Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Song:  Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Source:  Childhood 

Origin: Traditional Child Song

Grade level: PreK+

Rhythmic elements: rhythmic pattern

Movement:  point to each body part mentioned

Connection to curriculum:  Learning different body parts, different languages (could substitute any language for this song)

Words:

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

in spanish

Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y dos pies

Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y dos pies

Ojos, oídos, boca y una nariz 

Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y dos pies

A ram sam sam

Song:  A ram sam sam

Source:  Camp

Origin: Moroccan Children's Song

Grade level: K+

Rhythmic elements: rhythmic patterns

Movement: pound fists together and then switch which hand is on top for "a ram sam sam", spread fingers and wave one hand over the other and then switch for "guli guli guli", hands miming pulling apart something gooey for "a rafiq" 

Connection to curriculum: Cultures from around the world, can replace the motions with different fine or large motor skills, can replace words

Words:

A ram sam sam

A ram sam sam

Guli guli guli guli

Guli ram sam sam

A rafiq, a rafiq

Guli guli guli guli

Guli ram sam sam

Monkey's Swinging from a Tree

Song:  Monkeys Swinging from a Tree

Source:  Curriculum Design

Origin: Unknown 

Grade level: PreK+

Rhythmic elements: rhyming pattern, steady beat

Movement:  Fingers for the # of monkeys swinging, teasing fingers by face, shaking finger "Can't catch me!"  

Connection to curriculum:  Habits and habitats of crocodiles and monkeys,  manners,

Words:

5 little monkeys, swinging in a tree

Teasing mister crocodile "Can't catch me!"

Along comes mister crocodile, quiet as can be

And he snapped a monkey right out of that tree

4 little monkeys, swinging in a tree

Teasing mister crocodile "Can't catch me!"

Along comes mister crocodile, quiet as can be

And he snapped a monkey right out of that tree

3 little monkeys, swinging in a tree

Teasing mister crocodile "Can't catch me!"

Along comes mister crocodile, quiet as can be

And he snapped a monkey right out of that tree

2 little monkeys, swinging in a tree

Teasing mister crocodile "Can't catch me!"

Along comes mister crocodile, quiet as can be

And he snapped a monkey right out of that tree

1 little monkey, swinging in a tree

Teasing mister crocdile "Can't catch me!"

Along comes mister crocodile, quiet as can be

And he snapped that monkey right out of that tree. 

Going to Kentucky

Song:  Going to Kentucky

Source:  Carriage House

Origin: unknown

Grade level: preK+ (for circle game 2+)

Rhythmic elements: rhymes, verses

Movement:  preK version - clapping for first verse, twisting for second, rolling hands down to floor and back up and then spinning until stop hands for third

circle game version: everyone holds hands in a circle with one person in the middle.  For first verse everyone walks around the person in the middle, for second verse person in the middle chooses a body part to shake, for third verse the people in the circle roll their hands down and then up and then the person in the middle closes their eyes and spins and then when the stop they point to the person in front of them and they are next in the middle.

Connection to curriculum:  Geography of where Kentucky is, traditions and how the differ in different areas

Words:

We're going to Kentucky

We're going to the fair

To see the senoritá 

with flowers in her hair

so shake it baby shake it

shake it if you can

shake it like a milkshake

and do the best you can

now rumble to the bottom

and rumble to the top

and turn around and turn around

until you have to stop!

Bringing Home a Baby BumbleBee

Song:  Bringing Home a Baby BumbleBee

Source:  Carriage house

Origin: traditional

Grade level:preK+

Rhythmic elements:repetition

Movement:  motions to match words

Connection to curriculum:  Cause and effect,

Words:

I'm bringing home my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm bringing home my baby bumble bee -
OUCH!! It stung me!!

I'm squishin' up my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm squishin' up my baby bumble bee -
EW!! What a mess!!

I'm lickin' up my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm lickin' up my baby bumble bee -
ICK!! I feel sick!!

I'm throwin' up my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm throwin' up my baby bumble bee -
OH!! What a mess!!

I'm wipin' up my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm wipin' up my baby bumble bee -
OOPS!! Mommy's new towel!!

I'm wringin' out my baby bumble bee
Won't my Mommy be so proud of me
I'm wringing out my baby bumble bee -
Bye-Bye baby bumble bee!!

Toast in the Toaster

Song:  Toast in the Toaster

Source:  King's County Library

Origin:  unknown

Grade level: preK+

Rhythmic elements: 

Movement: squat down low, jump up high

Connection to curriculum:  cooking food - science, changes with time - social studies

Words:
I'm toast in the toaster and I'm getting very hot
tick tock tick tock 
up I pop! 

Tickle the clouds

Song: Tickle the Clouds

Source:  Kings County Library

Origin: unknown

Grade level:preK +

Rhythmic elements:rhythm

Movement: match the words

Connection to curriculum:  rhymes,

Words:

Tickle the clouds.
Tickle your toes.
Turn around
And touch your nose.
Crouch down low.
And reach up high.
Storytime’s over –
Wave  goodbye!

I'm a little pine cone

Song:  I'm a little pine cone
Source:  King's County Library
Origin:  unknown
Grade level: preK and up
Rhythmic elements: steady beat, rhythm
Movement: hold fist to be pine cone, stretch arms up for tall tree, wave arms for wind blow, and bend over and hit floor for plop
Connection to curriculum: science curriculum, pine cone = seed. 

Words: 
I'm a little pine cone brown and small
I live in my pine tree oh so tall
when the cold wind blows I dance and hop
and fall to the ground with a plop plop plop!  

itsy bitsy spider

Song:  Itsy Bitsy Spider
Source:  childhood
Origin:  unknown
Grade level: pre-k and up
Rhythmic elements: steady beat
Movement: crawling the spider up, hands together over head for sun coming up and rain coming down
Connection to curriculum: sequencing, cause and effect, rhyme

Words:
the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
down came the rain and washed the spider out
out came the sun and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider climbing up the spout again

Alternatives: the little *insert name here* spider (sang high) or the giant *insert name here* spider (sang low)

5 little pumpkins

Song:  5 little pumpkins
Source:  songsforteaching
Origin:  unknown
Grade level: preK and up
Rhythmic elements: steady beat, rhyming
Movement: counting fingers, hands on face for "oh my", fingers in air for witches, wags finger for we don't care, arms pumping for run and run and run, thumbs up for reading for some fun, big gestures for wind woshing, clap for out went the lights, and then roll arms when the pumpkins roll away.
Connection to curriculum: rhyming onomatopoeia 

Words:
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my it's getting late."
The second one said, "There are witches in the air."
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run."
The fifth one said, "We are ready for some fun!"
Then OOOhh OOOhh went the wind
And out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.