Whatever the weather A-L

A walk in the mud

Bend with the wind

Blow, wind, blow

Dog jumps through the window

Footsteps on the landing / Night piece

Good morning Mr. Wind

Happy days!

I hear thunder

I like to sing when the sun is shining

I love puddles!

I see the wind when the leaves dance by

I’m going to build a chimney pot

It rained a mist

It’s a windy day today

It’s raining it’s pouring / Rain rain go away

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs

Let the sun shine down on me

Like a leaf or feather

Little April shower

Little by little

Last updated: 2/8/2021 11:02 AM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ compiled, adapted and illustrated 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 walk in the mud 🔊

A song for a rainy day walk in the mud, always something special as long as you are wearing suitable footwear whatever you might call them where you live: wellies, wellingtons, rubbers, galoshes, gumboots, rainboots, billy boots.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

A walk in the mud, Squelch! Squerch!

Then double the trouble, a big muddy puddle,

Oh, no! Splish! Splash! Splurch!

But I’m wearing boots, Squelch! Squerch!

My waterproof boots, Squelch! Squerch!

So I’ll have no trouble with big muddy puddles,

Hooray! Splish! Splash! Splurch!

Bend with the wind O

Go out, run and enjoy being buffeted by the wind, enjoy its strength and identify its direction; lick a finger and hold it up. Use a compass to name winds and discuss the sorts of weather they bring; sing ‘The North wind doth blow’.

Add the second verse when the wind is blowing leaves off the tree; whirl and twirl down to the ground.

Bend with the wind, bend with the wind,

Sway, sway and bend, bend with the wind.

Fall with the leaves, fall with the leaves,

Fall, fall, fall, fall with the leaves.

Blow, wind, blow! 🔊

A nursery rhyme, find in ‘Little rhymes for little folks’ by J.Harris published 1823.

Bread making is a wonderful activity for young children: the yeasty smell, the warm feel of the dough. Children need to know where their food comes from and there are still windmills surviving that grind corn invite young visitors.

Discuss other products made from flour.

Blow, wind, blow! And go, mill, go!

That the miller may grind his corn;

That the baker may take it

And into bread bake it,

And bring us a loaf in the morn,

And bring us a loaf in the morn.

Blow, wind, blow! And go, mill, go!

That the miller may grind his corn;

That the baker may take it,

And into rolls make it,

And send us some hot in the morn.

Dog jumps through the window 🔊

This Czech nursery rhyme is set to the tune of ‘Baa, baa black sheep’ like many nursery rhymes found all over Europe.

This translation comes from Elizabeth Poston’s ‘The children’s song book’ published in 1961; translated by Wilem Tausky.

Dog jumps through the window,

Puss hides too;

If it doesn’t rain,

We’ll keep dry too.

Footsteps on the landing / Night piece 🔊

By Sydney Northcote and E. L. (?) Tune and words from ‘A third 60 songs for little children’ OUP 1960.

Build up to a crescendo on the last line with a loud ‘Bark!’

Footsteps on the landing,

Creeping to and fro,

Who is out there prowling,

I should like to know,

Not that I am frightened,

Frightened of the dark,

For Rover sleeps beside me,

And he'll know when to bark!

Even when the thunder

And the noisy rain

Rattle at the window,

And beat upon the pane:

I am never frightened,

Frightened of the dark,

For Rover sleeps beside me,

And he'll know when to bark!

Good morning Mister Wind O

A song from BBC’s Words and Pictures by Ian Humphris.

Good morning Mister Wind, and how are you today?

I hope you puff your cheeks and blow the clouds away.

Good morning, good morning, good morning Mister Wind. x2

Good morning Mister Sun, I hope you’re feeling fine,

The day has just begun, it’s time for you to shine.

Good morning, good morning, good morning Mister Sun. x2

Happy days! 🔊

A hand play. Outside is the place to be, whatever the season or weather.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Clap three times each time ‘Happy days!’ is sung. Verse 1. Form a circle with hands and wiggle fingers upwards. Beckon. Open and close thumb and forefinger. Beckon. 2. Wiggle fingers downwards. Beckon. Wiggle fingers, finger to lips. Beckon, fingers run. 3. Wiggle fingers downwards. Beckon. Pretend to dress. Pretend to throw snowball. 4. Wiggle fingers downwards. Beckon. Form flower round face, hand to side of mouth. Beckon, sweep hand over head.

Happy days! The sun is shining,

Happy days! Now Summer’s come.

Happy days! Blackbird is singing,

“Come outside to play and have fun!”

Happy days! The leaves are falling,

Happy days! Now Autumn’s come.

Happy days! The woodlands whispers,

“Come outside to race and run!”

Happy days! The snow is falling,

Happy days! Now Winter’s come.

Happy days! We’ll wrap up warmly,

And go outside for snowballing fun!

Happy days! The showers are falling,

Happy days! For Spring is here.

Happy days! Sweet flowers are calling,

“Come outside, a rainbow’s appeared!”

I hear thunder O

A song to brighten up the gloomy weather.

I hear thunder, I hear thunder,

Hark, don’t you, hark, don’t you?

Pitter patter raindrops, pitter patter raindrops,

I’m wet through, so are you!

Put hand to ears.

Move fingers down like the rain.

Point to self and another.

I see blue skies, I see blue skies,

Way up high, way up high,

Hurry up the sunshine, hurry up the sunshine,

You’ll soon dry, so will I!

Put hand to eyes. Point up.

Make the shape of the sun.

Point to another and self.

I like to sing when the sun is shining 🔊

An action song for all weathers and seasons. Encourage children to think of other suitable movements / activities for each kind of weather.

I like to sing when the sun is shining,

Tra la la la la, tra la la la.

And when the sun shines we’ll all go swimming,

Tra la la la la, tra la la la.

I like to sing when the rain is falling,

Tra la la la la, tra la la la.

And when the rain falls we’ll stamp in puddles,

Tra la la la la, tra la la la.

I like to sing when the wind is blowing…

And when the wind blows we’ll all go dancing…

I like to sing when the snow is falling…

And when the snow falls we’ll build a snowman…

I love puddles! 🔊

A wet weather hand play.

Fingers wiggle downwards. Thumb and forefinger make small puddles. Hand to mouth. Spread hands outwards. Draw big puddle. Wiggle fingers. Spread hands outwards further. Use arme to make giant puddle. Make piggy fist with curly tail. Place croosed hands on heart.

One day it rained

And rained

A puddle here,

Two puddles here

Two more puddles there!

Uh-oh! The puddles overflowed—

A big puddle here.

It rained some more.

The puddles all flowed together

And made a giant puddle

“Oink, oink, oink” said the pig

“I love puddles!”

I see the wind when the leaves dance by 🔊

We might not be able to see the wind but we can see how it moves and effects things and feel it on our body.

1. Dance hands about. 2. Wave hand. 3. Bend arms over and down. 4. Flap hands. 5.Raise arms up high. 6. Float hands gently up and down. 7. Lift hair. 8. Throw hands out and look around in wonder.

I see the wind when the leaves dance by.

I see the wind when the clothes wave "Hi!"

I see the wind when the trees bend low.

I see the wind when the flags all blow.

I see the wind when the kites fly high.

I see the wind when the clouds float by.

I see the wind when it blows my hair.

I see the wind most everywhere!

I’m going to build a chimney pot O

A traditional rhyme with music by Harriet Powell, adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Have wooden bricks ready for building. Children take turns to decide how many bricks tall the chimney will be. 1. Put one fist on top of the other climbing upwards. 2. Build bricks up to ten. 3. Hands show movement of the wind and rain. 4. Child who built chimney gets to knock it down!

I’m going to build a chimney pot

Very, very high.

I’ll build it with my bricks,

And I’ll make it touch the sky – 1, 2, 3….

Here’s the wind and here’s the rain

To knock my chimney down again.

It rained a mist O

This song is said to be a Virginia folk song in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American Folk Songs for Children. Her version is possibly derived from a tragic tale of two little boys lured into a ladies garden ‘The fatal flower garden’. Find out more at:

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=26213

This version has been adapted to continue the weather theme.

It rained a mist, it rained a mist,

It rained all over the town, town, town,

It rained all over the town.

The sun came out, the sun came out,

The sun shone over the town, town, town,

The sun shone over the town.

The children then went out to play

They tossed their ball all around, round, round,

They tossed their ball all around.

At first they tossed their ball down low,

And then they threw it up high, high, high,

And then they threw it up high.

They tossed it into a lady's garden

Where roses and lilies lie, lie, lie,

Where roses and lilies lie.

It’s a windy day today 🔊

A song by Dulcie Holland from ‘Time for Singing’ published 1955.

Twirl and whirl, high and low, then gallop around.

It's a windy day today,

The clouds are flying across the sky,

It's a windy day today,

So gallop along with me, with me,

So gallop along with me.

It’s raining, it’s pouring

Rain, rain go away O

Will it never stop? These two songs work really well together:

"It's Raining, It's Pouring" Roud Folk Song Index number 168.

"Rain Rain Go Away" Roud Folk Song Index number 19096.

It's raining; it's pouring,

The old man is snoring.

He went to bed and bumped his head,

And couldn't get up in the morning.

Rain rain, go away, come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play, come on mother’s washing day!

Rain rain, go away, come again another day.

Rain rain, go to Spain, never show your face again.

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs O

A very old saying about heavy rain. Collect other sayings about the weather.

Move fingers for the rain and mime animals with hands – the video will show you how.

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs,

They’re falling from the sky.

It’s fun for fish, it’s fun for frogs,

But not for you nor I!

It’s raining cats, it’s raining dogs,

They’re falling from the sky.

It’s fun for fish, it’s fun for frogs,

But not poor butterfly!

Let the sun shine down on me 🔊

When our outlook is uncertain we look for hope.

This powerful spiritual type song was written by the treasured Jean Ritchie in 1963 but still resonates strongly in our present difficult circumstances.

Arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Chorus:

Roll on clouds in the mornin',

Let the sun shine down on me.

Bound away for glory,

Bound for glory and deliverance,

Roll on clouds in the mornin',

Let the sun shine down on me.

I looked out this mornin',

Deep down trouble I see,

Yes, I looked out this mornin',

Let the sun shine down on me. Chorus

Saw that big cloud risin',

Hard trouble I see,

Heard those mothers cryin',

Let the sun shine down on me. Chorus

I know there's a great big comin',

When no more trouble we’ll see,

When we'll all shout together,

Let the sun shine down on me. Chorus

Roll on clouds in the mornin',

Let the sun shine down on me,

Roll on clouds in the mornin',

Let the sun shine down on me.

Like a leaf or feather O

A movement song for windy weather.

1. Make the shape of a leaf or feather. 2. Move body on the spot as if blown by the wind. 3. Move round high and low. 4. Gently move down to the ground.

Like a leaf or feather

In the windy, windy weather,

We will twirl about and whirl about

And all fall down together.

Like a leaf or feather

In the windy, windy weather,

We will tumble down and swirl around

And all float down together.

Little April shower 🔊

Music written by Frank Churchill, Edward H. Plumb, lyrics by Larry Morey for Walt Disney’s Bambi.

A song for outdoor play in wet weather.

Drip, drip, drop, little April shower,

Beating a tune as you fall all around.

Drip, drip, drop, little April shower,

What can compare with your beautiful sound?

Drip, drip, drop, when the sky is cloudy,

Your pretty music can brighten the day.

Drip, drip, drop, when the sun says howdy,

You say goodbye right away.

Drip, drip, drop, little April shower,

Beating a tune everywhere that you fall.

Drip, drip, drop, little April shower,

We’re getting wet and we don’t care at all.

Drip! Drop! Drip! Drop!

I’ll never be afraid…

Of a good little, glad little,

April Serenade.

Little by little O

Written by Peter and Robyn Mapleson; this song appeared on Australian broadcasting’s Play School.

Make kites and windmills when the breezes blow, get outside with them and enjoy the feeling of being buffeted around by the wind.

Everything is still, quiet and slow,

Little by little the breeze begins to blow,

Picking up the leaves, whistling through the trees,

The wind begins to blow.

Blow, blow, blow, blow,

Blow, listen to the wind blow.

Everything is dark, the stars are in the skies,

Little by little the sun begins to rise.

The night time has gone, the morning will be fine,

The sun begins to shine,

Shine, shine, shine, shine,

Shine, we can see the sun shine.

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