Winter songs J-O

Jack Frost

Jack Frost rapped on the window pane

Jacky Frost

Jolly red nose

Knock no more!

Little birds in winter time

Little Jackie Frost

Little Jackie Jack Frost

Little robin grieves

Little snowflake

Little snowflakes song

Little snow kisses

Little white feathers

Mark your steps

Merry little snowflakes

Merry little snowflakes dancing in the air

Mince pie or pudding

New Year carol

November

Old Man Winter’s on his way

Old Mother Goose

On a frosty morning

Once there was a snowman

One day we built a snowman

Over the river and through the woods

Also see:

A – I

P- Z

The North wind doth blow

A chubby little snowman

The mitten song

Five little men made out of snow

And the YouTube playlist: Winter songs and poems

Last updated: 1/3/2022 10:52 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:

© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

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Jack Frost 🔊

A winter hand play by M.T. Schunemann.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Indicate small with thumb and forefinger. Shake forefinger. Pinch self. Walk fists. Place hands on hips indignantly and wiggle fingers. Place hands on hips indignantly and point to toes. Make fingers run. Hold up both hands and slam shut. Shake head and forefinger.

Jack Frost is very small, I'm sure he's out today

And he is busy pinching me when I go out to play!

Jack Frost, he pinched my fingers.

Jack Frost, he pinched my toes.

So I ran into the house and I shut the door - BANG!

And that little Jack Frost couldn't pinch me, -Anymore!

Jack Frost rapped on the window pane O

A traditional rhyme, music by Paul Forde.

Jack Frost rapped on the window pane

And knocked on the door with his icicle cane.

“Excuse me,” I said. “The door is shut tight,

I’d rather you didn’t come in tonight.”

So he wrote his name all over the glass

And the baby sneezed, “Atchoo!” as she heard him pass.

Jacky Frost 🔊

Watch out for the nose nipper in wintry weather.

Words by Laura E. Richards, music with words slightly adapted by Eleanor Smith and published 1904 in "The Common School Book of Vocal Music”. Music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost,

Came in the night;

Left the meadows that he crossed

All gleaming white.

Painted with his silver brush

Evry window pane;

Kissed the leaves and made them blush,

Blush and blush again.

Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost,

Crept around the house,

Sly as a silver fox,

Still as a mouse.

Out our little Jenny came,

Blushing like a rose;

Up jumped Jacky Frost,

And pinched her little nose.

Jolly red nose O

Can’t find this tune anywhere – would love to know where I originally heard it!

A correspondent recently sent me the following information:

The first appearance of this song that I've seen is from Thomas Ravenscroft's "Deuteromelia," from the year 1609. The singer insists that his "jolly red nose" is caused by the spices in his liquor, not the liquor itself. It's number 496 in the Roud Folk Song Index, and was popular well into the 19th Century.

It can also be found in the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes and is part of a song called ‘Off all the birds’

It could well work as a round.

Nose, nose, jolly red nose;

And what gave thee that jolly red nose?

Nutmeg and ginger, cinnamon and cloves,

That’s what gave me my jolly red nose!

Knock no more! 🔊

A winter round which would work well with percussion.

Words and music by Elizabeth Gilpatrick from her book of rounds ‘Come Join In!’.

When Old Man Winter comes knocking at your door,

He’ll nip your fingers and freeze you to the core.

Knock! Knock!

Can’t come in!

Knock no more!

Little birds in winter time 🔊

Don’t forget the birds when there is a winter chill in the air and most of the berries have gone.

Words by Frederick A. Jackson and music by C. E. Byrne. From the National Christian Education Council, 1928.

Words adapted by Dany Rosevear.

Little birds in winter time

Hungry are and poor;

Feed them, for their little sakes,

Till the winter’s o’er.

Throw them crumbs that you can spare

Round about your door;

Feed them, for their little sakes,

Till the winter’s o’er.

Little Jackie Frost 🔊

Winter is upon us and Jack Frost is there to do his mischief.

Set to music and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Little Jackie Frost came over the hill,

On a starry night when all was still,

He makes little children shake with cold;

Jackie Frost is fierce and bold.

Little Jackie Frost so I am told,

Paints the leaves red, brown and gold.

On each little flower sets a frosty cap,

And bids goodbye with a tipperty-tap!

Soon they will sleep in the earth below,

Under a blanket of ice and snow,

Waking again one springtime day,

Little Jackie Frost has gone away.

La, la, la, la….

Little Jackie Jack Frost O

Watch out, watch out – Jack Frost is about.

Make suitable actions with your hands.

Little Jackie, Jack Frost bites my nose,

Little Jackie, Jack Frost stings my toes,

Little Jackie, Jack Frost climbs the trees,

Little Jackie, Jack Frost paints the leaves.

Little Jackie, Jack Frost thinks it’s fun,

Knocking all the leaves down one by one,

When the winter wind begins to blow,

Little Jackie, Jack Frost runs away. - Ho! Ho!

Little robin grieves 🔊

A winter nursery rhyme and hand play. Look after your garden birds through the winter and they will reward you with their regular visits.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Open and close finger thumb beak, wipe tears with forefingers. Wiggle fingers downwards.. Hold up palms with fingers spread. Shake finger. Verse 2. Warm upper arms., Hide wiggley forefinger in fist. Throw out hands. Scatter crumbs . Hands to heart, sweep snow away.

The little robin grieves,

When the snow is on the ground,

For the trees have no leaves,

And no berries can be found.

The air is cold, the worms are hid;

For robin what can be done?

Let’s strew around some crumbs of bread,

Then he’ll stay till the snow is gone.

Little snow kisses 🔊

A winter hand play. Look, feel, touch and wonder at the magic of snow.

At the first sight of snow run outside and take pleasure in the way it falls from the sky then look in wonder at the differences in the patterns of each tiny flake.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Look up, look up, look up in the sky!

Down come the snowflakes, fluttering by.

Lightly to land on your nose and your cheek,

Little snow kisses, white wonderful wishes for us they will seek.

Put out your tongue, where they’ll melt as they land,

Then catch those silent, soft flakes in your hand.

Little snowflake 🔊

You will recognise the tune in the song below but the words are quite different. They are both loosely translated from the German song ‘Schneeflöckchen, Weißröckchen’.

It is a suitable song for gentle floating movements, high, low and all around.

Little snowflake, light snowflake,

In your white skirt float down;

From the clouds you come drifting

To us here on the ground.

Come and stay on my window

Like a lovely bright star;

Draw some flowers and ferns, too

Bring us joy from afar.

Little snowflake, come cover

All the flowers with snow

So they’ll sleep warm and safely

Till the spring breezes blow.

Little snowflakes song O

This lovely German song ‘Schneeflöckchen, Weißröckchen’ is very loosely translated here. The first two verses I found in the book ‘Festivals family and food’, the last two are by Dany Rosevear.

Oh, where do you come from,

You little flakes of snow?

Falling softly, softly falling,

On the earth below.

On the trees and the hedgerows,

On the mountains afar,

Tell me snowflakes,

Do you come from

Angel wings or the stars?

Little snowflakes fall softly,

Fall fast and fall deep,

So we wake up to a white world,

From our warm pillowed sleep.

Little snowflakes fall round us,

We’ll dance and we’ll play,

And build a friendly snowman,

And throw snowballs all day.

Little white feathers / Snow 🔊

A winter poem by Mary Mapes Dodge (1830-1905).

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Fingers move and drift like snow. Cross hands at wrists and move upwards. Shake wings up high. Verse 2. Move fingers faster. Hand to heart. Place hands to side of face. Blow a kiss.

Little white feathers,

Filling the air -

Little white feathers!

How came you there?

“We came from the cloud-birds

Sailing so high;

They're shaking their white wings

Up in the sky.”

Little white feathers,

How swift you go!

Little white feathers,

I love you so!

“We are swift because

We have work to do;

But hold up your face,

And we'll kiss you true.”

Mark your steps 🔊

A winter ‘follow my leader’ song with a steady beat; a rhyme from the Steiner tradition.

Walk in the snow and look back at the footsteps behind you.

As a young child for three years I lived in Norfolk in the east of England, in winter, I remember, deep snow settling over the countryside which made for an interesting walk to school across the fields – snow shoes would have come in very handy!

This little winter game came from: Living Arts Weekly: Winter Circle Song – LifeWays (lifewaysnorthamerica.org)

Music by Dany Rosevear.

On a circle or line follow the leader. 1. Walk in a measured way. 2. Walk quickly then lift feet. 3. Put hands to eyes then look around.

Mark your steps with your feet,

In the white snow, deep so deep.

Little holes, bigger holes,

Watch where you go!

Merry little snowflakes 🔊

A winter hand play from Maud Burnham’s ‘Rhymes for little hands’.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Fingers raised high move downwards. 2. Make steeple with two forefingers and then raise arms for branches. 3. Two hands form roof and then clasp hands. 4. Move one hand down sloped forearm. 5. As before. 6. Spread hands then place palms to cheek. 7. Circle arms to make sun. 8. Hide hands behind back.

Merry little snowflakes, falling through the air,

Resting on the steeple and tall trees everywhere;

Clothing roofs and fences, capping every post,

Covering the hillside, just where we like to coast.

Merry little snowflakes, try their very best,

To make a soft, white blanket, so buds and flowers may rest.

But when the bright spring sun shines

and says it’s come to stay,

Then those little snowflakes quickly run away!

Merry little snowflakes dancing in the air 🔊

Words by Patty S. Hill ‘Song Stories For The Kindergarten’ published in 1940. Her sister, Mildred J. Hill, wrote the original tune

Here the music set to a simple familiar tune by Dany Rosevear.

Encourage the children to act out the rhyme either with hands or freely moving about the room.

Merry little snowflakes,

Dancing in the air!

Busy little snowflakes,

Falling everywhere.

Blowing in our faces,

Falling at our feet,

And kissing all the children,

As they run along the street!

Mince pie or pudding 🔊

A Shaker welcome song. I came across it in ‘Music now and long ago’ published 1956 by Silver Burdett.

Chorus

Welcome here, welcome here,

All be alive and be of good cheer.

Welcome here, welcome here,

All be alive and be of good cheer.

I've got a pie all baked complete,

Pudding too, that's very sweet.

Chestnuts are roasting, join us here

While we dance and make good cheer.

Chorus

I've got a log that's burning hot,

Toddy's bubbling in the pot.

Come in, ye people, where it's warm,

The wind blows sharp and it may storm.

Chorus

I made a loaf that's cooling there,

With my neighbours, I will share.

Come, all ye people, hear me sing

A song of friendly welcoming.

Chorus

New Year carol 🔊

A Welsh wassailing song, ‘Calennig’ from ‘A second sixty songs for little children’ published in1945 with a new text by Frances B. Wood..

Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

O, bright are the stars,

And cold is the night,

Soft snowflakes are covering

The world in white,

But we cheerfully carol,

We carol to you,

“Goodnight to the old year,

Good day to the new!”

A good year to each,

A good year to all,

Good blessings a-plenty

On everyone fall!

O, spare us a penny

And we’ll sing to you,

“Goodnight to the old year,

Good day to the new!”

November 🔊

A seasonal poem.

Winter creeps up on us even while the fox is still sunbathing in the garden!

Music by Dany Rosevear.

No sunshine, lots of rain,

No warm days, snow again!

No bugs or bees

No leaves on trees.

You must remember

This is November!

Old Man Winter’s on his way 🔊

Change is coming; new season, new clothes.

Words and music by Gil Slote From ‘Musical plays for special days’ 1960.

Get out that winter overcoat

And heavy rubbers too;

‘Cause Old Man Winter’s on his way

And he has cold news for you.

Get out that heavy woollen scarf

To protect you from the breeze;

‘Cause Old Man Winter’s on his way

And he’s out to make you freeze.

Now Old Man Winter is a rough and tough,

And can roar like a lion in the zoo.

But if you’re ready whenever he comes

He’ll just be fun for you.

So get out that sled and shiny skates.

Now hurry , don’t be slow;

‘Cause Old Man Winter’s on his way

With lots of soft white snow.

Old Mother Goose 🔊

In Scandinavian countries there is a legend that snowflakes are the feathers that an old woman in the sky picks from her geese and throws away.

Children can swing their arms to the rhythm of the music. The can also use their hands and fingers to show plucking geese, throwing the feathers away, and making it snow.

Old Mother Goose is plucking her geese,

Plucking her geese, plucking her geese;

Old Mother Goose is plucking her geese,

And throwing the feathers away.

Old Mother Goose is making it snow,

Making it snow, making it snow;

Old Mother Goose is making it snow,

She’s making it snow today.

On a frosty morning 🔊

Squirrel is out gathering food for winter.

A French folk song with words by John Erwin from ‘140 Folk Tunes’ published 1921.

Move around the room with paws in front scampering and jumping like a squirrel and picking up nuts to take back to a hidden store.

Patter go the nuts on a frosty morning,

Falling from the trees to the ground below;

Here's Mister Squirrel going Hop! Hop! Hop!

Picking them up as fast they drop;

Packing them away for his food in winter,

When the woods and fields will be white with snow.

Mister Squirrel lives in a hollow maple;

Window there is none, and but one small door.

Time after time fast home he hops,

Into his door the nuts he drops;

Who do you suppose is inside to meet him?

Mother Squirrel grey and her children four.

Once there was a snowman 🔊

A simple Winter movement play to encourage understanding the concept of size.

Words and music by Moiselle Renstrom, 1889–1956. This song easily adapts to other circumstances.

1. Begin on the floor and move up slowly then move slowly back down to the floor. 2. Start as before but finish tall and proud. 3. As before but spread arm and hand branches.

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman,

Once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall.

In the sun he melted, melted, melted.

In the sun he melted, small, small, small.

Once I was a baby, baby, baby,

Once I was a baby, small, small, small.

Now I'm getting bigger, bigger, bigger,

Now I'm getting bigger, so tall, tall, tall.

Once there was an acorn, acorn, acorn,

Once there was an acorn, small, small, small,

Now it’s growing higher, higher, higher,

Now it’s growing higher, tall, tall, tall.

One day we built a snowman 🔊

This delightful poem was published by an American, W.W. Ellsworth, in 1915 and adapted over the years; you can still find the original at: https://archive.org/stream/stnicholasserial251dodg/stnicholasserial251dodg#page/347/mode/1up

One day we built a snowman,

We built him out of snow;

You should have seen how fine he was,

All white from top to toe!

We poured some water over him,

To freeze his legs and ears;

And then we went indoors to bed,

We thought he’d last for years.

But in the night a warmer kind

Of wind began to blow;

And Jack Frost cried and ran away,

And with him went the snow.

When we went out next morning

To bid our friend "Good Day",

There wasn't any snowman there...

He'd melted right away!

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