Action Songs For Kids

The ABC action songs have rather little action in them, consisting of repeating the letters in their alphabetical order. Yet they still teach kids something specific which is why I tend to think they belong here too.

The most popular one-"The ABC" goes like this:

ABCDEFG
HIJKLMNOP
QRS and TUV
W and XYZ
This is called the alphabet-
Which we never must forget!

There are also others similar rhymes helping kids to remember the alphabet.

Another action songs type allows kids to learn about different parts of the body. Kids have lots of fun repeating after the parent or teacher movements with hands, fingers, pointing to eyes, nose, elbows, knees etc. Besides they provide with an opportunity to exersice a bit too!

Body parts action songs emphasize how objects have different names and ways to be referred to. These are usually the first words children begin to understand-"these are your hands", "here are your toes", "show me your fingers". Simple and accessible through visually present objects they are the best way to start teaching kids rather than through introducing more abstract concepts about good or bad which happens at a latter age.

A famous action song including dance and naming hands and feet is the popular "Hokey Pokey". The phrase is supposed to be connected to "hocus pocus" but there are also other versions of the story about its origin. Here is the full story of the Hokey Pokey song, and next you'll see a short video.

Image: africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Those should be each child's favorite! They don't teach anything but just give kids an opportunity to interact with the parent or teacher. They have little words, are easy to remember and the obvious lack of sense makes children laugh and develop a sense of humor (I suppose)!

Dum-Dum-Da-Da
(source: "Campfire Activities", Girl Guides of Canada, 1993.)

Dum-dum-da-da
Da-dum-dum-da-da
Da-dum-dum-dum-de-dum-da
Da-dum-dum-dum
Dum-dum-da-da
Da-dum-dum-da-da
Da-dum-dum-dum-de-dum-dum
Woah woah woah
Actions:

1st time through: drum hands on thighs

2nd time: two slaps on your thighs, two slaps on your right-hand neighbour's thigs, two slaps on your own thighs, two slaps on your left-hand neighbour's thighs, repeat

3rd time: two slaps on your thighs, cross your arms to do two slaps on each of your neighbours' closest thighs, uncross to do two slaps on your thighs, spread your arms to do two slaps on each of your neighbours' closest thighs, repeat

Thanks to Heidi for this extra set of actions:

Right hand to nose, left hand to right ear (simultaneously tap twice)
Clap Clap
Left Hand to nose, right hand to left ear
Clap Clap
RH to N, LH to RE
Clap Clap
Cross hands to tap shoulders, Hands Tap Lap, Clap, Snap
RH to N, LH to RE
Clap Clap
LH to N, RH to LE
Clap Clap
Repeat last four lines until the end of the song
Repeat the song a number of times, getting faster

Image: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have to admit I knew little about those-but the Internet provides lots of opportunities to find texts, downloads and disks with Christian action songs. Here is an example I found at "Kididdles.com":

All God's creatures have a place in the choir,
some sing low, some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire,
Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now!...

Similarly to the ABC songs these don't use much actions but also use repetitive "actions" to learn animal sounds: my first and most favorite is the known to every child "Old MacDonald's farm":

Old MacDonald had a farm-
e-i-e-i-o-
and in his farm he had some cats-
e-i-e-i-o..."

Baa ba black sheep have you any wool?-
Yes yes little boy three bags full"

Image: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net