Singing Songs – Need Ideas

[Anonymous]

Sarah has become Little Miss Imitator lately and loves when I sing songs with hand/body motions that go along with them. It’s so cute to watch her do “itsy bitsy spider”. My problem is that I’m STUMPED! I can’t think of any more songs to sing with her that have motions. I realize I could do a google search, but maybe by posting here I can help some other moms as well!

What songs do you sing with your little ones?

[Anonymous]

popcorn popping on the apricot tree

jesus wants me for a sunbeam

way up in the apple tree

the wiseman and the foolishman

the wheels on the bus—–i hate this song, by the way.

these are just a few actions songs that popped into my head. i sang more with my older kids than i have with my younger kids. i sing a lullaby to sylvia that has no actions, but it is really pretty about the moon spinning a web to catch your dreams. i love it when she sings parts of it with me.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I sing TONS of songs to my kids, but most of them don’t have actions. Let’s see, these are some I know of that my kids like:

I’m a Little Teapot
Hokey Pokey
Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree
If you’re Happy and you Know it
Heads, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
Wheels on the Bus
Five Little Pumpkins (good for Halloween time)

[Anonymous]

Kaelyn’s day care does one that she loves. I don’t know it’s official name, but it goes like this:

If your name is Kaelyn, jump up and down

jump up and down

jump up and down

If your name is Kaelyn, jump up and down

jump up and down

jump up and down

Kaelyn, you sit down

Then they repeat it with things like:

spin all around

touch the ground

swing your arms

[hellbennt]

oh my, do I sing!!!

now i want to learn that apricot song!!!

how about “where is thumbkin?”

ooo: I love “Open shut them!” this is a great action song!

bumping up & down in my little red wagon

twinkle twinkle little star (uses hand motions)

[Anonymous]

i get to lead the children’s music at church. i taught the nursery age kids a song about a rainbow that they absolutely love—i had no idea it would be such a hit. one sunday i was leaving the nursery and we had not sung “rainbow”, and then one of the kids mentioned it, so i went ahead and sang it and some of the little ones started coming up to me and holding out their clothes—-it dawned on me that i will often talk about who is wearing each of the colors in the song—–and they love to be recognized. i’m going to bring a prism one of these days so that i can show the kids how the white light breaks up into all the colors of the rainbow. kevieb2007-09-09 20:52:14

[Anonymous]

Here’s “Popcorn popping on the apricot tree”:

Oh, …I looked out the window and what did I see,

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Spring had brought me such a nice surprise,

Popcorn popping right before my eyes.

I can take an armful and make a treat,

A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.

It wasn’t really so… but it seemed to be…

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

and here are a couple of youtube videos of people singing it so you can hear what it sounds like.. LOL In the first video you can kind of see the “actions” going on. (Ignore the spoof of the song at the end ) My kids all love singing this song.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9-NVHaWZQeI

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yVdpjdof8BQ

[Anonymous]

These are great ideas!! We usually just make some up, too. Believe me, I can not sing to save my life, but the kids don’t mind. I usually sing those songs that I had from camp with the hand motions:

Skimidarinkidinkidink (I have no idea how to explain…)

Gunk Gunk froggie

OH, and for kids songs, we also do Pat a Cake… not as many hand motions, but “roll it, pat it, Mark it with a C, and put it in the oven for Carter and me”.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I don’t know the name, but it goes:

“Way up in the sky, the little birds fly, while down in the nest, the little birds rest”…..etc….That one is fun because then when they are asleep (I’ll give you all the word if you really want them), you get to do “SHHHH, YOU MIGHT WAKE UP THE BIRDIES!”… My kids love when they get to get really loud with a song, too….

[Anonymous]

This is such a great post. My daughter loves to sing, and when she was about Sarah’s age, she was so tired of all the songs that I usually would sing her. I would start to sing one, and she would say “no!” She would say this until I could think of a new one. Then she would settle back and say, “yes, good song.” Little stinkers.

[Anonymous]

We always sing to Dagney, usually made up songs, though. Or we add in Dagney’s name in the place of the real words. I’ve never heard of a lot of these songs mentioned, I’ll have to look them up and learn them, I’m getting tired of the old few standards that I know too!!

[Anonymous]

Here are some others with actions:

Roly Poly

Listen to the Water

Zoom zoom zoom, I’m going to the moon

If you’re happy and you know it

Twinkle Twinkle Litte Star

And the Green Grass Grew all around

[Anonymous]

Oh, great post, Amy. Ariella LOVES songs. She’s cute, she starts moving from side to side or if she’s sitting down, just moving her belly in and out. It’s too funny to see but I try my best to sing/dance with her. I’m usually exhausted by the time I get home b/c that’s what I do all day with my kiddies at work. We love to use the bus song (the wheels on the bus go round and round). We also like singing the “if you happy and you know it” song b/c it helps with developing following directions. We also add “if you happy and you know it, touch your nose, ears, mouth, etc” for body parts identification. I make up my own songs b/c kids respond well to them and learn better with music.

[Anonymous]

I thought of a couple of other action songs that my kids like:

Five Little Ducks
Do as I’m Doing

[Anonymous]

Here is a DVD that I picked up for the girls to watch in the van as I drive them 35 miles one way to town each day.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=cd1745&event=1023SBF|34684|1023

Abby loves watching Kayla do the actions and she tries so hard to do what Kayla is doing. They have a bunch of other DVD’s that are a lot of fun too. The kids do the actions and sing on the DVD and it is very colorful and fun!!

Robin

Abby’s Mom2007-09-11 12:21:42

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