Action Songs

Alice the Camel
(source: "The Worm Song and Other Tasty Tunes", Janet Wilson, 1993.)

Alice the camel has five humps

Alice the camel has five humps

Alice the camel has five humps

So go Alice go! Boom boom boom

...repeat counting down until...

Alice the camel has no humps

Alice the camel has no humps

Alice the camel has no humps

Because Alice is a horse!

Actions: Everyone puts their arms around the shoulders of their neighbors. At each line, when you get to the number of humps, everyone bends their knees together. At "boom boom boom", everyone bumps bums with their neighbors!

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A Ram Sam Sam
(source: "Girl Guide Songbook, Vol. 1", Girl Guides Association, 1984.)

A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam

Gooli gooli gooli gooli gooli ram sam sam

A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam

Gooli gooli gooli gooli gooli ram sam sam

A rafi a rafi

Gooli gooli gooli gooli gooli ram sam sam

A rafi a rafi

gooli gooli gooli gooli gooli ram sam sam

Actions:

Ram sam sam: prop yourself up and bounce your backside on the floor three times

Gooli gooli...: drum your feet on the floor

A rafi: wave arms in the air

Repeat the song a number of times, getting faster and faster. Or alternatively, the song can be sung in a four-part round!

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The Milk Song

Chorus:

Don't give me no pop, no pop

Don't give me no tea, no tea

Just give me that milk,

Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo

Wisconsin Milk,

Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo

Give me a long M (Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

Give me a short M (Mm)

Give me a long I (Iiiiiiiiiiii)

Give me a short I (Ii)

Give me a long L (Llllllllll)

Give me a short L (Lll)

Give me a long K (Kkkkkkkkkkkkk)

Give me a short K (Kk)

Give me a long Milk (MMMmmmmmIIIIIiiiiiiLLLLLLlllllKKKKKkkkkkk)

Give me a short Milk (Milk)

Actions: When you do the "Moo, moo..." thing (say it fast), lace your fingers together, leaving you thumbs hanging out. Turn your hands upside down so your thumbs dangle down like udders. The first "moo, moo..." have your friend pull on your thumbs like he/she is milking a cow. (the cow is your hands) The second "moo, moo..." do this to your friend.

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My Aunt Grete
(source: "Musical Fun With The Brownie Pack", Girl Guides Association, 1986; also in "Jubilee Songbook", Girl Guides of Canada, 1971.)

My Aunt Grete, veeda veeda vete, has a puss, veeda veeda vusee,

And that puss, veeda veeda vuss, has a tail . . .

And that tail, veeda veeda vail, has a curl veeda veeda vurl,

And that curl veeda veeda vurl has a tip, comma . . .

And that tip, veeda veeda vip, has a curl, veeda veeda vurl

And that curl, veeda veeda vurl, has a tail . . .

And that tail, veeda veeda vail, has a puss veeda veeda vuss,

And that puss, veeda veeda vuss has my aunt!

Actions:

Aunt Grete: outline a large woman

Puss: outline a cat's face with whiskers

Tail: sweep one arm up, as if tracing a tail

Curl: draw a curl in the air

Tip: point to an invisible spot

Comma: draw a comma in the air

Repeat the song a number of times, getting faster as you go!

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Peanut Butter

Chorus:

Peanut, peanut butter, jelly!

Peanut, peanut butter, jelly!

First you take the peanuts and you pick 'em, you pick 'em,

You pick 'em, pick 'em, pick 'em

Then you crush 'em, crush 'em,

You crush 'em, crush 'em, crush 'em

Then you spread 'em, spread 'em,

You spread 'em, spread 'em, spread 'em...

Then you take the berries and you pick 'em, you pick 'em,

You pick 'em, pick 'em, pick 'em

Then you crush 'em, crush 'em,

You crush 'em, crush 'em, crush 'em

Then you spread 'em, spread 'em,

You spread 'em, spread 'em, spread 'em...

Actions:

Pick: pretend to pick berries

Crush: squish something between your hands

Spread: use one hand to spread pb/jam over other hand

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Pirate Ship
(actions in brackets)

When I was one (hold up one finger) I sucked my thumb (suck your thumb)

The day I went to sea, (make waves with a hand)

I climbed aboard a pirate ship (climb an invisible ladder)

And the Captain (salute) said to me,

"We're going north, (stomp foot in front of you)

South, (stomp foot behind you)

East, (stomp foot to the left)

West, (stomp foot to the right)

And up the Irish sea, (two hands beside each other, palms facing out, make an "up" motion towards your head)

A bottle of rum (drink from a bottle) to fill my tum (rub your belly)

And that's the life for me!"

When I was two (hold up two fingers) I tied my shoe (tie your shoe)

The day I went to sea, (make waves with a hand)

I climbed aboard a pirate ship (climb an invisible ladder)

And the Captain (salute) said to me,

"We're going north, (stomp foot in front of you)

South, (stomp foot behind you)

East, (stomp foot to the left)

West, (stomp foot to the right)

And up the Irish sea, (two hands beside each other, palms facing out, make an "up" motion towards your head)

A bottle of rum (drink from a bottle) to fill my tum (rub your belly)

And that's the life for me!"

Other Verses:

Three: scraped my knee (brush your knee)

Four: shut the door (shut an imaginary door)

Five: did the jive (do a little dance)

Six: picked up sticks (pick up sticks)

Seven: went to heaven (point upward, act 'angelic')

Eight: closed the gate (close an imaginary gate)

Nine: stood in line (look impatient)

Ten: did it again (look exasperated)

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Strut Miss Lucy

The girls line up in two lines facing each other. Everyone takes turns "strutting" between the two lines while the group sings the song and claps their hands. The girl strutting down the line acts as silly as she wants to.

Strut Miss Lucy, strut Miss Lucy,

Strut Miss Lucy, all the way home.

Here comes another one, just like the other one,

Strut Miss Lucy, all the way home.

 

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Boy and a Girl

 

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe

With the moon shinin' all around

And they paddled and they paddled so

You couldn't even hear a sound

And they talked and they talked till the moon grew dim

He said you better kiss me or get out and swim

So, whatcha gonna do in a little canoe

With the moon shinin' all around

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe

With the moon shinin' all around

And they paddled and they paddled so

You couldn't even hear a sound

And they talked and they talked

Till the moon grew dim

He said you better kiss me or get out and swim

So, whatcha gonna do in a little canoe

With the moon shinin' all a-

Boys swimmin' all a-

Girls paddling all a round

Get out and swim!

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Running Bare

 

Oh Running Bare loves Little White Dove

With the love as big as the sky

Oh Running Bare loves Little White Dove

With the love that could not die

 

On-a-one side of the river stood Running Bare, Indian brave

On the other side of the river stood a lovely Indian maid

Little White Dove was her name

But their tribes fought with each other

So their love could never be

 

Oh Running Bare loves little White Dove

With the love as big as the sky

Oh Running Bare loves little White Dove

With the love that could not die

 

Running Bare jumped in the water

Little White Dove did the same

First their eyes met, then their lips touched

Then the swirling waters pulled them down

Now they’ll always be together

In the happy hunting ground

 

Oh Running Bare loves little White Dove

With the love as big as the sky

Oh Running Bare loves little White Dove

With the love that could not die

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The Buzzard Song

 

Three short neck buzzards, three short neck buzzards

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has flown away, what a shame…rats

 

Two short neck buzzards, two short neck buzzards

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has flown away, what a shame…rats

 

One short neck buzzard, one short neck buzzard

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has flown away, what a shame…rats

 

No short neck buzzards, no short neck buzzards

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has returned, let us rejoice…yay

 

One short neck buzzard, One short neck buzzard

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has returned, let us rejoice…yay

 

Two short neck buzzards, two short neck buzzards

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has returned, let us rejoice…yay

 

Three short neck buzzards, three short neck buzzards

Sitting on a dead tree, sitting on a dead tree

Oh look, one has flown away what a shame…rats

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The Hippo Song

 

What can make a hippopotamus smile?

What can make him walk for more than a mile?

It’s not a tune on the old violin,

Or listening to the whistling wind.

That’s not what hippos do

They-

Ooze in the gooze without any shoes

They wade in the water till their lips turn blue

That’s what hippos do.

 

What can make a hippopotamus smile?

What can make him walk for more than a mile?

It’s not a party with a paper hat

Or cake and candy that’ll make him fat.

That’s not what hippos do

They-

Ooze in the gooze without any shoes

They wade in the water till their lips turn blue

That’s what hippos do.

That’s what makes a hippopotamus-

That’s what makes a hippopotamus-

That’s what makes a hippopotamus-

Smile!

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The Buffalo Song

 

Way out on the wind swept desert

Where nature knows no bounds

A buffalo spied his brother

A lyin’ in the sand

Said the buffalo to his brother,

“What makes you lie that way?”

But the buffalo did not answer

Since he’s been dead

Since way last May (since way last May)

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Girl Scout Went to Camp

 

Once a girl scout went to camp,

Went to camp,

Went to camp without her lamp,

Without her lamp

When she saw a spider in her bed

This is what the girl scout said,

Girl scout said

“No two bodies in one bed,

that is what my leader said,

leader said.”

 

Once a boy scout went to camp,

Went to camp,

Went to camp without his lamp,

Without his lamp.

When he saw a spider in his bed

This is what the boy scout said,

Boy scout said,

“AAAH!” (scream)

 

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Baby Shark

 

Baby shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Baby shark

(repeat 3 times)

 

Momma shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Momma shark

 

Daddy shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Daddy shark

 

Grandma shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandma shark

 

Grandpa shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandpa shark

 

Lady swimming

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Lady swimming

 

Sharks are hungry

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Sharks are hungry

 

Shark attack

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Shark attack

 

Call 9-1-1

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Call 9-1-1

 

Went to heaven

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Went to heaven

 

Came back as a….

Baby shark

Do-do-do-do-do-do

Baby shark

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The Bog Song
 

Chorus:

Hey ho the valley-o

Bog down in the valley

A rare bog, a rattlin bog

A bog down in the valley

 

And on this bog, there was a tree

A rare tree, a rattlin tree

A tree on the bog and the bog down in the valley-o

 

Chorus

 

And on this tree there was a branch

A rare branch, a rattlin branch

A branch on the tree, a tree on the bog and the bog down in the vally-o

 

Chorus

...add on twig, nest, bird, wing, feather, flea, elephant!

Actions:

Ground: move both arms out from the body horizontally (i.e. as a movie director would when saying "cut!")

Tree: two hands trace parallel lines starting at the level of your head and heading downwards

Branch: hold one arm out as a branch

Twig: hold up your pinkie finger

Nest: cup your hands

Bird: one hand pointed forward at your face as a beak, the other sticking out behind as a tail

Wing: flap one arm

Feather: trace the path a feather would take as it falls through the air

Flea: indicate something really small

Elephant: trace the outline of something really big!

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