Children's songs about gardens/plants

Subject: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: erwanda55
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 09:59 AM

I am looking for a song to use with kids learning English. They are reading a story about growing vegetables. What I use doesn't have to be exactly about that, but it would be great to have one with simple lyrics. It seems to me that there should be a play party game or something where you can easily add words (I'm just not thinking/finding it). I know this seems picky, but I am a music teacher trying to justify (!) my time with these kids once a week.
Thanks,
Sue

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: open mike
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 11:08 AM

oats peas beans and barley grow
oats peas beans and barley grow
neither you nor i nor anyone knows
how oats peas beans and barley grow


or

inch by inch row by row...by David Mallet..
it can be found in teh D.T. (look in search box)

the Banana Slug String Band has a whole song book
of "earthy" songs....including "Dirt made My Lunch"
which explains growing cycles, etc.
their songs are written by Steve Van Zandt

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 12:01 PM

erwanda55, the first song that came to my mind the song "Paw Paw Patch".

I founded and directed various game song groups children ages 5-12 years old in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area from 1997 to 2006. The "game songs" that the groups focused on were of traditional, adapted, and contemporary African American "origin" {"origin" is in quotation marks because the real origin of most of these songs is unknown and probably unknowable}. But, for what it's worth, none of the children in those groups knew the "Paw Paw Patch" prior to my teaching an adapted version to them. And I've never seen any children outside of or inside of those groups spontaneously play "Paw Paw Patch". I'm sure that this game probably was initiated by children once upon a time. But it appears that "Paw Paw Patch" has become relegated to that list of games that children play only when they are led by an adult. And it doesn't appear that many adults who work with children know this game song either. II learned "Paw Paw Patch" from records, and don't remember it from my childhood growing up in Southern New Jersey in the 1950s.

That said, I think that "Paw Paw Patch" is a good movement song that probably is best suited for girls and boys ages 5-7 years. It hads a catchy tune and easy to learn lyrics. Its movements are easy to learn and perform. I like the fact that the game provides opportunities for children to have a starring role {be "it" without too much running and chasing around. The game helps young children learn how to take turns, follow directions, and engage in imaginative play.

Because the children I work with aren't familiar with either a "paw paw" or a "patch", I substituted the phrase "apple tree" for "paw paw patch" and "picking up apples" for "picking up paw paws". Although I've never tried it, it seems to me that other fruits or vegetables can be substituted for "paw paws" and "paw paw patch" {for instance "berries" and "berry bush".

Here's how the children in my groups played this game:

One child is picked to be "it". That child goes across the room or yard and pretends to be hiding {usually by crouching down with his or her face hidden-though in reality the child doesn't hide his or her face for long}.

The other children sing:

Where oh where is little Aliyah*
Where oh where is little Aliyah
Where oh where is little Aliyah
Way down by the apple tree.

*The group substitutes the name of the child who is "it", though two syllable names/nicknames fit the tune better than three or more syllable names.

[Usually the adult ends up being the only one singing this next verse. While the adult sings this verse, she or he makes a "come on" motion with her/his hands, directing the children to move toward the child who is hiding. Technically, the other children are supposed to be singing and skipping in time to the tune of this song as they move towards the child who is hiding. But usually the children end up running toward that child. Actually, running appears to be the part of the game that the children like best.]

Come on now, lets go find her.
Come on now, lets go find her.
Come on now, lets go find her
Way down by the apple tree.

[The child who is hiding is "found" when the first person who reaches her or him "tags" her [lightly touches her or him on the shoulder]. All the children [and the adult who is directing the play] then sing the last verse, and mimic the actions of putting the fruit or vegetable in their [make pretend] baskets.

Pickin up apples. Put them in the basket
Pickin up apples. Put them in the basket
Pickin up apples. Put them in the basket
Way down by the apple tree.

{The first one who tags the child who was hiding, becomes the next child who is hiding in full view, and the game begins again.

-snip-

Note that I didn't keep the phrasing "Way down yonder by the apple tree" as the children who were part of my groups don't talk that way.

**

Here's a link to a Mudcat thread on the song: "Paw Paw Patch":
thread.cfm?threadid=42450#616721

Good luck, erwanda55 with your music classes!

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 12:15 PM

erwanda55, while the song "Pick A Bale OF Cotton" may be a catchy fun to sing children's song, I dislike that song and as an African American, I wouldn't teach "Pick A Bale Of Cotton" to children in the USA because rightly or wrongly "picking cotton" has become associated with African American slavery, and that song has associated with it a non-politically correct connotation of minimizing the strenuous labor of Black folks.

I don't mean to be contentious. Nor do I mean to comment further on this topic in this thread*. However, I think that any person who is [particularly a person who is non-Black] who introduces this song to Black children [and I have no way of knowing that this is the population you are teaching], needs to consider the cultural implications of songs that they may teach.

*There are several Mudcat threads about the "Pick A Bale of Cotton" song. Here's a link to my comment in one of those threads {which of course leads to all the other posted comments about that song}:

thread.cfm?threadid=86330#1605204

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: open mike
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:04 PM

http://www.bananaslugstringband.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Made-Lunch-Banana-String/dp/B000G8P53S
http://www.songsforteaching.com/

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 04:02 PM

Raffi did a great song which I think he called "In my garden" but my second graders of yore called "Digging". Lots of repetition, great for learners of English!

Digging, digging, this is how we dig the ground
In my garden, in my garden
Digging, digging, this is how we dig the ground
Early in the morning

Planting, planting, this is how we plant the seeds...

Hoeing, hoe-ing, this is how we hoe the weeds....

Picking, picking, this is how we pick the food...

Eating, eating, this is how we eat the food
From our garden...etc.

Mp3 available here (click).

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: erwanda55
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 11:44 PM

Many thanks to all for the ideas. Many are familiar, but I wasn't thinking of them... I learned "Paw-Paw" from my mother-the words never meant much to me, so the changes seem like a good idea. I never learned a game either-thank you for the clear explanation.

Now, I have to think if I still have a cassette of banana slug band. They once came to my school and played-great fun.

Your ideas will be in use this Thursday!!!

The problem with teaching music a long time, is that you forget what you know....thanks for the memory jog!

Sue

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:59 AM

If they are learning English maybe they won't already know
Mary, Mary, quite contrary.
and
Bananas in pajamas.

Otherwise I'd only use them for preschoolers, as older children might think them babyish. But I suppose the first was part of my heritage, and the second part of my childrens heritage (in England, don't know where you are).

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:09 AM

English Country Garden lists plants, and might be easy to make up additional verses to.


JM

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 08:12 AM

Row Your Boat has a verse:

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe Your row
Through the summer heat
Corn and potatoes and beans and tomatoes
Are mighty good to eat.

Kids love rounds.

Dave Mallet's Inch by Inch and Row by Row.

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: erwanda55
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:02 PM

thanks again for your time and great suggestions! Your ideas will be used...

Cheers (from the Napa Valley),
Sue

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 08:59 AM

I came across this in THE NURSERY RHYMES OF ENGLAND,
obtained principally from oral tradition. COLLECTED AND EDITED BY JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, ESQ.

As a children's rhyme it starts off great, but then later on ...... well.... errr.... maybe not. Sorry.


Double Dee Double Day,
Set a garden full of seeds ;
When the seeds began to grow.
It's like a garden full of snow.
When the snow began to melt,
Like a ship without a belt.
When the ship began to sail.
Like a bird without a tail.
When the bird began to fly,
Like an eagle in the sky.
When the sky began to roar.
Like a lion at the door.
When the door began to crack,
Like a stick laid o'er my back.
When my back began to smart.
Like a penknife in my heart.
When my heart began to bleed,
Like a needleful of thread.
When the thread began to rot.
Like a turnip in the pot.
When the pot began to boil.
Like a bottle full of oil.
When the oil began to settle.
Like our Geordies bloody battle.

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: GUEST,Pat Finn
Date: 19 Apr 11 - 03:13 PM

Try "Old John The Rabbit"
You can extend the middle section by adding the ames of many crops and the response of "Yes, M'am" can be played on any malody instrument.
Old John the rabbit, yes m'am, had a mighty bad habit, yes m'am of jumping in my garden, yes m'am, eating up all my carrots, yes m'am, eating up all my spinach, yes m'am (etc). And if I'm here, yes m'am, this time next fall, yes m'am, I ain't a-gonna hava any garden at all, no m'am.

Subject: RE: Children's songs about gardens/plants
From: CupOfTea
Date: 19 Apr 11 - 07:01 PM

Not strictly about gardening, but I remember the band Metamora doing a song "Little Potato" (as a term of endearment), on their album "Roots, Crops & Ground Cover." I don't know that it ever came out as anything other than a cassette album packaged in a paper envelope like a packet of seeds, and I don't remember which of the trio wrote the song.

"Children" spans a big enough age range that some songs that aren't overtly pitched to childeren can be good for older ones, fer instance: if you wanted to teach about how to garden, Dillon Bustin's GARDENING is in the DT.

'nother garden goodie song that comes to mind is the one Guy Clark wrote about "Home grown tomatoes"

Joanne in Cleveland