SONG AND MOVEMENT
Any song incorporates self expression. Joey Scouts are particularly fond of action songs. Other ways are by using pre recorded music that has actions, e.g., the Wiggles, Black Lace, etc. You could even have a mini disco or an end of year concert.
GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK
Give each pair a sheet of newspaper. Each person holds the newspaper by the top corner and walks around the circle singing the Grand Old Duke of York, fitting actions to the words.
Stop and each pair folds the paper in half and stands on it. Repeat until paper as small as you like.
Oh the Grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half way up, they were neither up nor down.
Oh the Grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men
They beat their drums at the top of the hill and beat them down again.
Oh the Grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men,
They blew their horns to the top of the hill, and blew them down again.
Oh the Grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men,
They waved their flags to the top of the hill and waved them down again.
POP GOES THE WEASEL
Organize everyone into groups of 3. You will need at least 5 groups to make this viable.
Two people stand together and hold hands. The third person stands in front of them, all facing the same way. The front person holds hands behind him/her to the other two, to form a triangle. Form these groups of 3 into a circle, all facing the same way. Sing the song and walk around the circle. On POP the front person stops and bobs down, lets go of the hands, the back 2 lift their joined hands over the front person and join up with the front person from the group which was in front of them. Thus the front person goes backwards and the back pairs progressively overtake them. Swap front and back people occasionally.
Half a pound of tuppenny rice, half a pound of treacle
That’s the way the money goes, POP goes the weasel.
Round and round the merry-go-round, the monkey chased the weasel
The monkey stopped to pull up his socks, POP goes the weasel.
DO YOU KNOW THE ZANADU?
Form a circle. Put your hands on the shoulders of the people either side of you.
Do you know the Zanadu, the Zanadu, the Zanadu,
Do you know the Zanadu, the Zana-Zana-du
Oii! (Action: Bring right hand into circle)
Actions for next verses, repeat words, but move hands to waist, hips, knees and finally feet.
DANCE OF THE SEVEN STEPS
Form a circle holding hands. Walk around clockwise for 8 beats, turn and walk anti-clockwise for 8 beats.
Do you know the dance of the 7 steps?
Yes we know the dance of the 7 steps
Da-de-da, de-da, de-da, de-da (action: heel and toe)
Da-de-da, de-da, de-da, de-da – that’s one
(Subsequent verses: repeat That’s two, That’s three, etc.)
Actions: That’s one – put right hand into circle
That’s two – put left hand in
That’s three – put right leg in
That’s four – put left leg in
That’s five – kneel down on one knee
That’s six – kneel down on both knees
That’s seven – sprawl forward onto floor towards middle of circle.
DR KNICKERBOCKER
Dr Knickerbocker, Knickerbocker, number nine, we love to dance and sing in rhyme
So let’s get the rhythm of the hands, now we’ve got the rhythm of the hands,
Now let’s get the rhythm of the eyes, now we’ve got the rhythm of the eyes,
Now let’s get the rhythm of the hips, now we’ve got the rhythm of the hips,
Now let’s get the rhythm of the feet, now we’ve got the rhythm of the feet
Now let’s get the rhythm of number nine
Count round the circle nine people, and the ninth person steps into the circle.
Repeat, counting round the circle again but not counting the person inside the circle. Repeat everything until only one person is left.