This is a rhyme with a long history, though for all that there is surprisingly little variation. But I found a lot of variation in the tunes used on YouTube, so checked it out on Wikipedia, where I found a tune described as “most commonly associated” with it. It works very well with the guitar as follows: CCCC, GGGG, CGCF, FCG-G7C
tune to follow…
Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been?
I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussycat, Pussycat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.
This uses the tune to “Mama’s Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread”. You can change Mummy to Daddy, Nanny, Grandma, Grandad to sing to any special person on any special day.
I love my Mummy, I love my Mummy,
I love my Mummy, yes I do.
Here’s a hug and a kiss for you.
Thank you Mummy for all you do.
I love my Mummy, I love my Mummy,
I love my Mummy, yes I do.
Of the two main versions of this I have come across, this is the most exciting, as it builds up suspense and allows time for children to move from their sleeping position to being up on their feet and ready to hop. I use it nearly every week with my Fledgelings and very often with the KS1 children, too, as it is universally loved and extremely flexible. The “Sh!” is best signed, rather than sounded as it spoils the quiet, otherwise.
The guitar works really well with this: CCFCFCGC…CFCG(G7,G6,G)CFCFCGC
See all the little bunnies sleeping ‘til it’s nearly noon.
Shall we go and wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still,
Are they ill?
Sh!
Wake up little bunnies, wake up!
And…
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop.
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop.
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop.
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop.
Around Christmas, little robins flap, reindeer run, snowmen dance and bells ring. At other times, little crocodiles snap, lions roar, hedgehogs snuffle, foxes pounce, rhinos stomp. This is a song that can fit with pretty much any theme. With the Fledgelings, the ideas come out of the conversations that take place during a session, the clothes children are wearing, toys they like to bring with them or events and festivities in the wider world. The KS1 children like to come up with their own ideas.
Original words, but a familiar tune; the main theme to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. It is a useful active song. If everyone is standing, they can stamp their feet at the end of each line to give a good rhythmic feel. Pause to the count of 4 after singing, and then all “BANG” and jump up together.
I am a noisy little firework.
I am a noisy little firework.
So, light my fuse and I’ll whizz up into the night,
Exploding in a blaze of brightly-coloured light.
So, light my fuse and I’ll whizz up into the night,
Exploding in a blaze of brightly-coloured light.
I am a noisy little firework.
I am a noisy little firework.
This uses the tune of “Here we go round the mulberry bush”. You can put anything you like in the Spooky Soup. I chose these examples because my daughter had drawn such lovely pictures of them, and Fledgelings Sing has some slugs, spiders and bats as props.
You can use the following chord progression, with the last 3 chords between verses: D/Em/A,A7/D/Em/A7/D/
We’re all making Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup.
We’re all making Spooky Soup in our witch’s cauldron.
What shall we put in our Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup?
What shall we put in our Spooky Soup, in our witch’s cauldron?
What about this slimy slug, slimy slug, slimy slug?
What about this slimy slug? Fling it into the cauldron!
What about this spider’s web, spider’s web, spider’s web?
What about this spider’s web? Fling it into the cauldron!
What about this creepy bat, creepy bat, creepy bat?
What about this creepy bat? Fling it into the cauldron!
Who would like some Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup, Spooky Soup?
Who would like some Spooky Soup? Ooh, yes, please!
This is the chorus of a song written by John A Glover-Kind in 1907 and popularised by Mark Sheridan, who recorded it in 1909. I’ve made a small change to verse 2, line 3 to make it more in keeping with very young children.
Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!
I do like to be beside the sea!
I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom,
Where the brass band plays tiddly-om-pom-pom!
So just let me be beside the seaside.
I’ll be beside myself with glee.
And there are boys and girls beside,
I would like to be beside,
Beside the seaside, beside the sea.
I wrote this song 3 or 4 years ago when Springwatch featured a tawny owl chick whose parents had a predilection for feeding it slugs. Poor thing got all slimed up but did all right in the end and fledged. It works very well with a hand puppet owl and little ones bringing it slugs and frogs to eat.
Hungry little owl in a hole in a tree.
Hungry little owl, won’t somebody feed me. A bar’s pause here for Mummy Owl to bring in some food. You can count 4 quietly, or use the puppet to communicate with the children and cue the second part.
That’s more like it.
Along comes Mummy with a slimy little slug
To fill my tummy.
Other prey ideas:
Along comes Mummy with a juicy little frog
Along comes Mummy with a lovely, juicy worm
Along comes Mummy with a juicy little vole
Along comes Mummy with another slimy slug
Along comes Mummy with another juicy worm
Along comes Mummy with a long and lovely slow worm
Along comes Mummy with a lovely, crunchy moth
Along comes Mummy with a lovely little mouse
You can sing this song in two parts, with one group repeating “monkey, monkey” while the other sings the verse.
We went to the animal fair,
The birds and the beasts were there.
The big baboon, by the light of the moon, was combing his golden hair.
The monkey fell out of his bunk,
Thump,
Slid down the elephant’s trunk.
Wheeeee.
The elephant sneezed and fell on its knees,
But what became of the monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey.
This song has a very simple tune. You can choose whichever animals you like. I first encountered it with elephants, kangaroos, penguins and lions, but usually start with rhinos because they are found at our local wildlife park, and include siamangs, a species of gibbon also found at our wildlife park, because they make the most amazing sound…..
The verse structure is very simple, so I’m giving two verses in full, with other ideas below.
Let’s go to the zoo and stomp like the rhinos/elephant do.
Let’s go to the zoo and stomp like the rhinos/elephants do.
Stomp x5
Stomp x5
Stomp x5
And stomp like the rhinos/elephants do.
Let’s go to the zoo and jump like the kangaroos do.
Let’s go to the zoo and jump like the kangaroos do.
Jump x5
Jump x5
Jump x5
And jump like the kangaroos do.
Waddle like the penguins
Hoot like the siamangs
Roar like the lions