"Alle meine Entchen" dates back to the 1800's. It's still a beloved children's song today.

Notes

Alternate Second Verse:

Alle meine Täubchen (All my doves)
Sitzen auf dem Dach, (Sitting on the roof)
Sitzen auf dem Dach; (Sitting on the roof)
fliegt eins in die Lüfte, (One flies in the air)
fliegen alle nach. (They all fly after.)

Here are some more verses:

Alle meine Entlein (All my ducklings)
Schwimmen über'm See (Swim across the lake)
Schwimmen über'm See (Swim across the lake)
's Köpferl unter'm Wasser, (Their little heads under the water)
Schwänzlein in der Höh'. (Their little tails up high.)

Alle meine Vögel (All my birds)
Fliegen hin und her (Fly back and forth)
Fliegen hin und her (Fly back and forth)
Fliegen auf und nieder (Fly up and down)
Und das freut sie sehr. (It makes them very happy.)

Alle meine Häslein (All my little hares/rabbits)
Sitzen in dem Klee (Sit in the clover)
Sitzen in dem Klee (Sit in the clover)
Schwänzchen in dem Rasen, (Their little tails in the grass)
Köpfchen in der Höh' (Their little heads up high.)

Alle meine Fröschlein (All my little frogs)
Hüpfen auf und ab (Bounce up and down)
Hüpfen auf und ab (Bounce up and down)
Schreien dabei recht lustig, (Yell very comically)
Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.

Alle meine Puppen, (All my dolls)
Susi und Mari (Suzy and Mary)
Susi und Mari (Suzy and Mary)
Schlafen in der Wiege, (Sleep in the cradle)
Bis ich wecke sie. (Till I wake them up.)

Alle meine Kinder (All my children)
Tanzen lustig heut' (Dance merrily today)
Tanzen lustig heut' (Dance merrily today)
Tanzen voller Freude (Dance full of joy)
In der Sommerzeit. (In the summertime.)

Game Instructions

Children can either stand still in a circle or go around in a circle. Then they mime the actions of each verse. For example, on the first verse:

Everyone goes around in a circle pretending to swim. On the last 2 lines of the 1st verse, everyone puts their hands on the floor and their tush up in the air and wiggles it.

Comments

Here's another translation - 1st verse by Intercom Translations, 2nd verse by Monique and Maguy:

All my ducklings
Are swimming on the lake,
Swimming on the lake,
Their little heads dip into the water,
Their little tails stick out.

All my little doves,
Settle on the roof,
Settle on the roof,
Clipper, clapper, clap, clap,
Fly over the roof.

*****
Here's an alternate translation of the 1st verse by Lisa in Australia:

All my ducklings
Swimming on the lake
Swimming on the lake
Heads in the water
Tails in the air (up high).

*****

Below you can find an Italian translation of this song. You can watch a video of the Italian version here.

Italian Translation:

Le mie paperelle fanno il bagnetto
Le mie paperelle fanno il bagnato
Stanno dentro l'acqua col codino un su
Stanno dentro l'acqua col codino un su

Le mie paperelle nuotano nel laghetto
Le mie paperelle nuotano nel laghetto
Giocano nell'acqua sempre sempre più
Giocano nell'acqua sempre sempre più

Dopo il gran giocare, ora hanno fame
Dopo il gran giocare, ora hanno fame
pescano e pescano nel laghetto blu
pescano e pescano nel laghetto blu

Tutti son contenti con la pancia piena
Tutti son contenti con la pancia piena
Uno dopo l'altro, tornano a casa
Uno dopo l'altro, tornano a casa

Le mie paperelle insieme cantano
Le mie paperelle insieme cantano
Ora sotto l'ombra si riposano
Ora sotto l'ombra si riposano

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

The very 1st translation at the top, above by Lisa Yannucci.

Many thanks to INTER-COM Translations for contributing and translating the first verse of this song with the 2nd translation, to Ulrike Bernhard for contributing the second verse, to Maguy Cabrol and Monique Palomares for the 2nd translation of the second verse, and to Monique Palomares for creating the midi music and for the extra verses with their translations. Many thanks to Lisa Stephan from the German Australian Playschool in Canberra, Australia for the picture and the alternate translation of the first verse.

Thanks to Cantece Gradinita for the Italian translation of "Alle mein Entchen".

Vielen Dank!