Action songs are the bomb!
Children love music!! Here are 5 Fun Action Songs For Toddlers And Bubs. Throw in a few funny actions and a dash of silliness and they’re having the best time ever!! (and so are you!)
Early on as a mother, I found singing could totally change the mood. From chaos to calm with a few lines of a favourite song! Magic!! I’ll admit it didn’t always work, but I reckon 80% of the time it did!
These days as an educator, I use singing and action songs constantly in our day. Often at transition times, from outdoor to indoor play or before lunch.
Here’s our current favourite songs for you!
Download and print the lyrics below.
1.Barramundi Cockatoo
Sung to the melody of Frere Jacques, this fun Australian animal song has simple actions and we often sing three rounds of this song.
The ladies from First Five Forever sing (with actions) a fun version here.
Verse 1 Actions
Barramundi Barramundi (hands together like a fish swimming)
Cockatoo Cockatoo (hand on head waving like feathers)
Emu & Koala Emu & Koala (hand made into Emu head & then cuddle shoulders)
Kangaroo Kangaroo (hands made into paws)
Verse 2
Sugar Glider Sugar Glider (fingers spread like gliding)
Tassie Devil Tassie Devil (fingers making teeth shape)
Platypus & Wombat Platypus & Wombat (one hand swimming & then patting nose)
Crocodile Crocodile (using hands & arms to snap)
2. Row row row your boat
Have children sit in pairs facing each other, holding hands, rocking back and forth as they sing. At the end of the last three verses there’s a fun sound to make!!
Sarah from The Bubble Box sings a great version here.
Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream
Row row row your boat
Gently up the creek
If you see a little mouse
Don’t forget to squeak, eeek!
Row row row your boat
Gently to the shore
If you see a lion
Don’t forget to roar, rooooar!
Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to scream, aaaaaah!
3. Open Shut Them
Open shut them Open shut them (open & close fingers)
Give a little clap (clap hands together)
Open shut them Open shut them (open & close fingers)
Lay them in your lap (walk hands down to lap)
Creep them creep them (walk hands up to chin)
Creep them creep them
Right up to your chin (rest fingers on chin)
Open wide your little mouth (open mouth wide)
But do not let them in (hide hands behind back)
Shake them Shake them (shake hands in front)
Shake them Shake them
Shake them just like this
Roll them roll them (roll hands around each other)
Roll them roll them
Blow a great big kiss. (blow a kiss to friends)
4. The Wheels on the Bus
Such a favourite action song!
At the end of each verse I often ask the children “what next?” And they’ll call out another action. I love this version by Super Simple Songs because the final line in the verse remains the same.
(However if you prefer, you can use “all day long” or “all through the town” or “all the way to daycare.”)
The wheels on the bus go round & round (move hands in a circular motion by your side)
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round & round
Round and round
The doors on the bus go open & shut (open & shut hands in front)
Open & shut, open & shut
The doors on the bus go open & shut
Open & shut
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (move hands in front like wipers)
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
Swish, swish, swish
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (pretend to beep horn with hand)
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep
The people on the bus go up & down (move your body up & down)
Up & down, Up & down
The people on the bus go up & down
Up & down
The babies on the bus go wah, wah, wah (pretend to cry, rubbing eyes)
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah
The babies on the bus go wah, wah, wah
Wah, wah, wah
The mummies on the bus go Shhh, shhh, shhh (hold finger up to lips to make shhh action)
Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh
The daddies on the bus go shhh, shhh, shhh
Shhh, shhh, shhh,
5. Hop Little Bunnies
My lovely workmate Sarah taught me this gem of a song!!
It’s our go-to song before washing hands for lunch with lots of rowdy animal actions. Of course choose whatever animals the children are loving at the time! Eg dinosaurs, kangaroos, snake etc
Jax from Soundplay Australia sings a great version here.
See the sleeping bunnies (children lying down on floor)
Sleeping till its noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they ill?
Wake up little bunnies! (children jump up & down!)
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop Hop & stop. Lie back down
See the sleeping lions (children lying down on floor)
Sleeping till its noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they ill?
Wake up little lions! (children jump up, make claws & roar!)
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar Roar little lions roar, roar, roar
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar Roar little lions roar, roar, roar
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar Roar little lions roar, roar, roar
Roar little lions roar, roar, roar Roar & stop. Lie back down
See the sleeping eagles (children lying down on floor)
Sleeping till its noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they ill?
Wake up little eagles! (children jump up & put arm out either side & fly)
Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly
Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly
Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly
Fly little eagles fly, fly, fly Fly & stop. Lie back down
See the sleeping crocodiles (children lying down on floor)
Sleeping till its noon
Shall we wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they ill?
Wake up little crocodiles! (children jump up & snap with their hands)
Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap
Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap
Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap
Snap little crocodiles snap, snap, snap Snap & stop
I hope you enjoy these 5 Fun Action Songs For Toddlers And Bubs. You probably sing many of them already, but do you use different versions? I’d love to know!!!
As always feel free to email me here if you have any suggestions or the winning lotto numbers. No really, Id love to hear from you.
Jasmine
xxx
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