to be irritated by people's inability to sing a decent version of sleeping bunnies?

[ajamore]

This is standard fare at the toddler groups I have been going to for some years now. It seems to me that the success of this song is the gentle "ssshhhh! shushes while the little ones are lying on the floor, followed by (and I believe this is an absolute ESSENTIAL element) the suspenseful "ohhhhh" (getting louder and louder) that then erupts into an enthusiastic clambering upright of the children and a jolly "hop little bunnies, hop hop hop etc.."

So,

"See the sleeping bunnies sleeping till it's nearly noon, come and let us wake them gently with our merry tune"

Oh how still: Ssshhhhh, Shhhhhh (finger to lips action by all mothers/fathers/nannies/childminders etc.)

Are they ill? (always find that bit a bit disturbing to be honest): Shhhh Shhhhh

Wake up soon, Wake up soon

BIT OF A PAUSE then a very slowly building Ohhhhhhhhh and then,

Hop little bunnies hop hop hop; Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop; Hop little bunnies hop hop hop; Hop then stop.

I am fed up of being at groups where it is all rushed and there are no shushes after the "oh how still, are they ill" bits but then there are a few uncoordinated shushes after the "wake up soon, wake up soon" bit if you're lucky. There are awkward glances from all the mothers/fathers/nannies/childminders etc. with this misappropriation of the shushing part because everbody is looking to someone else to come in with the "Hop little bunnies, hop hop hop" and the children are confused too. The shushes have their place in this song but NOT in this bit!!

I would like to know what the Mumsnet consensus is on this VERY important issue.

Thank you.

[FaintlyMacabre]

Our ducks now swim over the pond since DH heard me singing to DS. 'Swam? Over the hill??!!' I have also instigated this change at toddler group.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I believe in the US they sing, over the pond and far away faintly!

I'm lucky enough not to be required to attend toddler singing very often anymore

[stealthsquiggle]

pranma - it's 'went swimming one day'

(and I agree about the pond)

Interestingly since all her group singing is done without me (at nursery) DD doesn't want/allow me to join in - so I get treated to her very own interpretation of wind the bobbin up, once I caught a fish alive, dingle dangle scarecrow - and Mamma Mia!

[mooki]

My bunnies version is an amalgam of the others:

See the little bunnies sleeping 'til it's nearly noon

Shall we try and wake them with a merry tune?

Oh so still
shhhhh

Are they ill?
shhhhh

WAKE UP LITTLE BUNNIES

Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
hop little bunnies hop do not stop

Can also add to the rowing...
gently up the creek
little mouse, don't forget to squeak

And I'm with FaintlyMacabre on the Ducks swimming over the pond.

[GiantJenga]

While we're comparing notes, anyone know a version of Five Little Speckled Frogs that actually scans at the end?

[ajamore]

I Give up!! It's a lost cause I can see

BalloonSlayer - as far as Ring a ring a roses goes, the fishes in the water bit is rather annoying because it was Ashes in the Water wasn't it? All a bit macabre so I can understand to a degree!

I've only another year of toddler groups to go so I fear this campaign will run out of steam.

Maybe I should perform my "perfect" version and post it up on YouTube. I'd have to hide my identity and the identity of my child with a mask though and I can't see the father of the aforementioned child consenting to filming this for me - drat!

[TALLULAHBELLEOFTHEBALLROOM]

LOL - haven't read all the thread but can anyone help me out here? Do frogs go tra-la-la-la-la or la-di-da-di-da or sha -la la -la la or even as I have now heard sho-be-do-be-do? I never know which way to jump!

[BagAndShoeLady]

You are welcome Stigaloid.

[BagAndShoeLady]

Tallulah - Definately la-di-da-di-da!!

[CokeFan]

Don't forget to ...

row row row your boat gently to the dock.
If you see an aardvark there, don't go into shock!

I hadn't heard the octopus one before.

Do ducks actually swim? or do they paddle? I suppose they could swim/paddle down or up a hill if there was a stream.

I can't stand the Dingle Dangle Scarecrow version we do - he "shouts out very loud" and "whispers very soft" instead of loudly or softly (which wouldn't scan). V bad grammar I always think!

Our sleeping bunnies version is an amalgam of what other people have said (and we do different versions at toddler group and signing). DD's only just 1 though, so she hasn't expressed a preference yet.

[FlamingoDuBeke]

Five little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log, eating some most delicious bugs - yum yum!

One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool, then there were just four little frogs - glub glub.

Which bit doesn't scan, Jenga?

Oh, and our solution to the problem is not to go to toddler groups, but to watch videos of the very early Fun Song Factory shows, which are great fun

I actually like the dingle dangle scarecrow - sounds nice. And Peter Rabbit, but I keep wanting to sing 'He jumped from 50,000 feet...' instead.

I taught it to everyone at the HE camp in the summer and the children were in absolute fits of giggles - would be great to do at a toddler group, wouldn't it?

[BagAndShoeLady]

up jumped the scarecrow and shouted very loud etc past tense easy, we sure know how to confuse our LOs x

[Smithagain]

I run a toddler group. The "shhhhhhhhh" is my favourite bit of the whole morning. I can make them lie for aaaaaaaaaages if I'm really on the ball.

Sometimes I just tiptoe away instead of waking them up .

But we do now have a pedantic little brat angel who argues with me every week about whether it should be "wake up now" or "wake up soon" .

[juneybean]

See the little bunnies sleeping 'til it's nearly noon
Shall we go and wake them with a merry tune
Oh how still
Are they ill?
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
clap
Wake up soon!

Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies through the clover
Hop 'til the day is nearly over
Hop and...............STOP!

That's our version

[BagAndShoeLady]

Flamingo wrong frog song lol Jenga is talking about the little green frog -

Mmm shut eyes mmm Stick tongue out and open eyes on second mmm went the little green frog one day
Mmm mmm went the little green frog
Mmm mmm went the little green frog one day
And they all went mmm mmm ahhh!!
We all know frogs go ladedadeda
ladedadeda ladedadeda
We all know frogs go ladedadeda
ladedadeda ladedadeda
They don't go mmm shut eyes mmm Stick tongue out and open eyes ahh.

for being soooooooo sad but these things have to be just so and that includes shhhhhhhhhhhhh in the right place for the little bunnies sleeping!!!

[BagAndShoeLady]

Mmm (shut eyes) mmm (stick tongue out and open eyes) etc oh you know what I mean xx

[IwoulddoDrWho]

Sorry but I dont know the lions and polar bear one.

[Boco]

We used to sing
See the little bunnies sleeping til it's nearly noon
Shall we go and wake them, with this wooden spoon?

They're so still.
Are they ill?

shhhhhhhhh

WAKE UP BUNNIES!

Hop little bunnies etc etc etc.

I appreciate that the wooden spoon bit is not traditional but it just stuck.

[MarkStretch]

I have never heard of this song in my life.

[FlamingoDuBeke]

No, bagandshoelady, Jenga said 'five little speckled frogs' - have a look!

[Boco]

That's because you've never been to a toddler group Mark, you were too busy down that barn fighting club outside Watton.

[MarkStretch]

Actually Boco, DD has got a black eye at the moment. It looks well cool.

[tethersend]

Personally, any version is OK with me, as long as it's in tune.

The leader of my local Rhymetime has a voice like a fork on a plate. She sucks the joy out of hopping, jumping, sleeping or any other song-related action, bunnies, rowing boats, whatever. Everything is sung in a low growl.

I lose the will to live somewhere between 'The hello song' and '5 little ducks'.

Seems an odd career choice for her.

[bamboostalks]

Can I add another one to 'Row row row your boat.' It's my favourite.

'Row, row, row your boat gently down the Homber,
If you see a Brazilian man, don't forget to Rumba.'

[bamboostalks]

Humber