Enriching the Elementary Classroom
With Folk Song and Movement
Dr. Pattye Casarow
Clearwater Christian College
WHY USE MUSIC IN THE CLASSROOM?
1. Adds life and variety.
2. Contributes to positive attitudes about school and
learning.
3. Integrates well with other academic subjects.
4. Aids in transitions.
5. Quells restlessness.
6. Develops gross motor skills.
7. Makes learning/drilling facts or lists fun.
8. Enriches thematic units.
9. Improves interactive and social skills.
10. Encourages creativity.
11. Increases awareness of varied cultures.
12. Allows the expression of emotions.
Kids can LEARN and have FUN too!
Table of Contents
Alice the Camel .............................................................................................................................. 12
Apple Tree ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Bluebird .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Bow, Wow, Wow ............................................................................................................................. 3
Button You Must Wander ................................................................................................................ 7
Bye, Bye Baby .................................................................................................................................. 7
Charlie Over the Ocean .................................................................................................................... 4
Cho-co-la-te .................................................................................................................................... 21
Choctaw Raccoon ........................................................................................................................... 16
Circle ‘Round the Zero ................................................................................................................... 14
Cobbler, Cobbler (Pass the Shoe) ................................................................................................... 11
Counting Song ................................................................................................................................ 17
Diddle Diddle Dumpling ................................................................................................................ 11
Fish Pole ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Five Green and Speckled Frogs ...................................................................................................... 20
Frog in the Meadow ....................................................................................................................... 10
Great Big House in New Orleans ................................................................................................... 15
Hey Betty Martin .............................................................................................................................. 6
Hey, Hey, Look at Me ...................................................................................................................... 4
Hop Old Squirrel .............................................................................................................................. 9
I Let Her Go-Go ............................................................................................................................. 15
I’ve Been to Haarlem ..................................................................................................................... 18
John Kanaka ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Let’s Catch a Rooster ..................................................................................................................... 13
Let Us Chase the Squirrel ............................................................................................................... 10
Little Sally Water ............................................................................................................................. 5
Long-Legged Sailor ........................................................................................................................ 16
Lucy Locket ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Lu La Lay ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Michael Row Your Boat Ashore .................................................................................................... 23
Old Brass Wagon............................................................................................................................ 17
Old Mister Rabbit ............................................................................................................................. 9
Old Roger Is Dead .......................................................................................................................... 24
Oliver Twist .................................................................................................................................... 12
Peas Porridge Hot ............................................................................................................................. 6
Sakura ............................................................................................................................................. 22
See All the Stars ............................................................................................................................. 18
See-Saw ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Shake Them ‘Simmons Down ........................................................................................................ 22
Ti-de-O ........................................................................................................................................... 21
Weevily Wheat ............................................................................................................................... 25
Whistle Daughter ............................................................................................................................ 14
Who Stole My Chickens and My Hens? ........................................................................................ 25
Wishy Washy ................................................................................................................................. 19
2
Movement:
A student is chosen to “drop” the apple (keep eyes closed and hold apple high), the other
students walk the beat around in a circle. At the word “out,” the apple is dropped. The student
hit by the apple or who just passed under the “apple” drops out of the circle and forms his body
into a tree and becomes part of the orchard.
Movement:
Everyone is in a circle and faces a partner. On the words “bow wow wow” the children stomp to
the beat, but not on the rest. On the words “whose dog are thou” the children point up and down
to the beat with opposite hands, again not doing anything on the rest. Then on the words “little
Tommy...” they grab hands, switch places, and continue to sing “bow wow wow.” On the last
beat, the rest, the children jump around to face the person behind them and they all should have
new partners. The song continues.
3
Movement:
Children can put arms out like a seesaw and move to the beat.
Movement:
All children sing together at first. Then one child can contribute a different physical movement
and the song continues (verses 2,3, etc.).
Movement:
Children sit or stand in a circle and sing song. One child walks around the circle and on the last
beat, that child touches the person they are walking behind at the time and the touched child
chases the tagger for the empty space.
4
Movement:
Select one child to hide the “pocket” and another to go out of the room while it is hidden. Once
the pocket is hidden the student is brought back in to find the pocket. Class sings song getting
louder as finder gets closer and getting softer as finder goes the wrong way. Let the finder be the
next hider and select the next finder from the other gender.
Movement:
All children form a circle around one in the middle who is sitting. The class walks around to the
beat singing. When the song says rise, the children rise and turn to the east and west. Then,
closing his/her eyes, the child turns around pointing until the song stops. Whoever they are
pointing to gets to be in the middle.
5
Movement:
Children sing this song in a circle and during the rests they pretend that their index fingers are
like candles and softly blow them out.
Movement:
Children call to “Betty Martin” on first two phrases, and softly tiptoe on last two phrases. Later,
suggest other words and actions to replace tiptoeing.
6
Movement:
Have children fold their arms and rock the baby to the beat.
Movement:
Class stands in a tight circle with hands behind backs. One child in the center watches carefully
as the children in the circle pass the button from hand to hand behind their backs. At the end of
the song the center child guesses who has the button. For younger children, put the button on a
circle of string or yarn.
7
Movement:
Form two circles, one inside of the other. Each person from the inside circle picks a partner in
the outside circle. Always perform the following motions with partner when singing "John
Kanaka, naka, Too-la-ay!
John
Kanaka, naka
Too-laay
stomp foot once
alternating patting hands on knees following the rhythm of
the words
clap own hands twice
partners clap each other hands once
While the leader sings the first phrase, each person from the outside circle does a "do-si-do"
around their partner in the inside circle.
While the leader sings the second phrase, each person in the inside circle does a "do-si-do"
around their partner in the outside circle.
While the leader sings the third phrase, each person in the outside circle takes two sliding steps
to the left to meet a new partner. The song and game is repeated with the new partner.
8
Movement:
All children are sitting in a circle and singing the song. Let several children suggest different
vegetables for the end, i.e. carrots, spinach, green beans, etc.
Movement:
All children are standing in a circle and when the word “hop” is sung the children hop. Make
sure that you explain that in order to land on the beat you have to hop a little before the beat.
9
Movement:
Players form a circle with one chosen to be the “frog” crouched in the center. The players sing
and circle around the “frog” pointing menacingly with index fingers. Players in the circle close
their eyes and sing the song once through “inside their heads”...no sound. While the circle is
“blind” the frog runs away and hides. As silent singing ends all hunt the frog. Finder becomes
next frog.
Movement:
All the children pick a partner and line up in parallel lines across from their partner. The first
couple in line holds up their hands together as to make a bridge for the rest of the class to walk
under. As the class walks under, each following couple holds up their hands up as well after they
walk under. The last couple will have a long tunnel of classmates to walk under. The song
continues as the game continues.
10
Movement:
Everyone is in a circle.
1st grade version: Teacher takes off one shoe and she passes it to the person on her right to the
beat of the song. Each child picks up and passes the shoe on the off and on beats. When the
shoe lands in front of a child on the last beat, that child is out. You might be able to add another
shoe from another person straight across from the teacher and that shoe gets passed at the same
time.
5th grade version: Everyone takes off one shoe and passes it to the right on the beat. When the
teacher’s shoe lands in front of a child that child is out. You may also choose other shoes to be
the “out” shoe to make the game shorter. The game continues until there are only two people
left.
Movement:
The children kneel in a circle. They each remove one shoe and place it in front of them. On the
word “I,” all pick up their shoes with right hands, and on the word “pass” all place the shoes in
front of the child at the right, putting them down with a bang. On the following word, “this,” all
again pick up the shoe in front of them and pass it on to the right on the word “shoe.” The game
continues with the shoes all being banged down to the right on the first and third beat of each
measure until the last measure, “do just what I do.” On this the children bang the same shoe first
right, then left, then right again. The game immediately resumes, this time at a faster tempo.
11
Movement:
All children will twist from side to side. At the words touch knees, toes, clap hands, and around
you go, they perform those actions. This also works with two children facing each other and
clapping each other’s hands.
12
Movement:
Once the children are comfortable with the song, allow students to improvise new and different
words on the end in place of “line.” Children walk around in a circle to the beat and on the last
word, whatever the soloist chooses that the fish pole needs, the rest of the class have to act out
whatever that is on the rest at the end of the song. Example: If a child sings, “fish pole needs a
worm” then the class wiggles like worms.
Movement:
Stand still in a circle. Rooster goes around the circle and on last note he tags nearest person and
tries to get back to his spot (like Duck, Duck, Goose).
Can be sung in 2, 3, or 4 part round.
13
Movement:
Formation: Circle, not holding hands. Leader starts on the outside of the circle.
Leader walks clockwise around the outside of the circle as all sing. At “back, back zero,” Leader
stops and stands back to back with the nearest person. Then, following the words of the song,
the Leader stands side by side, front to front, and taps the other person on the shoulder. The
tapped person steps to the outside of the circle and becomes the new Leader.
This can also be done as a snowball activity. The original Leader continues going around after
tapping the first person so there are two Leaders at a time. After they’ve each tapped someone,
there are four Leaders, then eight, and so on until everyone is walking around more or less at
random. At “back, back zero” everyone scrambles to find someone else to go back to back with.
It can get chaotic, but it’s fun!
Can be sung in a 2 part round.
14
Movement:
1st verse: all the children hold hands and sing the song walking to the beat.
2nd verse: Every other child steps forward and grabs hands with the person next to them. At the
words “To fetch a pail of water” the children in the outside circle will step up to the inside circle
putting their arms in between the arms of the inside circle and grab hands on the inside of the
circle. On the words “Put one arm around my wife” the outside people will throw their arms
around the people on the inside circle without letting go, then inside people throw arms around
people from outside circle, thus creating a weave.
3rd verse: Step to side with left foot, step behind with right foot. Continue to end.
5th grade version: On “with the golden slippers on her” everyone leans back on the arms that are
behind them and spins (small running steps) to the left. Be ready to start over on the beat.
Movement:
Formation: Circle of partners facing each other.
Phrase 1:
Clap partner’s hands on “go-go”
Phrase 2:
Clap your own hands on “go-go”
Phrase 3:
With hands up in front of you (palms facing out), connect hands with partner and make a
180 degree turn (you and partner exchange places)
Phrase 4:
Still facing partner, clap your own hands on the final three “go go go.” On the last “go,”
everyone jumps up and around a half turn. Everyone is now facing a new partner.
Song begins again with new partner. When using as an icebreaker, take a couple of seconds between each
repetition for the participants to introduce themselves to each other.
15
Movement:
Children are arranged in partners, facing each other. On “Did” join right hands and move hands
to one side. On “you” move joined hands in the other direction. Then, keeping the beat, clap
your own hands, clap partner’s right hand, clap own hands, clap partner’s left hand, separate
hands to show “long,” clap hands, clap partner’s right hand, clap own hands, separate hands to
show “long,” clap own hands, salute, clap own hands, separate hands to show “long,” clap own
hands, partners clap and join right hands. Repeat.
Movement:
All the children are standing in a circle holding hands. One girl is the raccoon and one boy is the
"hound dog." When the song is being sung they are walking around the circle in opposite
directions and when it ends all the children in the circle raise their joined hands in order to allow
the raccoon and hound dog to continue in opposite directions, weaving in between all their
classmates. The object is for the raccoon to get to her place in the circle before the hound dog
runs into her, thus catching her.
16
Circle of couples/partners. Simply do what the song says to do. This can be done with no partners if you omit the
dosido and two hand turn movements.
Movement:
Children skip in a circle and sing. At the end of each stanza, they stop and count to 20, 50, and
100 clapping on each beat.
17
Movement:
Arrange children in a double circle, partners facing the same way. Partners walk in the same
direction (in the circle) and sing until “when this trip is over” where the person on the inside
circle turns 180 degrees, and is now facing the opposite direction. Circles are now moving in
opposite directions as the song continues. At “lose your girl in the ocean” children become
partners with the person next to them in the other circle and the song starts again. If you have an
odd number, that person steals someone’s partner and becomes involved in the game. The odd
person stands in the middle until that point.
Movement:
Children walk freely around the room flicking star dust into the air with this pattern:
step --flick--flick
step --flick--flick
step --flick--flick
etc.
18
Movement:
The class forms a circle except one child who stands in the middle. The song is sung while the
circle people clap lightly on the beat. On the part, “wishy washy, wishy washy we,” the person
in the middle grabs someone from the circle and skips/hops in the middle until, “then come along
with me” when they put their feet together and hold hands while twirling around as fast as they
want. Those two children then pick different partners when that part comes up again and the
game continues. The children that are picked by their peers then become the pickers for the next
game.
Movement:
Everyone is in a circle standing and holding hands. One child is the “bluebird” and weaves in
and out of the people in the circle. At the words “take a little partner,” the bluebird will chose a
partner, take him/her into the middle of the circle and hop together while holding hands. From
there on, there are two bluebirds and they each weave, pick a partner, and hop in the garden.
19
Movement:
Five children stand in front of the class pretending to be frogs. They eat the delicious bugs, say
“Yum, yum,” and one by one they jump into the pool, show how wonderful it feels, and then
swim back to their seats.
20
Movement:
Sitting in a circle, one child is the zorillo (skunk) and plays an old fashioned eggbeater, or a
molinillo, as a rhythm instrument during the first verse. During the second verse, the zorillo goes
around the circle of children, eene-meene-miny-mo style to the beat until the song ends and new
zorillo is chosen.
Movement:
Arrange class in a double circle of players, partners facing partners. Each time the students sing
“pass” they step one person to their left. Each time they sing “Ti-de-O” they pat their legs, clap
their hands and pat both hands of their partner. When they sing “jingle at the window” they take
hands and trade places. On the third line of music, they sing “Ti-de-O” and do the pat, clap, pat
with the new partner and trade places with that person. Pat, clap, pat again and trade back, ready
to play again.
Version 2: Children form a circle with arms raised as windows. One child skips around the
outside of the circle on phrases one and two. On phrase three, he or she circles one of the other
children by going through the windows on either side of the chosen child. The child circled joins
the first child, and the game is repeated with the two skipping around the outside.
21
Movement:
‘Possum up a ‘simmon tree
Rabbit on the ground
Rabbit said to ‘possum
“Shake some ‘simmons down.”
Children pretend to climb a tree
Children squat down to the ground
Clap to the beat
Children shake their bodies.
Movement:
The children move freely around the room gently swaying scarves or streamers.
22
Movement:
Sitting in a circle, keep the beat with the following patterns (always pat lap first):
1: pat lap
pat one knee to R
back to own knees
pat one knee to L
2: pat lap
cross arms @ chest touch shoulders
arms up
touch shoulders
cross chest again
3: pat lap
clap right palm out
left palm out
slap left palm with right
slap right palm with left
right arm to chest
left arm to chest
4: pat lap
left hand to nose and right hand to ear
repeat vice-versa
Movement:
Children stand in a circle holding on to a stretchy band with both hands (facing the inside of the
circle). On the beat, the children make a rowing motion (arms inside circle, pull out, repeat).
23
24
Movement:
Arrange children in a double circle, partners facing one another. Sing and play this hand
clapping game.
1. Pat
5. Clap partner’s left hand
2. Clap own hands
6. Clap own hands
3. Clap partner’s right hand
7. Clap partner’s both hands
4. Clap own hands
8. Clap own hands
This game should increase in tempo with each repetition. Periodically the teacher should yell
“gee” or “haw” (barnyard calling terms) at which point the students will take a step to the right
or left, not missing a beat in the hand clapping.
“Gee” – all move to the right. “Haw” – all move to the left
Children stand in groups of four in circle formation and number off:
4
1
2
3
On "Don't want ..."all join hands and step to the beat. On "Take some ..." reverse stepping
direction.
At "Five times five ..." all stand in place and layer hands in the center to the beat: Child 1 puts
right hand in, Child 2 puts right hand on top, followed by 3 and 4. All in turn, children then
layer left hands. For the last four measures, the layers are dismantled to the beat, starting with
Child 4's left hand, 3's left hand, etc. until all hands are "unlayered." Actions are repeated for
subsequent refrain and verses.
25
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Ground Music.
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___________. (1984). Simply sung – folk songs arranged in 3 parts for young singers.
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