Winter songs J-O

Jack Frost

Jack Frost rapped on the window pane

Jack Frost was in the garden

Jacky Frost

Jolly red nose

Knock no more!

Let’s put on our mittens

Listen to the wind

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

Also see:

A – I

M-O

P-T

U - 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: 2/20/2023 9:56 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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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.

Jack Frost was in the garden 🔊

Spring may well be on its way but Jack Frost still hangs around in hollows in the early morning ready to nip your toes and fingers and catch those early blooms that dare to poke their heads out before their time.

Based upon the poem by John P. Smeeton. Music by Dany Rosevear.

Jack Frost was in the garden,

I saw him there at dawn,

A-dancing round the bushes,

And prancing on the lawn.

He wore a cloak of silver,

A hat all shimmering white,

A wand of glittering star-dust,

And shoes of moonbeam light.

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!

Let’s put on our mittens 🔊

It is great to be outside when the weather is cold as long as you are active and dressed suitably.

Whoops! I’ve done this before under a different title: ‘Wrap up warmly for winter’ andit had another tune! I’ve been doing this too long!!!

Words adapted and music by Dany Rosevear.

Mime dressing.

Let’s put on our mittens and zip up our coat,

Wrap a scarf snuggly around our throat;

Pull on our boots, and fasten the straps,

Tie on tightly our warm winter cap.

Then open the door and out we go,

Into the soft and feathery snow!

Listen to the wind

Pile on the clothes, deep winter is here.

The North wind is in ascendance and though I am bundled up in our house its chill seems to have found a way in through the keyholes and cracks in the walls. Outdoor clothing and a vigorous walk is probably the best way to drive the cold out of these old bones!

I made a note of this seasonal poem / rhyme some years ago but the link has sadly disappeared and there is no trace of it elsewhere.

1. Hand to ear. Rub upper arms and shiver. 2. Weave hand along in and out. Hand to ear. Move hands like the wind. Beckon. 3. Point to each child in turn.

Listen to the wind,

On a cold winter's day,

Whistle around the corners

And listen to it say –

"Whoo-ooo-ooo!

Will you come out and play?

Will you-oo-ooo?

Will you come out and play?”

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.”

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