Branle du rat
Citrouille
Coccinelle
La ronde des oursons
Petit escargot
Un ouistiti
Y’a un rat
Last updated: 2/24/2015
3:11 PM
The songs below are part of ‘Hop-là!’ The French
collection
compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
To watch the
author sing a song click on the title at:
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© 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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you must give the original author credit
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you may not use this work for commercial purposes
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for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
Branle du rat O This peasant dance was
performed by young bridegrooms to drive out the rats from under the
floorboards of the house. Played all over Find a dance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evz0acn_WnI . Begin with two lines of
dancers facing each other, stand with hands on hips.
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Citrouille O Frog has a toothache; this song
provides an opportunity to discuss oral hygiene – if butterfly loves frog how
might he prevent her suffering? You will note genders are
reversed in the English translation in order to provide a suitable rhyme. Listen at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgtykp_la-citrouille_people Children make three or four
pumpkin circles, inside each stand a frog and a butterfly. The game begins slowly and
speeds up for the second part.
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Coccinelle O A gentle song for quiet or
calming times. ‘Coccinus’
is Latin for scarlet. Use a search engine to find one of the many colourful
pictures of the ladybird or ladybug in the Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuHpZnF0KMY&feature=related
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‘The dance of the little
bears’ Here come the bear cubs! Be ready to have fun. Watch young children dance
at:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjiwr0_danse-des-ours-maternelle-tsa_people Make a circle holding hands.
Each child stands next to a designated partner.
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A lovely game for the youngest,
encourage a discussion about the sort of weather that would make snail
happiest and why this might be so. Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URdrEaYMpRc&feature=related Children squat down in a
circle to begin.
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Un ouistiti O An ‘ouistiti
pygmé’ is a very tiny marmoset about the size of an
adult’s fore finger. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqaSIxEQO68&feature=related Mime the actions of this
little creature as it moves about the forest and encounters danger.
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Y’a un rat O The older version ‘Y’a un pie’ or ‘There is a magpie’ can be traced back to
at least the beginning of the 17th century. The song recorded here
is about a rat and is a scouting favourite. Find the rat in other parts of
the house. Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcIkgyzLSYg&feature=related Stand in a circle. Begin
slowly and sing a little faster each time a verse is sung. }x2
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games for children’ home page