Dancing song – Nursery Rhymes

Little Nancy Etticoat

All Nursery Rhymes — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 07:10:11 +0000

This riddle was first published in 1843 in Traditional Nursery Songs of England with Pictures.

The most common version as we know it today appeared in 1912 in Jessica Wilcox Smith’s The Little Mother Goose.

Below you can find both versions of this riddle:

Riddle:

Little Nancy Etticoat
In a white petticoat,
And a red nose;
She has no feet or hands
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows

Older Version

Little Nan Etticoat
In a white petticoat
And a red nose,
The longer she stands,
The shorter she grows.

(click on the riddle to find out the answer)

Jenny Jenkins

All Nursery Rhymes — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 21:22:19 +0000

Another popular song in America, Jenny Jenkins has been used as a way for boys to ask girls that they like to dance with them. Boys were expected to choose a color and the girl they were talking to had to come up with a word that rhymes with that specific color. Should the girl be unable to choose a color that rhymed, she would then be expected to dance with the boy as a forfeit.

The origins of Jenny Jenkins are not well known but many experts claim that it would have been used as a song that was passed on from person to person by word of mouth, making it impossible to credit the original lyric writer.

The song was first found in the Green Mountain Songster in 1823 and continues to be a popular choice for a playground rhyme in the USA, helping young people break the ice and get to know new people easier.

Jenny Jenkins Lyrics

Will you wear white, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear white, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear white, the color’s too bright.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear green, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear green, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear green, it’s a shame to be seen.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear blue, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear blue, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear blue, the color’s too true.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear yellow, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear yellow, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear yellow, I’ll never get a fellow.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear brown, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear brown, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear brown, cause I’d never get around.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear beige, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear beige, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear beige, cause it shows my age.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear orange, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear orange, Jenny Jenkins?
No orange I won’t wear, it rhymes so there.
I’ll buy me a foldy roldy tildy toldy, seek a double,
Use a causa roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear black, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear black, Jenny Jenkins?
No I won’t wear black, it’s the color of my back.
I’ll buy me a foldy roldy tildy toldy, seek a double,
Use a causa roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear red, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear red, Jenny Jenkins?
I won’t wear red, it’s the color of my head.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Will you wear pink, oh my dear, oh my dear,
Will you wear pink, Jenny Jenkins?
Well, what do you think? I won’t wear pink.
I’ll buy me a foldy roldy, tildy toldy, seek a double,
Usa causa roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Then what will you wear, oh my dear, oh my dear,
What will you wear, Jenny Jenkins?
Oh, what do you care, if I just go bare.
I’ll buy me a fol-de-roldy, tilly-toldy, seek-a-double,
Use-a-cause-a roll to find me.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.
Roll, Jenny Jenkins, roll.

Sleeping Bunnies

All Nursery Rhymes — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 10:05:35 +0000

Sleeping Bunnies is a well-known and fun children’s song that includes a melody and lyrics accompanied by whole-body movement. It dates back to at least the 1950s, but no one is certain who the original composer is. The rhyme details the image of bunnies asleep in the grass as the morning passes and lunchtime arrives.

The song has been used in nurseries and children’s groups for many years, especially in the mornings as a “wake-up” activity. The children curl up asleep like bunnies and on cue, they spring up and start hopping around, using their hands as bunny ears and wiggling their noses as they move.

Sleeping Bunnies can also be used as a way of introducing the time to children, as some of the verses reference the time of the day and provide a simple rhyming structure that they can learn to recite back to you.

Sleeping Bunnies Lyrics

See the bunnies sleeping till it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still, are they ill?
Wake up little bunnies!
Hop little bunnies, 3x hop
Hop, hop, hop, 3x hop
Hop little bunnies, 3x hop
Hop, hop, hop…

See the bunnies sleeping till it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still, are they ill?
Wake up little bunnies!
Skip little bunnies, 3x skip
Skip, skip, skip ,3x skip
Skip little bunnies, 3x skip
Skip, skip, skip…

See the bunnies sleeping till it’s nearly noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still, are they ill?
Wake up little bunnies!
Jump little bunnies, 3x jump
Jump, jump, jump , 3x jump
Jump little bunnies, 3x jump
Jump, jump, jump…
Hop little bunnies, 3x hop
Hop, hop, hop, 3x hop
Hop little bunnies, 3x hop
hop, hop, hop…

Boom Chicka Boom

All Nursery Rhymes — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:38:55 +0000

Boom Chicka Boom is one of the most popular scout songs along with Make New Friends (But Keep the Old). The song is nonsensical, it is fun, it is interactive as it is a repeat after me song that will surely move the bodies of any group. The song has many variations, basically anybody can add any style to the song, some of the most popular alterations being “The Parent Style” – I said a boom GO TO YOUR ROOM, “Taco Bell Style” – I said a bean chicka bean or the “Astronaut Style” – I said a moon shoot the moon.

Boom Chicka Boom is chanted not sung, to rhythmic hand-claps and knee-slaps: repeated in different “styles” – either higher / lower / louder / softer / faster / slower etc.

Boom Chicka Boom

I said a Boom Chicka Boom
I said a Boom Chicka Boom
I said a Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom Uh huh
Oh yeah

Janitor Style:
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Broom
I said a Broom Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Mop-a Sweep-a Broom

Valley Girl Style:
I said like boom chicka boom
I said a totally boom chicka boom
I said like booma chicka like rocka chicka like rocka chika Boom.

Baseball Style:
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka rocka hit that softball to the moon.

Barn-yard Style:
I said a moo chicka moo
I said a moo chicka moo
I said a moo chicka watch your step, don’t track it in the room.

Flower Style:
I said a bloom chicka bloom
I said a bloom chicka bloom
I said a bloom chicka blossom smell those flowers chicka bloom.

Race Car Style:
I said a vroom shifta vroom
I said a vroom shifta vroom
I said a vroom shifta…

Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck

All Nursery Rhymes — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 11:02:34 +0000

Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck is a fun action song that can be played with kids of all ages. Each verse is accompanied by a certain movement such as hands placed on an imaginary steering wheel during the first verse, bell ringing during “ding ding ding”, leaning motions during turning, climbing imaginary ladders, and spraying a hose in the end. The tempo of the song can also be changed as kids can progressively move faster and faster until the last lines when they will slowly move back by leaning left and right.

“Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck” Lyrics

Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
Hurry, hurry, squirt the water
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Slowly, slowly, back to the station
Slowly, slowly, back to the station
Slowly, slowly, back to the station
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Tooty Ta

All Nursery Rhymes — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:54:13 +0000

Generally, tracing the origins of a children’s song is quite difficult but it is not the case with Tooty Ta! The Tooty Ta song was written by Jack Hartmann and it came out in 2015. It is sometimes also known as the “Thumbs up, Elbows Back” song.

It is a classic follow the leader song with gibberish words that will make kids laugh and silly movements that are perfect as a warmup.

“Tooty Ta” Lyrics

CHORUS: A tooty-ta, a tooty-ta, a tooty ta-ta!
A tooty-ta, a tooty-ta, a tooty ta-ta!
Thumbs up CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back, Knees together CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back, Knees together, Feet apart CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back, Knees together, Feet apart, Bottoms up CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back, Knees together, Feet apart, Bottoms up, Head back CHORUS
Thumbs up, Elbows back, Knees together, Feet apart, Bottoms up, Head back, Tongue out, CHORUS

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around

All Nursery Rhymes — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:10:46 +0000

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around is a modern nursery rhyme and action song with recent origins. Each verse of this rhyme has a corresponding action and the song is best used in group settings, in camps, preschools or kindergartens.

“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around” Lyrics

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, bend down low,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your toes,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, go to bed,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, rest your head,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn out the lights,
Teddy bear, teddy bear, say “good night”.

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells

All Nursery Rhymes — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:37:30 +0000

Most likely the lyrics of “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” are the result of an improvisation, hummed and transmitted by word of mouth, after the first Batman cartoon appeared in 1939.

Given how popular this song has become, some researchers have tried to trace its origins, which is of course uncertain. It appeared on TV for the first time in 1989 sung by Bart in the first episode of The Simpsons. However, multiple sources claim that it was already known in the 60s in schools and playgrounds. Folk parodies have always been popular with children and Jingle Bells was certainly a common source for them before Batman Smells appeared.

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells Lyrics

Original version

Refrain
Jingle bells, Batman smells
Robin laid an egg
Batmobile lost a wheel
And Joker got away

A Complete Version

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse sloping sleigh
Joker’s on the go,
laughing all the way
The bells on Penguins ring
Make Riddler wanna fight
Two-Face wants to flip a coin
And sing this song tonight

Refrain
Jingle bells, Batman smells
Robin laid an egg
Batmobile lost a wheel
And Joker got away

On Top Of Spaghetti

All Nursery Rhymes — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:19:43 +0000

On Top of Spaghetti is a popular children’s song. Although made popular by folk singer Tom Glazer, the song was recorded two years earlier by Dick Biondi.

The tune of the song is similar to the tune of On Top of Old Smokey, in fact that song was likely the inspiration for “On Top of Spaghetti”.

The lyrics of On Top of Spaghetti are more fun and catchy, a particularity that made them one of the most popular campfire songs in the USA for decades.

“On Top Of Spaghetti” Lyrics

Om top of spaghetti all covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed

It rolled off the table, it rolled on the floor
And then my poor meatball rolled out of the door

It rolled in the garden and under a bush
And then my poor meatball was nothing but mush.

The mush was as tasty as tasty could be,
And early next summer it grew to a tree.

The tree was all covered with beautiful moss
It grew great big meatballs and tomato sauce.

So if you eat spaghetti all covered with cheese,
Hold on to your meatball and don’t ever sneeze.

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt

All Nursery Rhymes — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:00:53 +0000

“John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” is a nursery rhyme of obscure origins consisting of one verse only repeated usually four times but the song can be indefinitely repetitive.

It is likely that the song has its origin in vaudeville. A similar nursery rhyme “Yon Yonson” about a Swedish immigrant was popular around that era but has faded into obscurity by now. Similarly it is believed “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidy” was about a German immigrant especially that some early versions of the song was called John Jacob Guggenheimer Schmidt, another Germanic name.

While the first written occurence dates back to 1926, it is believed it was already used in theatrical plays in the second half of the 19th century.

” John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” Lyrics

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
His name is my name too.
Whenever we go out
The people always shout,
“There goes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.”
Da da da da da da da.

Skip to My Lou

All Nursery Rhymes — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 12:07:07 +0000

“Skip to My Lou” is a singing-game and dance, famous since the 1840s.
Searching for the origins of this partner-stealing game, musician Stephen Frederick Starr recalls its resemblance to the African-American dance “Lolotte Pov’piti Lolotte”. The meaning of the word Lou, however, comes from the Scottish word for love, loo.

Skip to My Loo Singing Game

How to play

The game associated with this dance is a classic partner-stealing game. Everyone who plays (should be an odd number) must form couples and then the couples form a circle, or a square dance. The person who remains unaccompanied goes in the middle.

While singing or listening to the song the couples will skip hand in hand around in a ring. After the verse “Lost my partner, what’ll I do?” the middle person will choose a partner from the existing couples, when they have their hands free, saying “I’ll get another one just like you” or “better than you”. If they cannot catch one they will try for another round. The person left without a partner will continue the game in the same manner. If you like funny rhymes Hey, Diddle Diddle is another popular and silly one to try.

“Skip to My Lou” Lyrics

Chorus
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip, skip, skip to my Lou,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.

Lost my partner, what’ll I do?
Lost my partner, what’ll I do?
Lost my partner, what’ll I do?
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

I’ll get another one, prettier than you,
I’ll get another one, prettier than you,
I’ll get another one, prettier than you,
Skip to my Lou, my darling
Chorus

Little red wagon painted blue,
Little red wagon painted blue,
Little red wagon painted blue,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Can’t get a red bird, jay bird’ll do,
Can’t get a red bird, jay bird’ll do,
Can’t get a red bird, jay bird’ll do,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Fly’s in the buttermilk, shoo, fly, shoo,
Fly’s in the buttermilk, shoo, fly, shoo,
Fly’s in the buttermilk, shoo, fly, shoo,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Fly’s in the sugar bowl, shoo, shoo, shoo,
Fly’s in the sugar bowl, shoo, shoo, shoo,
Fly’s in the sugar bowl, shoo, shoo, shoo,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Cow’s in the barnyard, moo, moo, moo,
Cow’s in the barnyard, moo, moo, moo,
Cow’s in the barnyard, moo, moo, moo,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Cat’s in the cream jar, ooh, ooh, ooh,
Cat’s in the cream jar, ooh, ooh, ooh,
Cat’s in the cream jar, ooh, ooh, ooh,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Off to Texas, two by two,
Off to Texas, two by two,
Off to Texas, two by two,
Skip to my Lou, my darling.
Chorus

Here We Go Looby Loo

All Nursery Rhymes — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 15:29:24 +0000

Here We Go Looby Loo or simply Looby Loo is a fun action song that can be performed by many kids at once. Its very simple moves and catchy tune make it a favorite of very youngs too!

Dance Instructions

The Looby Loo dance is very similar to Hokey Cokey. First kids need to sit in a circle holding hands. If not all kids know the dance before, it is best to demonstrate first by singing the song and showing the moves.

The first part of the song is the chorus where kids will hold hands and dance in a circle. The next parts are the action parts where each kid individually moves his/her body parts according to the song’s lyrics. As you can see here, the lyrics are very similar to Hokey Cokey.

To make things more interesting you can change “looby-loo” each time to something else like “dooby-doo” or “dooby-daah”.