Hello, singing friends! Here are some of the sweet rhymes, songs and games we’ve been doing in classes this fall season. I made videos for the songs that have melody— the others are poems to be spoken.
Click here for the full playlist on Spotify!
The Rain is Flowing
Song Credit: Mica Rose
The rain is flowing down the mountain (x3)
And it flows down to the creek
The creek is flowing through the valley (x3)
And it flows down to the river
The river flows through the city (x3)
And it flows down to the ocean
The ocean flows in me (x3)
In every salty tear
This is a great song for movement and regulation. With baby on your lap, make raindrops with your fingers that go from head to toe. For the creek, place hands together in front and sway gently back and forth. For the river, lift baby gently up and down to create waves. Finally, for the ocean, lift baby even higher up and down to the beat.
Mix a Pancake
Dr John Feierabend
Mix a pancake, stir a pancake (draw circle on baby’s palm)
Pop it in the pan! (pop! on baby’s palm)
Flip a pancake, flip a pancake (bounce baby’s hand on yours)
Catch it if you can! (catch baby’s hand!)
So Fast, So Fast
Dr John Feierabend
So fast, so fast my horse can go
A riggetty jiggety jig, you know
We gallop over the countryside
A riggetty jig, we ride
And when we think we need a rest
We find that trotting is the best
We go onto a grassy spot
A trip, a trip, a trot (x3, last one say STOP!)
This song introduces baby to mixed meter. The first verse is in a triple meter and the second verse is duple. Listen to the recording and see how those meter changes feel in the song. Bounce baby’s body to the beat like you’re going on a horsie ride so that they can feel it, too.
See the Little Mousie
Dr John Feierabend
See the little mousie (draw a circle on baby’s palm)
Creeping up the stair (walk fingers up baby’s arm)
Looking for a warm house…
There, oh there! (tickle baby’s cheek/shoulder/hair)
Pumpkins
Dr John Feierabend
One little pumpkin, crawling up the pumpkin patch
It went right up to your house!
Start with just your fingers; walk them from baby’s toes to head as you say the rhyme. Then repeat with “medium” pumpkins and “big pumpkins, using more of your hand to increase in size.
This Little Wind
Dr John Feierabend
This is a finger poem. For each line, you wiggle one of baby’s five fingers. This is one of those “hushed wonder” poems, where our inflection and soft tone can bring babies into a special moment of connection and quietness together. It’s magical!
This little wind blew silver rain,
This little wind blew snow.
This little wind sings a whistled tune,
And this little wind moans low.
And this little wind rocks baby birds gently, to and fro.
There was a Little Grasshopper
Dr John Feierabend
We’ve been playing this one on our big drums. It’s also fun to do bouncing baby on a knee or while standing and holding them. Make the BUMP at the end extra fun!
There was a little grasshopper,
Always on the jump.
Because it never looked ahead,
It always went BUMP!
The Little Gray Ponies
Coming soon!
