Rhythm and Tunes

Check out one of our favorite finger plays! 

Rhythm and Tunes

St. Louis County Library staff do a lot a rhyming songs and finger plays for story times. Check out some of our staff's favorites!

New Feature: Rhythm & Tunes

Story time is a wonderful tool for our community because the activities in story time are all important to early literacy. Listening to stories, singing songs, finger plays, crafts and games all add to a child's pre-reading skill set.

St. Louis County Library has some fabulous people who do story times. Each one has a different personality and style but, every one of them does a great job making sure story time and lap time are interesting and interactive. So we are adding a new feature to our Kids Page and this blog! 

We will post videos of our very own story time staff performing some of their favorite finger plays and rhymes. Check out all of our videos here.

Staff Review: "Senor Pancho Had a Rancho" by Rene Colato Lainez

"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" is a classic song that all preschool children know and love.  This new book tells the story of Old MacDonald and his Spanish speaking counterpart, Senor Pancho.  "Senor Pancho Had a Rancho" has a farm animal on each page and features English and Spanish words.  There is a great pronunciation guide in the front of the book for those of you who (like myself) don't speak Spanish.  Try something new and pick up a bi-lingual book next time you're in the library! You can go to the Holiday House publishers website for a bonus activity sheet to go with the story.


 --Angie RH, Headquarters

"This Little Piggy" by Tim Harrington

You probably know the song "This Little Piggy" but here's a reminder:
This little piggy went to market,
this little piggy stayed home,
this little piggy had roast beef,
this little piggy had none,
and this little piggy cried "wee, wee, wee" all the way home!

 So that's what happened to five little toes (piggies) on one foot.  But what about the other five piggies?  Maybe they raced go-karts, flew to outer space or sold hot dogs.  That's what happens in "This Little Piggy" as the story continues.  Those little piggies go on lots of new adventures that you have never heard about before.  There's also a free song download at Harper Collins Childrens, so you can read and dance to the music!  Recommended for ages 3-6.

--Angie R., Headquarters

Songs about trains

Songs and fingerplays are an important part of early literacy. They help promote your child's phonological awareness.  And don't all preschoolers love trains? Of course!

The Wheels on the Train (adapted from Addison Public Library)

(tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The wheels on the train go clackety clack
Clackety clack, clackety clack
The wheels on the train, go clackety clack
All along the track.

More verses:

The whistle... goes whoo, whoo, whoo
The conductor... says, "All Aboard"
The people ... go bumpety, bump

The caboose...is way in back
The brakes... go chh, chh, chh.

Engine On The Track

Here is the engine on the track (hold up thumb)
Here is the coal car, just in back (pointer)
Here is the box car to carry freight (middle)
Here is the mail car. Don't be late. (ring)
Way back here at the end of the train. (little)
Rides the caboose through the sun and rain.

This Little Train (from SurLaLune Storytime)

The little train ran up the track (run fingers up arm)
Toot, toot, toot (make train noises)
And then it came toot-tooting back (run fingers down arm)
Toot, toot, toot (make train noises)

Also, request some of the great books about trains we have in the library!

--Angie R., Headquarters

Jelly in the Bowl Lap Rhyme

This is a great lap rhyme for young ones and older children can act out the actions while standing up.


Jelly in the Bowl


Jelly in the bowl
Jelly in the bowl
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble
Jelly in the bowl.
(Rock baby back and forth on your knee)


Candles on the cake
Candles on the cake
Blow 'em out, blow 'em out
Candles on the cake.
(Hold fingers (candles) up. As your blow them out, curl them into your fist)


Biscuits in the tin
Biscuits in the tin
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up
Biscuits in the tin.
(Gently bounce baby on your knee)

Songs about snowmen

Over the years, working with talented preschool teachers and youth specialists, I've learned many songs about snowmen for preschoolers. Here are a few of my favorites!


"I'm a Little Snowman"
(Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little snowman short and fat.
Here are my buttons, here is my hat.
When the sun comes out, I cannot play.
I just slowly melt away!


"Five Little Snowman"
Five little snowman fat (hold arms out wide)
each with a funny hat. (hands on head)
One melted down into the ground. (hands slowly go down to lap)
What do you think of that? (palms up questioning)


"Five Little Snowmen Jumping on the Sled"
(Sung to: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed)
Five little snowmen jumping on the sled.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Frosty called the doctor and to doctor said,
"No more snowmen jumping on the sled!"


You could use fingers for the snowmen and count them down. I made this set of felt snowmen. At home, you could draw snowmen and decorate them, then act out the song. Or if you're craft and ambitious, try a felt set to reuse year after year!


--Angie R., Headquarters

Saying I love you around the world

Young children pick up languages quickly and no matter what language they use it is important to build their vocabulary. Try this sweet little song at bedtime. You can use all the languages or you can just pick one.

(I love you in Spanish)

Yo te amo,

Yo te amo,

All day long I sing this little song for you,

Yo te amo,

Yo te amo,

Darling, I love you.

(I love you in German)

Ich liebe dich,

Ich liebe dich,

All day long I sing this little song for you,

Ich liebe dich,

Darling, I love you.

Wo I Nee (I love you in Mandarin)

Je t’aime (I love you in French)

Ti amo (I love you in Italian)

Volim te (I love you in Bosnian)

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar

Here is a nice bedtime action rhyme to help get your child settled down for sleep.

Fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar

Crawling on the ground (crawl up child’s arm with your finger)

Fuzzy, wuzzy, caterpillar

Never makes a sound. (Shhh)

Soon you will be sleeping

Softly lullaby (lay your head on your hands)

Then when you wake up you’ll be a butterfly. (hook thumbs together to make a butterfly)

--Desiree S., Headquarters

The Moon is Round (bath time rhyme)

It is never too early to start building your child’s vocabulary. Why not change this rhyme to cover other body parts like knees and toes? Remember, there is no wrong way to do these rhymes with your baby.

The moon is round

As round as can be. (Trace a circle around baby’s face with a wash cloth)

Two eyes,

A nose,

And a mouth, (point to each part in turn)

Like me! (give a little kiss or hug)

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Leg over Leg (a diaper changing rhyme)

Want to make diaper changing time a little more fun? Take baby’s feet in your hands and gently cross legs back and forth until you lift up on the “whoops,” to slip the diaper under. (By the way, a stile is a little step up over a fence or wall.)

Leg over leg,

The dog went to Dover,

When he came to a stile,

Whoops!

He went over.

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Hickory Dickory Dock

Try this action rhyme with your baby during lap time or bath time. You can even use a wash cloth to simulate the mouse.

Hickory dickory dock,

The mouse ran up the clock (walk two fingers up baby’s arm)

The clock struck one, (give baby a kiss on the nose)

The mouse ran down,

Hickory dickory dock (run fingers back down the same arm)

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Skidamarink

What a fun way to say I love you to your child. You can wave your hands for the “skidamarink…” part, use sign language for “I love you” and clasp your hands over your head to simulate the moon moving across the horizon. Or you can come up with your own hand gestures to go along with this song.

Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I - love - you!
Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I - love - you!

I love you in the morning
and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening
and underneath the moon;

Oh, Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I - LOVE - YOU!!

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

Try this finger play with your toddler. When you get to the “Yummm Yumm” and “Glubb, Glubb” parts, deepen your voice or go higher. There is no wrong way to play with your child.  Playing with sounds is a great pre-reading skill.

Five green and speckled frogs
Sitting on a speckled log (hold up five fingers) 
Eating some most delicious bugs
YYYYUUUUMMMM YYYYUUUUMMMM (pat tummy)

One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were
Four green and speckled frogs
GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB

(Repeat in descending order)






--Desiree S., Headquarters

Round and Round the Garden

This is a great action rhyme for little ones. You can do this one while baby is in your lap or on the changing table. Draw a circle on baby’s palm (or tummy), then walk fingers to a tickle spot.

Round and round the garden

Like a teddy bear.

One step, two step,

Tickle you under there!

--Desiree S., Headquarters

I’m a Choo-Choo Train

Here is a movement song for any age. Just adjust the movements to your little ones abilities.

I’m a choo-choo train (bend arms at side)

Chugging down the track. (rhythmically move arms)

First I go forward, (move forward)

Then I go back. (move backward)

Now my bell is ringing. (pretend to pull bell)

Hear my whistle blow.

What a lot of noise I make (cover ears)

Everywhere I go!

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Row Your Boat

Here is just one version of a classic. Rock your infant back and forth. Infants love the “aaah” part as it is one of the first sounds they can make. You can do this one with toddlers too. Just take hands with toddlers and pretend to row.

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream.

If you see a crocodile,

Don’t forget to scream, aaaah!

--Desiree S., Headquarters

Acka Backa Soda Cracker

This rhyme always brings a smile. Gently bounce baby side to side on your knees. Lift up on “up goes you” and hug on “I love you.” Speed it up and slow it down to suit you and your baby’s needs.

Acka backa soda cracker
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker
Up goes you!
Acka backa soda cracker
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker
I love you!


--Desiree S., Headquarters