hands and stretch them upwards. 2. Throw out hands then cross on
chest. 3. Point to eyes and then ears. 4. Point to feet, run on spot. 5. Show hands then
hold hands. 6. Gently shake hands. |
Down
is the Earth, up is the Sky, Here are my friends, and here stands I; Two eyes to see, two ears to hear, Two feet to walk and run! Here are my hands, give yours to mine, Good morning everyone! |
Down the Mississippi 🔊 This
playground chant or song can be played as a skipping or ball game. Children stand in a circle, one child bounces a ball
and on the word PUSH! bounces it towards another child. For skipping: two
turn the rope and one skips in the middle jumping out on the word PUSH! as
another child jumps in. |
Down the Mississippi where
the steamboats go, Some go fast and some go
slow. Down the Mississippi where
the steamboats go, PUSH! |
Dry bones come skipping O Learn to move steadily to the beat in this cooperative song. This is also a good opportunity to assess children’s individual
singing. Sitting in a circle each child
places the left hand behind their back. Practice the passing motion by
tapping the beat to the front and then to the right saying "me" and
"you". Once proficient they are ready to
begin the game and pass the “bone” round the circle while singing. On the
second couplet they stop passing and the one that has the bone has their name
is sung instead of ‘’Zekial’ in the song. That child then sings “one of them
bones is mine” as they tap the bone on their knee. Prepare to pass the bone
once again as the game continues.
|
Fire child sing 🔊 I learnt this song at a recent
Wassail event, beating a saucepan round a bonfire. As my memory is noticibly
bad I have written a version of my own. Sing this many times moving in
different ways. Dance in a circle, round a bonfire or a pan with burning wood, with side step
holding hands. Hold hands move up and down. Combine movements. Move faster.
Slow down to finish. |
Chorus: Fire child sing, fire child dance, Fire child you’ll be mine. Fire-child sing, fire child dance, Fire-child you are mine. Light streaming, light streaming, Making my fire-child grow. Light streaming, light streaming, Making my fire-child glow. Air breathe across the embers… Earth walk, walk in beauty… Bright rivers are flowing, Making my fire-child grow. Light flowing and growing, Making my fire-child glow. |
Fishing fun 🔊 A simple circle game and action
rhyme. I found this in the classic
collection of rhymes and songs for young children.‘This Little Puffin’ but
have changed some words to make the song gender-neutral. Children sit in a circle and row. They then throw the net and lastly
stretch themselves out as long as possible. |
7
We’re rowing our fishing boat along, Our arms are beautifully brown and strong. We throw our net into the sea And catch the longest big fish for tea! |
Fly like an eagle 🔊 This song is great to sing as a
call and response, and is often accompanied by a dance. It is a traditional Great Plains
Native American with English words. Two of the English verses have been modified by Dany Rosevear. Dance in a circle with side steps; accompany with the movements of the
eagle, salmon and bear. On the last couplet come together with hands raised,
then still holding hands bow outwards. |
Fly like an eagle, Flying so high, Circling the universe On wings of pure light. Chorus: Hey oh witchi tai tai, Witchi tai o, Hey oh witchi tai tai, Ho witchi tai o. Be silent like the salmon, Swimming swift and bright, Dart and glow like the firefly, Children of the light. Be brave like the bison, Walking on the plains. We can make a better world; Together, once again. We all fly like eagles, Flying so high, Circling the universe, On wings of pure love. |
Frère Jacques 🔊 This is
usually sung as a round. You can learn this song in other languages too; find
it in Spanish at: http://www.singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.5%20Spanish/113-121%20Spanish%20songs.htm.
I am not sure
where I found the game below. Make a single circle holding hands
standing next to a partner. Walk round in a circle first one
way then the other. On the last two lines release hands and ring bells
stretching up high and pulling down to the ground. In the second verse turn to face
partner and bow twice. Shake hands, first right then left. Link right arms
and skip round, repeat with left arms linked. Wave and pass each other to stand
next to a new partner. Continue as above each time the song is sung until
original partner is encountered once again. |
Frère
Jacques, Frère Jacques, Dormez vous? Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines! Sonnez
les matines! Din, dan, don! Din, dan,
don! Deen dan don Brother John, Brother
John, Are you sleeping? Are you
sleeping? Morning bells are ringing!
Morning bells are ringing! Ding, dang dong! Ding,
dang, dong! |
Frog in the meadow O A playful circle game. Children sit in a circle,
‘frog’ squats in the middle. The circle sing the first two bars stirring
forefingers for the second two. On the fifth bar frog with closed eyes stands
and turns slowly round with arm extended and finger pointing. At the end of
the song the two who are pointed at hold hands, frog approaches, separates
their hands. The pair then run in opposite directions round the outside of
the circle. Midway they greet each other with a ‘Good morning or afternoon’
The first to touch the frog becomes the new frog and the game continues. |
Frog in the meadow,
Can’t get him out.
Take a little stick
And stir him about.
Froggie, froggie,
Please come out and play with me!
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