Autumn songs A-E

A little Autumn fairy

A little elf

A little man is standing within the wood

A song of bread

All the leaves are falling

Alms in Autumn / Spindlewood, spindlewood

Among the Autumn leaves

Apple and blackberry pie

August

Autumn goodbye

Autumn leaves

Autumn leaves are falling

Autumn leaves are turning

Big red tractor

Bringing in the hay

Come, little leaves

Come with me and dance with me

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round

Crimson leaves in Autumn

Did you see the wind today? Autumn leaves

Also find:

Pick up a leaf

The leaves are green

Last updated: 10/4/2021 11:11 AM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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A little Autumn fairy 🔊

A delightfully fey song for Autumn; a mischievious seasonal sprite at play

A little Autumn fairy,

Sitting in a tree,

Is painting all the leaves,

And throwing them at me!

Sunny leaves of yellow,

Ruby leaves of red,

Come fluttering down, down, down,

All around my head.

Soon the branches will be bare,

The leaves will all be shed,

And the squirrels and the hedgehogs,

Will all be off to bed!

A little elf 🔊

A mischievous sprite at work! Can be used as a finger play.

This is a much shorter version of the “A little Autumn fairy” ;I had completely forgotten I had recorded that song hence the new tune!

Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise arms and spread fingers; place forefinger of the other hand in’branches’. 2. Paint palm of hand. 3. Tumble forearms. 4. Place hand on head.

A little elf sat in a tree,

Painting leaves to throw at me.

Leaves of yellow and leaves of red

Came tumbling down about my head!

A little man is standing in the wood 🔊

Or ‘The riddle’ It is folk song of German origin and was made popular in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel opera.. The answer to the riddle is the common woodland arum lily which has many other names: lords and ladies, cuckoo pint, jack in the pulpit, wake robin.

Just done further research online only to find that ‘a toadstool’ is suggested as the answer to the riddle – maybe have I misremembered!

A little man is standing within the wood,

He wears a purple cloak and a small black hood.

Tell me, tell me if you can,

What's the name of this small man?

In a purple cloak and a small black hood?

The little man is silent and makes no sound,

He stands with only one foot upon the ground.

Tell me who this man can be,

For he will not answer me,

Standing there with one foot upon the ground?

A song of bread 🔊

A song from ‘140 folk songs’ published in 1922 . Homer H. Harbour wrote the words to a German folk tune. Last verse adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Sing a song of golden wheat,

Golden wheat, golden wheat;

Sing a song of golden wheat

By the breeze blown.

Birds are there,

Bees are there,

Butterflies in the air:

Sing a song of golden wheat

By the breeze blown.

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Waterfalls, waterfalls,

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Turning wheels round.

Sift the wheat,

Stamp the wheat,

Till it is soft and sweet:

Sing a song of waterfalls,

Turning wheels round!

Sing a song of baking day,

Baking day, baking day,

Sing a song of baking day,

Floured, warm dough spread;

Knead the dough,

Shape the dough,

Into hot ovens go,

Sing a song of baking day,

Loaves of brown bread!

All the leaves are falling 🔊

Fall or Autumn, it’s that time of year.

A hand play to identify parts of the body and colours.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Wiggle fingers downwards, put up one finger, touch nose. Repeat each time touching named body part.

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my nose!

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my toes!

All the leaves are falling,

One fell on my head!

All the leaves are falling,

Yellow, orange, red!

Alms in Autumn /

Spindlewood, spindlewood 🔊

A lantern song and poem by Rose Fyleman. Music by P. Patterson.

Spindle-wood, spindle-wood, will you lend me, pray,

A little flaming lantern to light me on my way ?

The fairy folk have vanished from the meadow and the glen,

And I would fain go seeking till I find them once again.

O, lend me now a lantern that I may bear a light,

To find the hidden pathway in the darkness of the night.

Ash-tree, ash-tree, throw me, if you please,

Throw me down a slender branch of russet-gold keys.

I fear the gates of Fairyland may all be shut so fast

That nothing but your magic keys will ever take me past.

I'll tie them to my girdle, and as I go along,

My heart will find a comfort in the tinkle of their song.

Holly-bush, holly-bush, help me in my task,

A pocketful of berries is all the alms I ask:

A pocketful of berries to thread in golden strands

(I would not go a-visiting with nothing in my hands).

So fine will be the rosy chains, so gay, so glossy bright,

They'll set the realms of Fairyland all dancing with delight.

Among the Autumn leaves 🔊

Make the most of the mellow days of Autumn by getting outside as much as possible before cold winter descends.

Move to this joyful music by Eunice Close ‘Here we come a-haying’ from an early copy of Child Education; I must do her poem when Summer comes round once more.

Autumn verses are by Dany Rosevear.

It would be lovely to move to the chorus with Autumn coloured scarves.

Here we come a-jumping,

A-laughing, a-leaping,

Here we come a-dancing,

Among the Autumn leaves.

We’ll pick apples down the lanes,

Where we’ll go exploring,

Jump off haystacks, gather nuts

Before Winter’s winds come calling.

Apple and blackberry pie 🔊

Make the most of apples, blackberries and other fruit and vegetables that grow in the gardens, hedgerows and allotments; all ready for the harvest table in August and September.

This could be played as a double circle game:

Circles one inside the other walk round in opposite directions holding hands. On the fourth line the outer circle brings arms over the inner circle and the ring walks round as one.

Apple and blackberry pie,

Sugared and crusted,

Just covered with custard,

Mmmm! Lovely apple and blackberry pie.

Carrot and green lentil soup,

It’s hearty, it’s warming,

On a cold winter’s morning,

Mmmm! Lovely carrot and green lentil soup,

Tomato and butternut squash,

Add chickpeas - delicious

For a stew so nutritious,

Mmmm! Tomato and butternut squash,

Lemon and ginger root beer,

With bubbles a-whizzing,

And busily fizzing,

Mmmm! Lovely lemon and ginger root beer,

August 🔊

A poem by Eunice Fallon.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down.

Drifting down, round and round.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down,

Down, down to the ground.

Autumn goodbye 🔊

A late Autumn song from Germany.

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

You may no longer stay;

Winter is on it’s way,

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

Swallows away have flown,

Bitter winds cry and moan;

Autumn goodbye! Autumn goodbye!

Autumn leaves 🔊

A song to illustrate ascending and descending pitch.

Move hands and body fluidly high and low in a gentle whirling twirling dance, perhaps with scarves in autumn colours.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down.

Drifting down, round and round.

Whirling and twirling the leaves fall down,

Down, down to the ground.

Autumn leaves are falling 🔊

Also know as ‘Little leaves are falling down’.

Tune written by Dany Rosevear.

Can be played as a dance or a simple hand play.

Move hands and fingers like leaves fluttering all around.

Stretch hands up high and spread fingers, move gently from sode to side.

Autumn leaves are falling, falling everywhere.

Making all the tall trees, look so very bare.

Autumn leaves are turning 🔊

Change is on its way. An action rhyme.

Tune and second verse by Dany Rosevear.

1. Roll fists round each other. Make fingers flicker. 2. Cross hands at wrists and flap. Put thumbs to neck with fingers spread, move head to shoulders. 3. Move hands across each other in waves. Shake fingers, cross forefingers and wiggle. 4. Wiggle fingers downwards. Forefingers form a beak.

Autumn leaves are turning, turning, turning,

Autumn fires are burning, burning, burning;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Blackberries are ripening, ripening, ripening,

There’s thunder clouds and lightening, lightening, lightening,

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Summer birds are flying, flying, flying,

Summer flowers are dying, dying. dying;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Winter winds are coming, coming, coming,

No more insects humming, humming, humming;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Autumn leaves are falling, falling, falling,

Hear the barn owl calling, calling, calling;

Days of in between

See the changing scene.

Autumn time is all around.

Big red tractor 🔊

A harvest song for the pre-schoolers.

Encourage children think of fruit/vegetables that are the same colour as the tractor.

Children will enjoy bumping up and down in time to the music.

Bumping up and down on the big red tractor,

Bumping up and down on the big red tractor, Bringing in the Hay, HAY!

Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bumping up and down on a big red tractor, Bringing in some … beetroot

Bumping up and down on a big yellow (sweet corn), blue (blueberries), green (cabbages), purple (plums) etc…

Bringing in the hay 🔊

Words by George Reiter Brill and music by Granville Bantock.

Hear the merry laugh of children,

Hear the chestnut horses neigh!

See the mice all scurry,

See the farmers hurry,

When it's time for

Bringing in the hay!

Good smells coming from the kitchen,

We'll get lots of treats today!

Cattle are a-mooing

Pigeons are a-cooing,

As they watch us

Bringing in the hay!

Pitchforks shining in the sunlight,

As the farmers work all day,

They were early starting,

And they won't be parting,

'Til we finish

Bringing in the hay.

Come, little leaves 🔊

A poem by George Cooper 1838–1927. My version came from ‘The book of a thousand poems’ but according to some internet sources there are two more verses. There are also some great blogs to show this poem has been loved by past generations: http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com/blind_pig_the_acorn/2013/10/appalachia-through-my-eyes-come-said-the-wind.html

This is another one that can be mimed by gently moving back and forth, round and round, up and down to represent the wind, leaves and snow, finishing falling gently down to the floor and sleeping.

“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,

“Come over the meadows with me and play;

Put on your dresses of red and gold;

For summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,

Down they came fluttering, one and all;

Over the fields they danced and flew,

Singing the soft little songs they knew.

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went;

Winter had called them and they were content;

Soon, fast asleep in their earthy beds,

The snow laid a coverlet over their heads.

Come with me and dance with me 🔊

For cooler Autumn days. Can also be sung as a round.

Come with me and dance with me,

In the cool of Autumn,

All the leaves are golden now,

All the bells are ringing.

Ring ring ring-a-ding-ding-dong,

Dance and sing together,

Ring ring ring-a-ding-ding-dong,

In your shoes of leather.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round 🔊

Autumn’s treasure. A hand play. Have not yet indentified the origins of this rhyme. Music by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Put one fist on top of the other when ‘conkers’ is sung. Make a pocket out of one hand and slide the other hand in. Roll fists round each other for falling conkers. Spread both hands facing away for leaves. 2. As before. Last line make conker action then wiggle fingers down from the heap.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round,

Put them in your pocket when you find them on the ground.

Conkers, conkers fall from the trees,

A pocket full of conkers and a bunch of yellow leaves.

Conkers, conkers, shiny and round,

Put them in your pocket when you find them on the ground.

Conkers, conkers, fall from the trees,

A heap of shiny conkers and a pile of fallen leaves.

Crimson leaves in Autumn 🔊

Don’t forget the birds as the days and nights grow colder.

Talk about the other names for the colour red and indeed the other great colours of Autumn.

Words: Anon. Music: Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise hands to show leaves.Pick up berries from palm of hand and place in finger and thumb beak. Rub arms. 2. Wiggle fingers downward. Show hand branches. As before.

Crimson leaves in Autumn,

Crimson leaves and gold.

Berries for the little birds

When nights are growing cold.

Fallen leaves in winter,

Branches brown and bare.

Seed and bread for little birds,

As much as you can spare.

Did you see the wind today? / Autumn leaves 🔊

Wind and falling leaves, a perfect partnership.

Written by Zoë McHenry, 1901-1971, who wote many charming songs for young children including ‘Kangaroo Brown’ and ‘The elephant is so slow’, she also worked for Australia’s ‘Kindergarten of the air’.

Move hands and body fluidly high and low in a gentle whirling twirling dance, perhaps with scarves in autumn colours.

Did you see the wind today,

Blow the autumn leaves away?

From the trees they flutter down,

Some are red and some are brown;

Rustling up and down the street,

Dancing round my little feet;

Did you see the wind today,

Blow the leaves away?

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