Kindergarten Music: Frere Jacques Tunes

Swinging in France (photo credit: Dena Davis)

There are many popular songs you can teach the children, singing to the tune of 'Frere Jacques.'
With just one chord, here are some songs for school and play time that I have used.

I Am Swinging

C
I am swinging, I am swinging,
Up so high, up so high.
First I swing forward,
Then I swing backward.
touch the sky, touch the sky.

Hello

C
Hello Shelly, hello Shelly.
How are you? How are you?
We're so glad to have you,
We're so glad to have you.
Here at school, here at school.

(Substitute the name of one of your children for the name Shelley, and the name of your group for the word school.)

Glad to See You

Teacher:

C
I'm Ms. Baker, I'm Ms. Baker
That's my name, that's my name.
Glad to see you here,
Glad to see you here.
What's your name? What's your name?

Child:

C
I am Bobby, I am Bobby.
That's my name, that's my name.
I am glad to be here,
I am glad to be here,
At school today, at school today.

(Substitute your name and the name of one of your children for the names Ms. Baker and Bobby.)

What Is Your Name?

C
What is your name? What is your name?
Tell us please, tell us please.
We would like to meet you,
We would like to meet you.
What's your name? What's your name?

Hello, New Friend

C
My name is Ben, my name is Ben.
(Child points to self as the group sings his name.)
What is yours? What is yours?
(Child points to another child, that child says his or her name.)

How are you today, Sue?
Very well, I thank you.
Hello, new friend; hello, new friend.

(Substitute the names of your children for the names Ben and Sue.)

Waiting For the Bus

C
I am waiting, I am waiting,
For the bus, for the bus.
When will it get here?
Hopefully it is near.
Here it comes, here it comes.

How Are You This Morning?

C
Good morning, good morning.
How are you? How are you?
It sure is good to see you,
It sure is good to see you,
We'll have fun, we'll have fun.

Are You Ready?

C
Are you ready? Are you ready? (Clap)
Please sit down, please sit down. (Sit down.)
Time to quiet down now, time to quiet down now, (Put finger on lips)
Hands on laps, hands on laps. (PLace hands on lap.)

I'm Getting Very Hungry

C
Time for lunch, time for lunch,
Let's get ready, let's get ready.
I'm getting very hungry,
I'm getting very hungry.
How 'bout you? How 'bout you?

C
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
Before we eat, before we eat.
We should have clean hands,
We should have clean hands. When we eat, when we eat.

It Is Naptime

C
It is naptime, it is naptime,
Come along, come along,
Go and get your mat now,
Time to take a nap now.
Let's all rest, let's all rest.

Everyone's a Helper

C
Time for cleanup, time for cleanup
Everyone, everyone.
We all work together,
We all work together.
Cleanup time, cleanup time.

Pick up the toys, pick up the toys
Put them away, put them away.
Everyone's a helper,
Everyone's a helper.
Thank you Zak, thank you Anne.

(Substitute the names of your children for the names Zak and Anne.)

Yellow Balloons

C
Yellow balloons, yellow balloons,
Floating up, floating up.
Never let them touch the ground,
Never let them touch the ground.
Keep them up, keep them up.

(Have the children pretend to keep balloons up in the air as you sing the song. Sing the song as many times as desired, letting the children suggest other balloon colors.)

Be sure and check out, Pretty-balloons-kindergarten-song

Shapes

C
This is a square, this is a square,
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It has four sides,
All the same size.
It's a square, it's a square.

C
This is a circle, this is a circle
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It goes round and round,
No end can be found.
It's a circle, it's a circle.

Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

C
Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday
All day long, all day long.
Yesterday was Sunday,
Tomorrow will be Tuesday.
Oh, what fun; oh, what fun.

(Substitute the names of the appropriate days for the words Monday, Sunday and Tuesday.)

Look Out The Window

C
What's the weather, what's the weather,
On this Monday, on this Monday?
Let's look out the window,
Let's look out the window.
It is sunny, it is sunny.

(Substitute the name of the appropriate day of the week and the type of weather for the ones in the song.)

You'll want to visit, kindergarten-music-each-of-us-is-a-flower

Rain On My Umbrella

C
Drip drip, drop, drop
Drip drip, drop, drop,
Drip, drip, drop.
Rain on my umbrella,
Rain on my umbrella,
Never stops.
Drip, drip, drop.

Summer Fun

C
It is summer, it is summer,
Lots of fun, lots of fun.
Swimming, picnics, playing,
Swimming, picnics, playing.
I'll have fun, I'll have fun.

School Time

C
What time's school time?
What time's school time?
On the clock, on the clock.
Show us when it's school time.
On the clock, on the clock.

(Set out a play clock and have the children take turns showing you the time.)

Additional verses: What time's snack time? What time's lunchtime? What time's rest time? What time's playtime? etc.

Happy Summer!








 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis
© copyright 2008-2015 – All rights reserved
Barefoot Books-LadyD

Magic School Bus

Coloring Pages

Our elementary school district no longer provides bus transportation. That's o.k. because my grandson doesn't mind walking. It was a very successful first week of school, although I heard my grandson say that he missed his mommy and baby brother. It's a big transition and huge change to get used to. Of course, weekends are a very nice change in the schedule for everyone. How was it for you? Do you recall any memories of letting go as a mother and watching your kids board the bus? I cried, waving goodbye to my children, so very long ago.

Times are so different now. I remember walking one mile to school each way. I lived in the country, so it was a relaxing stroll but my Dad walked through the snow, of course living on the east coast. What were your school days like? Later on I rode the bus to high school and  I've taken a shuttle bus to the fair once.

One of my favorite illustrators is Elizabeth Dulemba and she provides many coloring pages on her site. If you have the time, you might want to check it out. She's a great author and I was so happy to win one of her children's book awhile ago. Anyways, I had fun photo editing the school buses for Mandarin Orange Monday and Blue Monday, adding "shine," "multiply color" and "texture."

Here's the original:

4 Songs: Lyrics and Chords

As a former kindergarten music teacher, I'm remembering these school bus songs.

1. Down At the Bus Stop
Sung to: Down By the Station

C
Down at the bus stop
G                 C
Early in the morning

See all the children,
G                   C
Everyone we know.

Waiting for the school bus
G                    C
Safely on the sidewalk,

Honk-honk, beep-beep,
G          C
Off we go.
(Credit: Judy Hall)

Granddaughter on YouTube, performing at 2 years old last Christmas! :=)

2. The Children On The Bus
Sung to: The Wheels On the Bus

F
The children on the bus sit nice and quiet,
C                       F
Nice and quiet, nice and quiet.

The children on the bus sit nice and quiet
C                        F
When we take a ride.

F
The children on the bus look out the window,
C                         F
Out the window, out the window.

The children on the bus look out the window
C                        F
When we take a ride.

F
The children on the bus stay in their seats,
C                   F
In their seats, in their seats.

The children on the bus stay in their seats
C                        F
When we take a ride.
(Credit: Cindy Dingwall)

3. To Our School
Sung to: Over the River and Through the Woods

C
Over the bridges and through the streets
     F          G7          C
It's to our school we go.
F                                 C
The drivers know the way to go
             G7                        C
As they drive us safe and slow.
C
Over the bridges and through the streets
    F            G7          C
In rain and sleet and snow.
          F                               G
They drive with care, they get us there
      G7                         C
As over the streets we go.
(Credit: Judy Hall)

4. Early Morning Schoolyard
Sung to: Down By the Station

C
Down by the schoolyard
G                C
Early in the morning,

See the yellow buses
G                   C
Lining up so well.

Dropping off the children
G                    C
Going to their classrooms,

Bong-bong, ding-dong,
G                C
There's the bell.
(Credit: Judy Hall)

Grandchildren walking to the local school  playing along the wall.

All the best,





“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis