Rockin' Toddlers Weekly Songs
You will know many of the songs already!
Children still love the classics! So we sing wheels on the bus but we also sing the waves at the beach to add a twist and keep things fresh!
These are the songs I am currently using in my Rockin’ Toddler classes. I often change the order and add seasonal songs to shake things up. But we sing all of these songs each week. I end with the musical instruments and turn on some music for them to continue playing too.
For the record, I am not the author of any of these incredibly fun songs! I have tried to give credit when I could discover the author. Please let me know if you discover the name of one of the authors. I did adapt several of them to make them more inclusive and others to includeskills toddlers have (i.e. waving &pointing).
All the songs are available on online and on YouTube if you want to hear the music or have questions about movements.
Welcome Song from Jbrary
Tune: 1 Little, 2 Little
here are (parent's name) and (toddler's name)
here are (parent's name) and (toddler's name)
here are (parent's name) and (toddler's name) here we are together!
I’m in the Mood for Singing by Raffi (I don’t do the singing verse as there are no hand movements – we start with clapping)
I'm in the mood for clapping, Hey, how about you?
I'm in the mood for clapping, Hey, how about you?
I'm in the mood for clapping,
Clapping along with you,
Hey, hey, what do you say, I'm in the mood for that today,
Hey, hey, what do you say, I'm in the mood for that.
Waving
Pointing
Stretching
Add more movement: Stomping, Jumping
Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider with up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Up came the sun and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
Great Big Spider
Very Quiet Spider
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are
Up above the world so bright, like a diamond in the night
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
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.
Add more movement: Stand up to do it and go faster each time
If Your Happy and Your Know It
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)
Clap your hands
Peek a boo
Wiggle wiggle
Shout hooray
Add more movement: Stomp your feet
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream
Oh no! Watch out! Big waves! Rock, rock rock your boat…
Wiggle
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Put them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them
right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open wide your little mouth but do not put them in
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them, Open, shut them
Put them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them
right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open wide your little mouth but do not put them in
Tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low
Put your hands up high, put your hands down low,
Put your hands in the middle and wiggle just so.
Put your elbows in front, put your elbows in back
Put your elbows to the side and quack, quack, quack!
Clap, clap, clap your hand
Clap your hands together
Clap, clap, clap your hand
Clap along with me
Clap a little higher now
Clap along with me
Clap a little lower now
Clap along with me
Little faster… little slower
A great big circle now… a tiny circle now
Wheels on the Bus..
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All through the town.
Wipers – swish, swish, swish
Horn – beep, beep, beep
Doors - open and shut
Driver - move on back
People – go up and down, up and down
Parents - “Parents on the bus say I love you”(with hugging motion)
I changed the words to make it more inclusive and positive! I also do not do the crying baby verse.
Drive the Fire Truck (I changed the words a bit :-)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck (Mimic moving steering wheel fast)
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! (Ring bell)
Hurry, hurry up the ladder go (mimic climbing ladder)
Hurry, hurry put the fire out (mimic moving fire hose back and forth)
Hurry, hurry drive the fire truck
Peanut, Peanut Butter
Peanut, peanut butter and jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter and jelly!
(Motions: Lift hands up over your head to the left three times for peanut butter. Move hands down quickly towards the floor to the right for jelly)
First you take the peanuts and you smash, you smash them
First you take the peanuts and you smash, you smash them
(motion: one hand open palm upwards and other hand in fist repeatedly pound the open palm)
To get Peanut, peanut butter and jelly! Peanut, peanut butter and jelly!
Next you take the grapes and you squish them, you squish them
Then you take the grapes and you squish them, you squish them
(motion: hold both hands in front of you and make squishing motions)
To get Peanut, peanut butter and jelly! Peanut, peanut butter and jelly!
Next you take the bread and you spread it, you spread it.
Then you take the bread and you spread it, you spread it.
(motions: one palm up other hand mimics spreading jam)
To get Peanut, peanut butter and jelly! Peanut, peanut butter and jelly!
Then you take the sandwich and you bite it, you bite it!
Then you take the sandwich and you bite it, you bite it!
(movement: pretend you are hungrily biting a sandwich)
Mmmm, mmmmm, mmm mmmm!
Mmmm, mmmmm, mmm mmmm!
(you can’t sing with peanut butter in your mouth)
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine.
I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine.
I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Old MacDonald – a huge hit at my church. We have a big canvas bag full of stuffed animals. Each child gets to take out an animal and hold it up. We then sing that animal’s verse. We’ve added animals like Kangaroos (hop, hop, hop) and our last one is always a skunk (hold your nose and say pee-ew, pee-ew, pee-ew – gets laughs every week)
Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a cow E-I-E-I-O
With a moo moo here
And a moo moo there
Here a moo, there a moo
Everywhere a moo moo
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Horse.. Duck.. Dog… Cat… Chicken…etc
Skunk (hold nose) pee-ew, pee-ew, pee-ew
Clap Your Hand, Clap Your Hands by Jbrary
(I added this at Christmas time and kept it because it is so cute!
and I also changed the words a bit)
Tune: Jingle Bells
Clap your hands, clap your hands, Wiggle all around
Oh what fun it is to clap With all our friends today!
Hold your head, hold your hips, Give yourself a hug
Turn around and hug your friend
And have some fun today!
Kookaburra
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree (arms crossed on chest)
Merry, merry king of the bush is he (hands make a crown on head)
Laugh kookaburra, laugh (hands on stomach, rock back and forth)
Kookaburra, gay your life must be
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree (arms crossed on chest)
Eating all the gumdrops he can see (hand putting gum drops in mouth)
Stop, kookaburra, stop (ASL sign for stop)
Kookaburra, leave some there for me
Merry, merry king of the bush is he (hands make a crown on head)
Laugh kookaburra, laugh (hands on stomach, rock back and forth)
Kookaburra, gay your life must be
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree (arms crossed on chest)
Eating all the gumdrops he can see (hand putting gum drops in mouth)
Stop, kookaburra, stop (ASL sign for stop)
Kookaburra, leave some there for me
I’m a Little Teapot, Short and Stout
Here in my handle, here is my spout
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out.
Five little monkeys
jumping on the bed.
One fell off
and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
Four…. Three… Two… One…
Toddlers: get up and act it out – the kids love it and will do it with you! (bonus you get your workout in at Rockin’ Toddlers)
Father Abraham (For children 20 months and up)
I changed the words to make it more inclusive - and for the record, Abraham had a daughter too!)
Father Abraham had many kids
many kids had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So we will Praise the Lord
Right hand (move right arm up and down)
Left hand
Right Foot (march foot up and down)
Left Foot
Turnaround
Sit down!