Routine Songs
Sit down on the mat
Come and sit down on the mat
Come and sit down over here
Come and sit down on the mat
Come and sit down and have a chat.
Hold hands in a circle
Let’s hold hands in a circle.
Lets hold hands in a circle.
Let’s hold hands in a circle, and everyone touch their nose.
Continue this with different body parts.
Hi ho the dairy oh.
We’re sitting on the mat.
We’re sitting on the mat
Hi ho the dairy oh we’re sitting on the mat.
We’re taping on the mat.
We’re taping on the mat.
Hi ho the dairy oh we’re taping on the mat.
We’re rocking on the mat
We’re rocking on the mat
Hi ho the dairy oh we’re rocking on the mat.
We’re clapping on the mat
We’re clapping on the mat
Hi ho the dairy oh we’re clapping on the mat.
*Adding other actions as the children think of them.
Finger RhymesTwo Fat Gentlemen
Two fat gentlemen met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?
Two thin ladies met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?
Two tall policemen met in the lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?
Two little schoolboys met in a lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
How do you do? How do you do?
How do you do again?
Two little babies met in a lane,
Bowed most politely, bowed once again.
Goo goo gooah? Goo goo gooah
How do you again?
This is a simple rhyme that uses your thumbs and all your fingers.
Two fat gentlemen – thumbs
Two thin ladies – forefingers
Two tall policemen – middle fingers
Two little school boys – ring fingers
Two little babies – little fingers
Start with your thumbs held up, facing each other so that they can bend towards each other to bow.
Bow, twice and then alternately when you say ‘How do you do?’ and then together again for the last line.
Repeat using other fingers.
Mousie Brown
Up the tall white candlestick
(Make left arm into candlestick)
Crept little Mousie Brown
(Two fingers of right hand run up the candlestick)
Right to the top but he couldn’t get down
(Fingers wiggle at top)
So he called to his Grandma
(Call through cupped hands)
Grandma! Grandma!
But Grandma was in town
So he curled himself into a ball
And rolled himself right down
(Clench both fists and roly-poly them round each other)
10 little teddies
10 little teddies standing up straight
10 little teddies making a gate
10 little teddies making a ring
10 little teddies bow to their king
10 little teddies dancing all day
10 little teddies, quick hide them away!
Skidamarink
Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you.
Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you.I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon;
Oh, Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you!
A Ship Sailed From China
A ship sailed from China with a cargo of tea,
All laden with presents for you and for me.
They brought me a fan, just imagine my bliss.
When I found myself going like this,
And this, and this, and this….
(move right arm as though fanning self)
A ship sailed from China with a cargo of tea,
All laden with presents for you and for me.
It brought me a fan, just imagine my bliss.
When I found myself going like this,
And this, and this, and this….
(move right and left arms as though fanning self)
Sing the verse again add one leg, sing verse again add other leg.
Molly Golly
Molly Golly x5 (point to each finger as you say it)
Molly Golly went for a walk,
She found it was snowing but she kept on going, until she heard
(1st pincers opening and closing) “little voice call”
(2nd hands palms together opening and closing) “a bigger voice call”
(3rd large crocodile hands opening and closing) “Great big voice call”.
Oh Molly, Ah Molly don’t go far Molly
Don’t get lost or frozen by the frost,
You better go home instead.
Run, run….. patting knees
3rd time close the door (clap hands).
In Upsy Down Town
In Upsy Down Town the sky is in the sea,
The rabbit’s in the nest where the birds should be.
The rain is falling up, instead of down.
Down, In Upsy Down Town.
There’s a chocolate cake as white as snow,
The more you eat, the bigger it grows!
You walk upon your nose instead of on your toes
Down, In Upsy Down Town
Down in the Valley Where Nobody Goes
Down in the valley where nobody goes,
There’s a gredt big crocodile washing his clothes,
With a scrubba scrub here, and a scrubba scrub there,
That’s the way he washes his clothes.With an i tie oogie boogie woogie,
With an i tie oogie boogie woogie,
With an i tie oogie boogie woogie,
That’s the way he washes his clothes.
Down in the valley where nobody goes,
There’s a great big bumble bee washing her clothes,
With a buzzy-wuzz here, and a buzzy-wuzz there,
That’s the way she washes her clothes.
Add on as many different animal sounds as you can (or want)
Action Songs for circle time
One gorilla
One gorilla in the zoo the finest in the land,
And people come from miles around to see what he can do.
He claps his hands (clap hands 3 times)
He turns around
He stomps with 4 feet on the ground
And then he picks another friend to come and join him too.
* Add to numbers as children get up in circle
One flamingo
One flamingo in the zoo the finest in the land,
And people come from miles around to see what he can do.
She flaps her wings (clap hands 3 times)
She turns around
She stands with 1 leg off the ground
And then she picks another friend to come and join him too.
* Add to numbers as children get up in circle
One kangaroo
One Kangaroo is in the zoo, the finest in the land,
And people come from miles around to see what he can do.
He claps his hands (clap hands 3 times)
He turns around
He boing’s with 2 feet off the ground
And then he picks another friend to come and join him too.
* Add to numbers as children get up in circle
There was a princess
Long ago, long ago, long ago;
There was a princess long ago,
Long, long ago.And she lived in a big high tower,
A big high tower, a big high tower;
And she lived in a big high tower,
Long, long ago.
A wicked fairy cast a spell,
Cast a spell, cast a spell;
A wicked fairy cast a spell,
Long, long ago.
The princess slept for a hundred years,
A hundred years, a hundred years;
The princess slept for a hundred years,
Long, long ago.
A great big forest grew around,
Grew around, grew around;
A great big forest grew around,
Long, long ago.
A handsome prince came riding by,
Riding by, riding by;
A handsome prince came riding by,
Long, long ago.
He chopped the trees down with his sword,
With his sword, with his sword;
He chopped the trees down with his sword,
Long, long ago.
He woke the princess with a kiss,
With a kiss, with a kiss;
He woke the princess with a kiss,
Long, long ago.
So everybody’s happy now,
Happy now, happy now;
So everybody’s happy now,
Happy now.
Sandy Girl
See the little sandy girl, sitting on a stone.
She’s crying, she’s crying
‘cause she’s all alone.
Stand up sandy girl (or child’s name), and wipe your tears away.
Choose a friend you like the best and take them out to play.
I’m going to Kentucky
I‘m going to KentuckyI‘m going to Kentucky, I‘m going to the fair.
To see the senorita, with flowers in her hair.
So, shake it, baby, shake it. Shake it if you can.
Shake it like a milkshake and drink it if you can.
Oh, rumble to the bottom, and rumble to the top.
And around and around and around
And around and around and around, until you stop!
The Rattlin’ Bog
hi ho the rattlin’ bog
the bog down in the valley-o
hi ho the rattlin’ bog
the bog down in the valley-oand in that bog, there was a tree
a rare tree a rattlin’ tree
tree in the bog and the bog down in the valley-ochorus:
hi ho the rattlin’ bog
the bog down in the valley-o
hi ho the rattlin’ bog
the bog down in the valley-oand on that tree there was a limb
rare limb a rattlin’ limb
limb on the tree and the tree in the bog
and the bog down in the valley-oand on that limb there was a nest…
and in that nest there was a goose…
and on that goose there was a hat…
and on that hat there was a fish…
and on that fish there was a clock…
and on that clock there was a puppet…
