EARLY CHILDHOOD AUSTRALIA
QUEENSLAND BRANCH
UNDER 8’S WEEK 2012
THEME
LANGUAGE – ACTIVELY CONNECTING
CHILDREN TO THEIR WORLD
“RHYMES AND SONGS TO SHARE
WITH CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE”
Rhyme and song booklet compiled by the Butterfly Wings Team for
the ECA Queensland Branch 2012 Under 8’s Week
Butterfly Wings 2012©
“RHYMES AND SONGS TO SHARE
WITH CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE”
Nursery rhymes, simple songs and chants build the foundation for
language acquisition, early literacy development and connecting
children to their world.
There is overwhelming evidence that the early learning of nursery
rhymes, rhythmic poems, songs and chants significantly enhances
early reading skills and phonemic awareness.
RHYMES TO INTRODUCE A VARIETY OF LANGUAGE CONCEPTS
JACK AND JILL
(Up and down)
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
TRADITIONAL
Encourage children to act out this rhyme pretending to walk up the hill and then falling down,
providing a multi-sensory experience and reinforcing the language concepts of “up” and “down”.
Substitute children’s names in the rhyme.
HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE
(Over, run, laugh)
Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed
To see such fun
And the dish ran away with the spoon
TRADITIONAL
Encourage children to rock to the beat of this traditional rhyme exercising their vestibular (balance)
system. Everyone can jump high in the air like the cow and then run around on the spot at the end of
the rhyme. Substitute children’s names for the characters in red when children are familiar with the
rhyme and to make it a fun, personal experience.
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CALL/RESPONSE or ECHO SONGS
These rhymes are fun and interactive, and children learn the words and actions by a Call/Response
approach. Every child can participate in their own way developing self esteem, language and
confidence. Eventually children can lead the songs as they become familiar with the chant.
I WENT DOWN TOWN
Chant to a definite beat.
CALL: I went down town
RESPONSE: I went down town
CALL: To the alligator farm
RESPONSE: To the alligator farm
CALL: Sat on the fence
RESPONSE: Sat on the fence
CALL: And had the fence fall down
RESPONSE: And had the fence fall down
CALL: Alligator bit me
RESPONSE: Alligator bit me
CALL: On the seat of my pants – Owwww!
RESPONSE: On the seat of my pants – Owww!
CALL: And made me do
RESPONSE: And made me do
CALL: The hootchy kootchy dance
RESPONSE: The hootchy kootchy dance
EVERYONE: Hootchy kootchy, Hootchy kootchy, Hootchy Kootchy, Hootchy Kootchy Dance
YEH!!
TRADITIONAL PLAY GROUND CHANT US
BOOM CHICKA BOOM
Chanted to a definite beat
I said a boom chicka boom ECHO
I said a boom chicka boom ECHO
I said a boom Chicka rocka
Chicka rocka, Chicka boom ECHO.
Oh yeah (echo), uh huh (echo), next time (echo)
A little softer (echo).
A little louder...
A little slower...
A little faster...
The end!!!
TRADITIONAL PLAYGROUND CHANT US
Then do the chant over in a different voice. After children get the idea,
they can decide what voice to use. (baby, giant, mouse,
whispery, deep, etc.) This is so much fun!!
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LULLABIES AND QUIET SONGS
Children may be calmed more easily if you choose a few lullabies and simple songs to sing regularly
during the day. A gentle rocking beat to accompany a lullaby is an important early rhythmic
experience for young children. The beat of a lullaby is the same as that of a mother’s heart and
helps to calm children, especially after a busy, exciting activity.
Many families sing the lullaby “Twinkle, Twinkle” with their children at home and it is reassuring for
children to be singing the same songs when at child care or kindy. “Twinkle, Twinkle” is number 1 on
the Under Fives Hit Parade and it has been translated into nearly language across the world.
Children love to do the simple actions in this beautiful lullaby song.
There are other verses to “Twinkle, Twinkle” if children enjoy singing this lullaby.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle_Twinkle_Little_Star
TWINKLE, TWINKLE
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder what you are.
Traditional
Sing “Star Light, Star Bright” in a gentle, rhythmic way emphasising the word “Wish” and use simple
actions to represent the star in the first verse and the moon in the second verse.
STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT
Star light, Star bright
First Star I see tonight
Wish I may, wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
Moon Light, Moon Bright
First moon I see tonight
Wish I may, wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
Traditional
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VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT RHYMES AND CHANTS
These songs and chants increase children’s vocabulary as they sing about different animals and
animal noises. They are fun, interactive and open-ended - children can substitute the names of their
favourite animals in the songs and chants providing a sense of ownership.
WHEN DUCKS GET UP IN THE MORNING
Sing this fun song in a circle
When ducks get up in the morning
They always say “Gday”
When ducks get up in the morning
This is what they say
Quack, quack, quack, quack
What a lovely day
Quack, quack, quack, quack
What a lovely day
When dogs get up in the morning
When cows get up in the morning
When birds get up in the morning
When pigs get up in the morning etc
When I get up in the morning
Good morning Good morning
What a lovely day
When (child’s name) get up in the morning
Source: Milwaukee Public Library Tot Time on line. Adapted.
WALKING THROUGH THE BUSHLAND
Walking through the bushland
What can I see?
I see a koala
Looking for its tea
Substitute other Australian Bush Animals in this chant including a kangaroo, an echidna, a dingo, a
playpus, a goanna, a snake etc. Children can suggest the different animals they might see in the
bush increasing their knowledge of Australian bush animals. This chant can also be used as a
“guessing game” – a child can pretend to be one of the animals and the others have to guess what
they are.
Last verse
Walking through the bushland
What can I see?
I see a crocodile
Looking at me!!
I see a crocodile
Looking for its tea
HOPE IT ISN’T ME!!!
AAAAAAAAAH!!!
Traditional – adapted.
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COUNTING RHYMES
Form a circle for this chant and walk round the circle in step to each count eg One kangaroo (one
step) Encourage children to do all the actions and to substitute the names of their favourite animals
into the chant.
ONE KANGAROO
Tune: One bottle of pop
One kangaroo, two kangaroo, three kangaroo, four kangaroo, five kangaroo, six kangaroo
seven, seven kangaroos
Come and jump in our bushland, our bushland, our bushland
Come and jump in our bushland
Our bushlands great!
Cockatoo – squawk in our bushland
Lorikeets – screech in our bushland
Pelicans – flap on our seashore
Platypus – swim in our bush creek
Wallaby – hop in our bushland
Very slowly
Crocodiles – lurk in our bush creek
BUT DON’T EAT US UP!!
Traditional – adapted
Encourage children to stand up for the Cuckoo Clock song and rock with arms and legs out wide to
the beat of the chant. Children can jump in the air or pretend to be a cuckoo at the end of each
verse. This becomes a multi-sensory approach to learning and counting – the very best kind!
CUCKOO CLOCK
Tick tock, tick tock
Goes the little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
Clock strikes one
CUCKOO!!
Tick tock, tick tock
Goes the little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
Clock strikes two
CUCKOO!! CUCKOO!
Tick tock, tick tock
Goes the little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
Clock strikes three
CUCKOO!! CUCKOO! CUCKOO!
Tick tock, tick tock
Goes the little cuckoo clock
Tick tock, tick tock
Clock strikes four
CUCKOO!! CUCKOO! CUCKOO! CUCKOO!!
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SOCIO DRAMATIC PLAY
After children have chanted this rhyme a number of times and used their fingers to represent the “Five cheeky
possums” why not act out the rhyme. Choose five possums and a crocodile. Encourage the possums to chant
“You can’t catch me!” by themselves. And the crocodile can do the “Snapping”. Children will increase self
esteem, confidence and increase their vocabulary development by being involved in such a fun interactive
rhyme – and learn subtraction at the same time. Wow!
FIVE CHEEKY POSSUMS
Five cheeky possums hanging from a tree
Teasing Mr Crocodile
“You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile
Quiet as can be
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Oh dear me!!
Four cheeky possums hanging from a tree
Teasing Mr Crocodile
“You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile
Quiet as can be
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Oh dear me!!
Three cheeky possums hanging from a tree
Teasing Mr Crocodile
“You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile
Quiet as can be
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Oh dear me!!
Two cheeky possums hanging from a tree
Teasing Mr Crocodile
“You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile
Quiet as can be
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Oh dear me!!
One cheeky possum hanging from a tree
Teasing Mr Crocodile
“You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile
Quiet as can be
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
Crocodile missed me!!
Yeh!
Traditional – adapted
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HAVE FUN SINGING AND CHANTING IN UNDER 8’S WEEK
AND THE REST OF 2012 WITH THE CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE!
Try making up your own rhymes and songs. Choose a traditional rhyme and
tune and change the words. The Frere Jacques tune is a great one to start with
– it is also a call/response or echo chant which assists children to learn
language more quickly.
“RHYMES AND SONGS TO SHARE: WITH CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE” was
compiled by the Butterfly Wings team for Early Childhood Australia –
Queensland Branch as a gift for the 2012 Under 8’s Week.
The Butterfly Wings Program is a free interactive family program using song,
rhyme and story to share researched information with parents and family
members based in SE Queensland
The Rhyme of the Month on the Butterfly Wings website has lots of different
ideas, rhymes, songs and chants related to various monthly events and
celebrations in Queensland.
WEBSITE: www.butterflywings.com.au
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER – we provide lots of links, ideas, websites for parents,
early years educators, professionals and anyone who has a child in their care under school age.
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/butterflywingsearlyyears
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/LisaBWCPP
BUTTERFLY WINGS ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd143qojBAU
2012 NATIONAL YEAR OF READING PARTNERS: http://www.love2read.org.au/partners.cfm
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