Games galore in Gryphon’s Garden

More nursery favourites

Diddle diddle dumpling

Down at the station

Jack in the box

Johnny get your hair cut

Miss Polly had a dolly

Teddy bear, teddy bear

The wheels on the bus

What shall we do when we all go out?

Last updated: 3/5/2015 4:07 PM

The songs below are compiled, illustrated

and sometimes adapted by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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

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Diddle diddle dumpling O

First published in London around 1797 and possibly the street cry of dumpling sellers. Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddle,_Diddle,_Dumpling,_My_Son_John

The second verse is a much more recent addition.

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

Went to bed with his trousers on,

One shoe off and the other shoe on,

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,

Ate a pasty, five feet long,

He bit it once, he bit it twice,

Oh my goodness, it was full of mice!

Down at the station O

Here is a version that includes cycling as a form of transport – hooray!

Children will enjoy moving around the room once they know the song well

Down at the station, early in the morning,

See the locomotives all in a row.

See the engine driver pull a little lever,

All aboard, all aboard, and off we go!

Down at the bus stop, early in the morning,

See the bright red buses all in a row.

See the little driver starting up the engine,

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, and off we go!

Down at the farmyard, early in the morning,

See the little tractors all in a row.

See the little farmer starting up the engine,

Chuggetty chug, chuggetty chug, and off we go!

Down at the airport, early in the morning,

See the little aeroplanes all in a row.

See the little pilot starting up the engine,

Vroom vroom, vroom vroom, and off we go!

Down at the fire station, early in the morning

See the little fire engines all in a row

See the fire fighter starting up the engine,

Nee‐naaa nee‐naaa, and off we go!

Down at the bike shed, early in the morning,

See the little bicycles all in a row.

See the little cyclist pushing round the pedals,

Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, and off we go!

Jack in the box O

A good introduction to pitch – high and low sounds.Moving up when the note is high and down when low will reinforce this concept.

Children crouch down and pop up and then down to the words ’Up!’ and ‘Down!’

Jack in the Box is a funny wee man,

He sits in his box as still as he can,

Then suddenly UP he pops!

Down! Up! Down! Up!

Funny wee Jack in the Box.

Down! Up! Down! Up!

Funny wee Jack in the Box.

Johnny get your hair cut O

Use children’s names and encourage them to make up their own verses. You could also use this format and tune to encourage children to play or mime using different instruments.

Children sit in a circle, one child stands in the centre and decides on an action that the others copy.

Johnny get your hair cut, hair cut, hair cut,

Johnny get your hair cut, just like me.

We can copy Johnny, Johnny, Johnny,

We can copy Johnny, just you see.

Daisy pull your socks up, socks up, socks up,

Daisy pull your socks up, just like me.

We can copy Daisy, Daisy, Daisy,

We can copy Daisy, just you see.

Charlie beat the big drum, boom, boom, boom, boom,

Charlie beat the big drum, just like me.

We can copy Charlie, Charlie, Charlie,

We can copy Charlie, just you see.

Miss Polly had a dolly O

This is a delightful story to mime.

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick,

She phoned for the doctor to be quick, quick, quick.

The doctor came with his bag and his hat,

And he knocked at the door wth a rat-a-tat-tat.

He looked at the dolly and he shook his head.

He said ‘Miss Polly, put her straight to bed.’

He wrote on a paper for a pill, pill, pill,

‘I’ll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill.’

Rock arms from side to side.

Mime telephoning.

Hold bag and doff hat.

Knock on the door.

Peer and shake head.

Wag finger.

Mime writing.

Wave.

Teddy bear, teddy bear O

Older children play this as a playground skipping game doing the actions as the rope turns round. Younger children can enjoy it as an action song moving as the words suggest.

The song makes a good opportunity for composing rhyming lines.

Learn a version in French at: http://singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.4%20Allonsy/55-64%20La%20belette.htm

Teddy bear, teddy bear touch the ground,

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around.

Teddy Bear, Teddy bear, jump up high.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the sky.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch your shoe.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, I love you.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light.

SSSH!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say GOOD NIGHT!

The wheels on the bus O

Sit in pairs with one pair behind the other as on a bus to play this game; alternatively with a small group sit on chairs.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

Round and round, round and round,

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

All through the town.

Roll arms round each other

The wipers on the bus go “Swish, swish, swish”…

Move arms like wipers

The driver of the bus says "Move on down’…

Indicate with hand

The door on the bus goes, open and shut…

Open and shut your hands

The people on the bus go up and down…

Move up and down from sitting position

The horn on the bus goes “Beep, beep, beep”…

Squeeze horn

The babies on the bus go "Wah, wah, wah”…

Make crying movements

The mummies on the bus go "I love you,

I love you, I love you”

And the daddies on the bus go "I love you too”…

Put finger to lips

What shall we do when we all go out? O

This simple action song can be adapted for any nursery outdoor play. Children will have their own favourite act ivies!

First verse skip round in a circle then dramatize activities.

What shall we do when we all go out,

We all go out, all go out?

What shall we do when we all go out,

When we all go out to play?

We’ll ride on our bikes when we all go out,

We all go out, all go out?

We’ll ride on our bikes when we all go out,

When we all go out to play.

We’ll dig in the sand when we all go out,

We all go out, all go out.

We’ll dig in the sand when we all go out,

When we all go out to play.

We’ll splash in the puddles when we all go out,

We all go out, all go out.

We’ll splash in the puddles when we all go out,

When we all go out to play.

We’ll jump up and down when we all go out,

We all go out, all go out.

We’ll jump up and down when we all go out,

When we all go out to play.

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