Songs with Actions

Combining music with movement helps preschoolers learn how to follow direction, increases their vocabulary, helps them interact with others, and improves their motor control, balance and coordination.

Here are the lyrics to some more classic songs with movement.

Sleeping Bunnies

See the little bunnies sleeping till it's nearly noon

Come and let us gently wake them with a happy tune

Oh, so still? Are they ill?

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop

Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

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!

Repeat the verse with other body parts, such as left hand, right elbow, left elbow, right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, head...ending with your whole self).

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

And you really want to show it

If you're happy and you know it

Clap your hands

Repeat with different movements, gestures or sounds (such as, stomp your feet, say hurray, touch your nose, etc.)

By Rochelle Strauss