7.

THE SINGING SAUSAGE

All: Pass the sausage!
The sausage,
The sausage,
STOP the sausage!
He wants to know your name.
Geeta: My name is Jodie.
All: Her name is Jodie!
The sausage,
The sausage
Loves that name!
(kiss) Mwa!

GROUP:

Any number of children

AIM:

A singing game, allowing solo singing opportunities

PROPS:

The sausage! (A sock, stuffed with paper, with a face stuck or

painted on it!) The sausage can be substituted by any favourite
toy or object.

GAME/RULES:

The children sit in a circle. They pass the sausage around the
circle. On the word stop, whoever is holding the sausage sings
the line My name is, filling in their own name. Everyone sings
the line Her name is and then the sausage gives that child a
pretend kiss and everyone makes a big Mwa! sound, as if giving
a big kiss!

7. TWO LITTLE FISHES

Little fish was swimming,
Splishy, splashy,
Little fish was swimming,
Splish, splash, splosh!
Along came another,
Splishy, splashy,
Along came another,
Splish, splash, splosh!
Sharky came a-sniffing,
Sniffy, snaffy,
Sharky came a-sniffing,
Sniff, snaff, snoff!
He chased the little fishes,
Snippy, snappy,
He chased the little fishes,
Snip, snap, snop!
They hid in the seaweed,
Swishy, swashy (pronounced swoshy),
They hid in the seaweed,
Swish, swash (as in ash), swosh!
The shark couldnt find them,
Hippy, happy,
The shark couldnt find them,
Hip, hap, hop!

GROUP:

Whole class or group

AIM:

An action song, for all to join in

PROPS:

None

GAME/RULES:

All children learn the song. They form a standing circle. Two
children are chosen to be the two little fishes, and another to
be the shark.
During the first verse the first little fish swims around the
circle the child might make up their own little fishy dance.
During the second verse the second little fish joins the first
and they dance or move about together the second might copy
the actions of the first, for example.
During the third verse the shark enters the circle snapping
menacingly, swimming around the two little fishes who huddle
together.
During the fourth verse the shark chases the two little fishes
randomly in and out between the children forming the circle.
During the fifth verse all of the children around the edge wave
their arms, like seaweed, and the two little fishes hide behind
them. The shark looks puzzled and pretends not to be able to
find them. He finally (and grumpily) takes his place back in the
circle.
During the final verse the two little fishes dance around the
circle together, and the other children clap along.

13. THE MAGICAL MUSICAL HAT

The
The
We pass it
The

magical, musical
magical, musical
round and round
magical, musical

hat!
hat!
and round,
hat!

GROUP:

Whole class or group

AIM:

To allow opportunities for solo/paired singing or improvisation in

a small group. To also allow children to select their own
instruments for a particular effect.

PROPS:

An unusual or colourful hat, and a selection of classroom

instruments.

GAME/RULES:

All children learn the simple chant.

The class sit in a circle. The instruments are placed in the
middle. The magical, musical hat is passed around the circle as
the words are chanted. On the final word hat!, whoever is
holding the hat puts it on. They choose two or three others to
join them in the middle to play a short piece of improvised music
to the rest of the class.
The person with the hat chooses which instruments the rest of
the group should play. They also direct as far as possible what
the group play, informing them about the kind of music it should
be, starting the piece, leading dynamic changes (ie. louds and
softs), and stopping it etc. They might also name the piece, and
lead a brief discussion about how the piece turned out.
Alternatively, if short of time, the hat wearer can simply choose
a song for everyone else to sing along to.

2. TOP STAR!
Top star! Top star!
Want to be a pop star?
Funky hip-hop star?
A laugh-until-they-drop star?
Undercover cop star?
Actor-in-a-soap star?
As long as youre a hot star,
And not a big flop star!

GROUP:

Whole class or larger group

AIM:

To provide solo, pair or small group performance opportunities

PROPS:

A star made from shiny card (or a toy microphone)

PLEASE NOTE:

It is important that children know that they do not have to

perform if they do not wish to, and may pass their go to
someone else. It is vital that the class know that this activity is
for fun, and that criticism should always try to be constructive
and fair. This activity will be good preparation for those who
may one day wish to take to the stage!

GAME/RULES:

The children sit in a circle and chant the rhyme. The star (or
microphone) is passed around during the chant. At the end of
the chant, whoever is holding it sings a song, dances, acts a
short soliloquy, recites a poem or tells a joke. They may choose
a partner or group of children to perform with them.
The rest of the class are the judges and give a thumbs up if
they think the act was good, or a thumbs down if they dont!
Afterwards, one thumbs up judge should say why they liked the
act and one thumbs down judge should say why they did not.
The thumbs up for each act are counted, and whichever act at
the end of the session has the most is the winning star!

14. MRS McCAULAYS MUSIC CLASS

Mrs McCaulays music class
Are naughty girls and boys!
They never, ever listen
Just make a lot of noise!
Child 1: Pah! Pah!
Pah-pah-pah pah!
Pah pah-dah,
Pah-dah!
All: Pah! Pah!
Pah-pah-pah pah!
Pah pah-dah,
Pah-dah!
GROUP:

Any sized group

AIM:

An add-on singing game

PROPS:

None

GAME/RULES:

The children will need to learn the song first. They then stand
in a circle and sing the first part ie. the repeated section,
together. A child is chosen to be the first solo, and invents
some noisy music or sounds that lasts for 8 beats eg. in the case
above, on a pretend trumpet (listen to CD Track 11). They can
also add an action, as if playing on their invisible instrument.
The whole class imitates the action and the sound immediately
afterwards.
All sing the repeated section again. The next child in the circle
invents another sound on another pretend instrument or sings in
an unusual way. The class copies them and adds the first
persons sound. The song goes on, each person in the circle
adding a new idea.