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Infant Stimulation

Song Ideas

Compiled by Lisa Neseth

Suggestions of Songs You Might Like to Use

Alphabet Song
Are You Sleeping?
Humpty Dumpty
London Bridge
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Michael Row Your Boat Ashore
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Pat-a-Cake
Piggy Went to Market
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Ten in the Bed
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Where is Thumbkin?
You Are My Sunshine

            You and your child can make up songs or create your own personal musical experiences.  Self-composed music can be very special to the child since he/she made it up.  Before the child can be spontaneously creative, he/she must be given the opportunity to thoroughly explore his environment for sounds.  This exploration can start the child’s own body.  Ask your child about sounds he/she can make with various body parts.
            Try to encourage your child to make up songs about the things he/she likes, who he/she likes, his/her own name, friends, pets, or just nonsense songs.  You may want to give your child some examples to start off.  Remember to start off with easy melodic and rhythmic patterns.
            Suggestions to get started:  Use familiar tunes to create songs personal to your child, using his/her name and incorporating familiar objects or persons to make the music more meaningful to him/her.
Examples:
1.  Use the tune of “Row Your Boat” for this song:
    ____ clap your hands.                                         ____ plays the rattle
   Clap your hands with me.                                      ____ plays the rattle,
   ____, ____, ____, ____,                                       ____, ____, ____, ____,
   Clap your hands with me.                                      ____ plays the rattle.
2.  To the tune of “Frere Jacques” or “Are You Sleeping?” using a tambourine or mirror to cover your child’s face until the phrase “There he/she is!” –like Peek-a-boo.
      Where is ­­­­____?  Where is ____?
      There he/she is!  There he/she is!
      Where is ____?  Where is ____?
      There he/she is!  There he/she is!

3.  Substitute familiar persons or objects in the song “He’s Got the Whole World” and point to the person or object while singing:
      He’s got ­­____ in His hands, etc.  (i.e.  Daddy, Mommy, puppy…)
4.  Use the song “Old MacDonald” while your child plays instruments:
      Old MacDonald had a band         Ee-i-ee-i-oh
      And in that band he had a ____   Ee-i-ee-i-oh
With a (have your child play the instrument) here
And a (play instrument) there, Etc…

Index of Songs

Song Title 
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Bingo
Down by the Bay
Farmer in the Dell, The
Five Little Frogs
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Hokey Pokey
How Much is that Doggie in the Window?
Hush, Little Baby
If You’re Happy and you Know It
In the Jungle
It’s a Small World
Itsy, Bitsy Spider
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mickey Mouse March
More We Get Together, The
Mulberry Bush, The
My Bonnie
Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
On Top of Spaghetti
Peanut Butter, Jelly
Peter Cottontail
Pop! Goes the Weasel
Puff The Magic Dragon
Shake My Sillies Out
Six Little Ducks
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Wheels on the Bus
Workin’ on the Railroad
You Gotta Sing
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Some Lyrics

Baa, Baa Black Sheep
Baa, baa, black (white) sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes, sir, three bags full.
One for my master and one for my dame,
One for the little boy (girl) who lives down the lane.
Baa, baa, black (white) sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.

Bingo
There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-o.
            Other verses:      __-I-N-G-O
                                       __-__-N-G-O
                                       __-__-__-G-O
                                       __-__-__-__-O
                                       __-__-__-__-__

Down by the Bay
Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home I dare not go,
For if I do my mother will say,
“Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose, Down by the bay.”
            Other verses:      Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail
                                       Did you ever see a fly wearing a tie
                                       Did you ever see a bear combing his hair
                                       Did you ever see llamas eating in their pajamas
                                       Did you ever have a time when you couldn’t make a rhyme
            What other silly verses can you and your child make up?

The Farmer in the Dell
The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell,
Heigh ho the derry oh, the farmer in the dell.
            Other verses:      The farmer takes a wife
                                       The wife takes a child
                                       The child takes a nurse
                                       The nurse takes a dog
                                       The dog takes a cat
                                       The cat takes a rat
                                       The rat takes the cheese
                                       The cheese stands along
Five Little Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs. (yum, yum)
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs, (gllb, gllb)
            Other verses:  four, three, two, one, no

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes and
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.
            Touch body parts as you sing.  Assist child in touching body parts or model movements for child.

Hokey Pokey
You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out,
You put your right hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all about.
            Other verses:  left hand, right foot, left foot, head, front side, back side, whole self, etc.  Add more body parts to suit your child’s developmental level.

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?
How much is that doggie in the window?  The one with the wagglely tail.
How much is that doggie in the window?  I do hope that doggie’s for sale.
I must take a trip to California and leave my poor sweetheart alone.
If he has a dog he won’t be lonesome, and the doggie will have a good home

How much is that doggie in the window?  The one with the wagglely tail?
How much is that doggie in the window?  I do hope that doggie’s for sale.
I read in the paper there are robbers with flashlights that shine in the dark.
My love needs a doggie to protect him and scare them away with one bark.

I don’t want a bunny or a kitty.  I don’t want a parrot that talks,
I don’t want a bowl of little fishies; ‘Cause you can’t take a goldfish for walks.
How much is that doggie in the window?  The one with the wagglely tail.
How much is that doggie in the window?  I do hope that doggie’s for sale.

Hush Little Baby
Hush little baby don’t way a word.
Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama’s gonna buy you a lookin’ glass.
And if that lookin’ glass gets broke,
Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat won’t pull,
Mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Mama’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won’t bark,
Mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

If You’re Happy and You Know It
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
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.
            Other verses:      open your mouth
                                       close your eyes
                                       smile at me
                                       touch your nose
                                       move your foot
                                       touch your mouth
                                       pull your ear
                                       tickle your chin
                                       touch your cheeks
                                       pat your head
                                       stamp your feet
                                       slap your legs
                                       turn around
                                       jump around
            Sing the song and pattern your child through the motions.  Use a mirror so he/she can see what you are doing.  Repeat the song and use child’s hand to touch the body parts on you.  Add more verses to personalize it for your child.

In the Jungle
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
Wee-ee-ee-ee-wee-um-bum-bum-buh-way.   Wee-ee-ee-ee-wee-um-bum-bum-buh-way. 
            Try challenging the person/place/action and your child act it out.  The “ee” is great vocal stimulation for smaller children as well.  This song also has a good rhythm for swaying back and forth.  Make up your own words with your child’s name in the song and include your own descriptive lyrics.

It’s a Small World
It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears; it’s a world of hopes and a world of fears.
There’s so much that we share that it’s time we’re aware, It’s a small world after all.
Chorus:  It’s a small world after all, It’s a small world after all.
            It’s a small world after all, It’s a small, small world.
There is just one moon and one golden sun and a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it’s a small world after all.

Itsy, Bitsy Spider
The itsy, bitsy spider went up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out,
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
So the itsy, bitsy spider went up the spout again.
            Perform actions with the song to target motor development skills.

Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
Everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went.
Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.

Mickey Mouse March
Mickey Mouse Club!  Mickey Mouse Club!
Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me?
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.
Hey, there!  Hi, there!  Ho, there!  You’re as welcome as can be!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.
Mickey Mouse!  Mickey Mouse!
Forever let us hold our banner high!
Come along and sing the song and join our jamboree!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.
            Substitute your child’s name for Mickey Mouse.

The More We Get Together
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.
‘Cause your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends,
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

 

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