People often write me looking for songs about the four seasons, from around the world. Here are some! The links below take you to the different pages on Mama Lisa’s World of International Childrens Songs. There, you’ll find the lyrics in the original languages, with English translations.
My neighbor Jennifer had a party for her six year old daughter yesterday. The birthday girl wanted a Bambi theme, which presented a problem. Bambi party supplies are hard find since the original movie is so old (1942). But Jennifer’s daughter loves Bambi!
Being artistic, Jennifer created signs on foam board of the animals in the movies. She drew the animals and glued them onto the foam board. Then she cut out the figures and attached each one to a stick so she could stand them up in the ground outside. They lasted well throughout the day – so she’ll be able to remove the sticks and hang them in her daughter’s room as a wall decoration!
Jennifer also used her creativity to make cool t-shirts for party favors. She used iron-on transfers of Bambi and put them on turquoise shirts and surrounded them with pink gems. They look very pretty.
If you’re having a themed party with a subject that’s out-of-date you’ll need to use your imagination a little more, but Jennifer shows that it can be done!
-Mama Lisa
PS Feel free to let us know about any of your party ideas or tips in the comments below.
Kids Love to decorate cookies and cupcakes – I’ve used this as an event at two of my daughter’s birthday parties. When she turned two I had the kids decorate their own cupcakes to eat. This year she turned 7 and the girls at her party decorated cookies as one of the activities.
I made round sugar cookies in advance – two per girl. (If you want to cut down on your work you can buy the pre-made sugar cookie dough in the dairy section of the supermarket.) Then we prepared white icing. We made three pretty pastel colors for them to use – pink, lavender and yellow. (If it’s for a boy’s party I would make more boyish colors.)
Then I had fun toppings available for the kids to use: sprinkles, crystal sugar, M & M’s and chocolate chips.
The activity took about 15 – 20 minutes. We wrapped up the cookies on plates for the kids to take home.
The kids had a ball!
(This doesn’t have to be just for parties or holidays – you can do this on a rainy day just for fun.)
In my last post, I explained how I made a number seven cake for my daughter’s birthday. I also made a flower cake. This is even easier to make!
What you’ll need:
One box of cake mix
White Icing
Food Coloring
Chocolate Chips
Large Platter (Preferably Round)
All you have to do is make one 8” round layer cake and 12 cupcakes. You should be able to do this with one box of cake mix (at least in the US). Then you ice the cake. If you want it to look like a typical flower, you can use yellow icing on the round cake. You can do this by mixing a little yellow food coloring into white vanilla icing.
Then you can make the cupcakes have a different color icing for the petals of your flower. Mix another color food coloring with the white icing and spread it on the cupcakes. I made them pink by using a couple of drops of neon red food coloring. Then arrange the cupcakes around the round cake on a large round platter.
Then you can put the chocolate chips around the yellow icing on the cake to look like seeds.
That’s all you need to do to make a pretty flower cake!
It’s time for my daughter’s birthday. She’s turning 7 and she wanted a number 7 cake. It turned out to be pretty easy to make. You can choose any kind of cake you’d like to make. Prepare it as you would normally but bake it in a 9×13 inch rectangular cake pan. After it’s cooled off, place it on a large tray or cookie sheet. If you’re making a Seven Cake – cut out the seven as I did below.
1) First cut out a triangle on the left…
2) Then cut off the bottom right corner of the cake…
3) Then remove the bottom corner (you can put icing on it separately if you’d like)...
4) Put the icing on the cake…
5) If desired, you can decorate the cake (or let your kids decorate it like I did)...
Then you have a finished cake!
You can use different shaped pans depending upon what number you’d like to make. If you’d like, you can draw a template of the number using the backs of your pans and paper. Cut out the number on paper first then cut it out of the cake using the template you made.
Have lots of icing on hand – you’ll need more then usual, since it’s harder to ice cut cake. You might need to put thicker layers of icing to cover the cut portions neatly.
Peter wrote to me this question that I had to share with you in case anyone else was wondering…
I know its unfair but the “Mama Lisa?? are you really a grey-haired, hair tucked up in a bun, twinkly spectacles on nose, sitting in rocking chair on the porch, knitting mufflers and baking apple pies at the same time sort of person?
Yours respectfully (if you are) admiringly (if you’re not!)
P.Hennessy.
Here’s my reply…
Since I turned 40 last year – it just so happens that a couple months later I had to get spectacles – though I call them corrective lenses… Truthfully, my hair would be peppered with gray, but… these days there are things one can do about that. I don’t often wear it up in a bun – only on hot summer days. I haven’t used a rocking chair since my daughter was a baby (she’s about to turn seven). Can’t knit – only crochet. I confess I do occasionally bake apple pies in the autumn. So I’m a sort of younger mama – not exactly an old mother goose!
This time, I’d like to discuss another genre of lap rhymes called Horse Trotting Rhymes.
Horse Trotting Rhymes are usually done with older kids. You wouldn’t want to play these babies since you don’t want to jiggle their heads.
When singing these songs you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees as if they’re riding a horse. Older kids love these rhymes.
Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross is one of the best-known English Horse Trotting Rhymes...
Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross
Ride a cock-horse* to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
And she shall have music wherever she goes.
*A cock-horse is anything a kid rides on and pretends is a horse (i.e. someone’s lap, a rocking horse or a wooden stick with a wooden horses head).
Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston is another well-known Horse Trotting Rhyme. Below I’ve listed some of the variations of the rhyme…
Trot, Trot, Trot to Boston
Trot, trot, trot to Boston (Gently bounce the child on your knees)
Trot, trot, trot to Lynn. (Gently bounce again)
Watch out Little One/Girl/Boy/or kids’ name (Gently bounce knees again)
Or you’ll fall in/You’re going to fall in!/or Cause you might fall in! (Open knees/Gently bring child down between knees and then lift back up)
Variation:
Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Maine
Trot, trot
And home, home again.
Or:
Trot, trot, to Boston;
Trot, trot, to Lynn;
Trot, trot, to Salem;
Home, home again.
When singing this next song you move your legs up and down with the child on your knees. With each verse you move your legs a little higher…
This Is the Way the Ladies Ride
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tree,
Tri, tre, tre, tree!
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hoy,
Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hobbledy-hoy!
Here’s a similar one…
Here Goes My Lord
Here goes my lord
A trot, a trot, a trot, a trot,
Here goes my lady
A canter, a canter, a canter, a canter!
Here goes my young master
Jockey-hitch*, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch, jockey-hitch!
Here goes my young miss
An amble, an amble, an amble, an amble!
The footman lags behind to tipple** ale and wine,
And goes gallop, a gallop, a gallop, to make up his time.
*To jockey is to ride a horse like in a race as if you’re a jockey. To hitch is to raise with a jerk. So I believe jockey-hitch describes riding a horse quickly, yet, fitfully up and down.
**To drink
Here’s one more…
Little Shon a Morgan
Little Shon a Morgan
Shentleman of Wales,
Came riding on a nanny-goat,
Selling of pigs’ tails.
Chicky, cuckoo, my little duck,
See-saw, sickna downy;
Gallop a trot, trot, trot,
And hey for Dublin a towny!
If you would like to share any more Horse Trotting Rhymes with us, feel free to tell us about them in the comments below.
The illustration comes from The National Nursery Book.
I received a letter from Hungary from Mrs. Török looking for English rhymes to play with children sitting on laps. She wrote that she’s looking for “British, American or Canadian short riddles or rhymes which we don’t have to sing but they can be played while the children are sitting on the mothers’ legs. These rhymes would be played with babies.”
This Little Piggy is probably the most well-known rhyme that people do with babies in the English speaking world.
This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy ate roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went…
“Wee wee wee wee wee”
All the way home…
As you say each line you wiggle each of the baby’s toes, starting with the big toe and wiggling each toe until you’ve done all five. On the last two lines you tickle the child up the leg – as if the “piggy” is running home.
Round and Round the Garden is especially popular in England…
Round and Round the Garden (also known as Teddy Bear)
Round and round the garden… (Run your index finger around child’s palm.)
Like a teddy bear.
One step, two step… (Walk your fingers up the child’s arm.)
Tickle you under there! (Tickle under armpit!)
Open, Shut Them is popular in the US…
Open, Shut Them
Open, shut them.
Open, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open, shut them
Open, shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin.
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in.
Open and close your hands when you sing “Open, shut them” and then follow the words to the song and make the corresponding hand movements while you sing. On “do not let them in” hide your hands behind your back.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is popular around the world. Children point to each body part as they are listed. Older kids usually point by themselves. On babies, you can help them touch each part with their hands…
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
This is a simple game where you say “How big is (Child’s name)?” Then in a high voice you answer, “So big!” while gently putting the baby’s arms up in the air.
Little kids love that one.
Here’s one to recite while gentle tapping the bottom of the baby’s feet…
Shoe a Little Horse
Shoe a little horse,
Shoe a little mare,
But let the little colt go
Bare, bare, bare.
Here’s one to say while gently touching the different parts of the baby’s face…
With the above rhyme you can touch the baby’s hand to your face while you wiggle your brows, wink your eyes, move your jaw up and down, wriggle your nose, blow out your cheeks and smile.
While saying the following rhyme you can help the child make the associated motions…
Two Little Hands Go Clap, Clap, Clap
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap,
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap,
Two little legs kick high, high, high,
Two little lips go kiss, kiss, kiss,
Two little arms go hug, hug, hug,
Two little arms wave bye, bye, bye.
If anyone would like to add any lap rhymes in the comments below, we’d love to learn more!
Jennie sent me some Moroccan lullabies and songs today with this note…
Dear Mama Lisa!
I came across your website today after doing a Google search looking for children’s songs and lullabies from Morocco… Recently I just moved to Morocco, with my baby, and was interested in learning some songs.
I have picked up a few songs while I was here, and thought that I would share them with you. Unfortunately, I am not able to type in Arabic, so I will do my best transliteration. I hope you are able to use them! They are all sung in Morocco, although they may not all be from true Moroccan origin because of all the different cultural influences present in the country, as I know lots of Egyptian and French songs are popular here. Thank you and enjoy!
This one is a children’s song, the added (a) sound at the very end is if a girl sings since it is a language that uses different forms of words for different genders, without the (a) at the end is for boys.
Arso mo baba
Arso mo mama
bil alwan, bil alwan
Arso mo alami
Foq alqemami
Ana fanan(a)
I draw my father
I draw my mother
With all the colors, with all the colors
I draw a flag
Up on the cliff
I am an artist.
This song is a lullaby, and as far as I know is repeated over and over until the little one sleeps…
Endi baba wa endi mama
doma miyo
h’tah fil nom
I have my father, and I have my mother
Always with me
Even in sleep.
This one is a children’s song that makes use of animal sounds, so the mool is like a cow, the ma and ba’s are like sheep and goats, and the mia is like a cat, it is cute and one of my favorites!
Mool dar
Ma-lo
ba-ha
ba-shahal
mia-mia
The owner of the house
What’s with him
The house is for sale
How much is it
Hundreds and hundreds.
Keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Jennie
If anyone can help with the original Arabic text of any of these songs, please email me. We’d also love to learn more about their origins. If you know anything about any of these songs, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks to Jennie for sharing these lovely lullabies!
Here’s a nice, simple hand clapping song that the kids in France do. The lyrics are spelled exactly the same in French and English, although they are pronounced differently.
In French, you can hear a play on the word “alphabet” and the sound of the letter “b”. This is because in French, the word “alphabet” ends with the “bay” sound and the letter “b” sounds like “bay”. You can hear this play on sounds in the recording below…
My daughter made these great treats at our local library.
It shows what a little imagination and some candy can do! You can adapt these ideas to any theme for a kids party, a unit in the classroom or just for fun at home.
Here’s a drawing my daughter did this year in first grade. The theme was to draw something that’s beautiful about Earth. My daughter’s answer: Flowers!
This drawing was for Earth Day. It’s a nice idea to have children to do a drawing inside a globe shape to celebrate the holiday.
Hello,
I can only remember part of a lullaby and would like to have access to the whole piece. I learned it years ago when I was a helper in my daughter’s class at school, but over the years have forgotten some of the words. It’s a beautiful soothing lullaby, and I would now like to sing it for my grandchildren.
I think it was Native American Indian.
The...
