Peter T - keep on griping; you're right, sad to say...

Great to see the many responses here - a friend and I are trying to sort out vague plans we have for getting back into kid's songs, after too many years of being toooo busy and too adult (very nominally, in my case) to sing very often specifically for kids. (too many to's!! maybe we can make a song out of that....) Did somebody metion the sung version of "Winken, Blinken and Nod?" I was recently told that it was on an albumn by a famous pop group; I don't know abt that but I learned it from the singing of a family folk group that performed frequently near Albany, NY, at the Cafe' Entre Nu (probably spelled that wrong!!) in the 60's. I bought a guitar from the gal in the group. still have it.

I noticed a lot of folks mentioned Tom Paxton's "Marvellous Toy," though not always by that name - I still do that, and sang it to a bunch of younger kids the other day at church, who responded w/the true mark of acceptance by asking me to sing it again, several times... You can really have fun with it, and involve them by hamming up, (and slowing down), the chorus, and encouraging them to sing along... it can be a great break-the-ice, get-them-started song that way (experiment with it! it's fun, even by yourself => buzzzzzzz the Z in "zip," POP! the "bop, " Rrrrrrrrrroll the R's in "whirr;" you get the picture....)

I also still do the Unicorn Song, and it too really goes over well; also "hi, diddle, diddle." Recently learned "Coulters' Candy" - a more or less understandable version of the words, rather than heavy brogue - took me years to find - but I think it's more for the adults - esp parents; but that's ok too...

Somehow I don't think I'd try "Liverpool Lullaby" with kids; I like it, but even some adults I know think it's a bit harsh.

cheers, bk