Songs that 4 - 7 year olds will enjoy

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Hello,
I am volunteering at my DD's school after half term. I;m a music teacher (11-18, mainly 6th form currently) and offered to play piano for their nativity...but found I am now leading a songs and percussion group once aweek from after half term till Xmas....

I'm fairly up for it... and have some ideas.... but I'd appreciate your input.

Are there any songs your little ones really love?
Any thing you've enjoyed at sure start type music groups?
thanks

Look on the sing up website - some lovely songs on there and you can download the sheet music as well as use their backing tracks.

My 4yo has joined the choir club at school. They are currently singing 'Alice the camel' and 'Dingle dangle scarecrow' if that helps.

nice one! Any more?

Brilliant, I had forgotten about sing up!
Teachers would like me to teach them how to play the percussion things 'properly' and maybe eventually do some recorder and keyboard..... have been dying to do kids stuff for ages... my 6th formers are obsesse with Glee and Cats....

down in the jungle
10 litttle monkeys swinging in the trees
10 little monkeys jumping on the bed
5 little peas
here is a bee hive, where are the bees
jelly on a plate
peel peel peel banana
coffee coffee
wind the bobbin up
can you do what i do
one potato two potato
all the bunnies sleeping
little rabbit foo foo

tumble tots cd has lots of good action songs too

All kids love a good percussion session. Even my toddler enjoys his music class where they have to play fast, slow, quiet, loud etc. with claves and shakers. Lots of movement will help too - stamping, creeping, waltzing, walking, running the rhythm with their feet.

If you know any role taking songs they go down well with this age group too.

Sticks up high and sticks down low
Skye boat song

i;ve written this as a 'getting ready to sing/focus' type song - to sing to frere jaques.

what so you think?

Time for singing, time for singing
Stretch your arms, stretch your arms
Stretch a little higher, stretch a little higher
Stretch with me, stretch with me

Time for singing, time for singing
Bend your knees, bend your knees
Down and up and down and up
Bend with me, bend with me,

Time for singing, time for singing
Wibble your belly, wibble your belly
Wibble and a wobble, wibble and a wobble
Wibble with me, wibble with me

etc etc

Time for singing, time for singing,
clap your hands, clap your hands,
clap a little softer clap a little softer
Sing with me, sing with me

Our Primary takes place in a singing festival every year where lots of local schools (Primary and Secondary) come together for 'The Big Sing' at The Sage Arts Centre in Gateshead. It's not a competition - just an excuse for a good old 'sing your heart out' - the kids love it!

The reason for me giving you that long winded explanation (sorry!) was to say that some of their favourite songs have been stuff like:
'I want to break free' (Queen)
'Eye of the Tiger' (Rocky films)
'Our House' (Madness)
'Living on a prayer' (Bon Jovi)

Even the really little ones have loved joining in with the practises - a parent of a 5yo said to me "I couldn't believe it i when he sat in the bath and belted out the whole of Living on a Prayer"

Just suggesting that it doesn't all have to be 'kiddy' songs - although maybe after 6th formers you'll be looking forwrd to The Wheels on the bus for a change

Look out for any of the following books (school may have them!)

Okki-tokki-unga
Appuski duski
Singing Sherlock (books 1 and 3 mainly for little ones)
Singing games and rhymes for early years
Bobby Shafloe clap your hands
Michael finnigam tap you chinnigin
3 singing Pigs
3 tapping teddies
3 rapping rats

Ooo yes. Singing Sherlock bk 1 has the excellent Dr. Knickerbocker which has been a huge hit with my little music group.

A sailor went to sea sea sea

All sorts of action rhymes work well

Row your boat - for the "Don't forget to scream" verse, choose a conductor who signals for them all to stop screaming.

Animal Boogie and Creepy Crawly Calypso from Barefoot Books

But I'm mostly just marking my place as I'd love to find more songs to sing.

DD1 was in a musical kindergarden and from 4 to 7 they do like less babyish songs.
all the Xmassy ones

Rudolf the red nose reindeer
Jingle bells
Oh taunenbaum
Santa is coming to town...

also
the bear necessity
hey Jude
yesterday
the chacanooga tchootchoo (sp?)
twinkle little star (all the verses)
....

And much more

And all the 4-7 I teach (and the older ones too ) love the chant Hi My Name is Joe, and I work in a button factory........

Also think Disney movies , musicals (sounds of silence "do re mi fa sol", mary poppins "a spoon full of sugar"...) and if you can teach them one of their favourite cartoon song you will be a goddess (even if ben 10 or bakugan is not really good musically)

I never knew it had a 2nd verse!

You can do anything in the magic ring, the magic ring, the magic ring....
Appuskiduski
Okki Tokki Unga
Ta ra ra boom de ay
Stuff from the T.V. - my 5 year old was very impressed when I bashed out the Iconicles theme on the piano
Winnie the Pooh, The Wonderful thing about tiggers

Making radio jingles....
inventing a notation form for the instruments they have ( so they can repeat the jingles) .

For nativity connected stuff- "little donkey" or "horsey horsey" or don't "forget the donkey", with clip clops.

The angel of the lord arriving with a mass of jingles...

DS is Yr 1 and has enjoyed drumming workshops, copying rhythms back to the workshop leader. Different groups "learning " different rhythms and then playing their bit as directed to make a "piece of music"

Puff the magic dragon
Dingle Dangle Scarecrow
Alice the Camel
10 Speckled frogs

TBH I find they almost enjoy any song as long as they can either dance or have actions

Agree with "Puff The Magic Dragon"

Oh, and of course Dr Knickerbocker and Little Rabbit Foo Foo

Pushed the send button too quickly -
Ten Green Bottles
Sing a Rainbow
A pirate song
Five currant buns in a baker's shop
When I caught a fish alive
This old man

TBH there are so many nice songs ...