These are all songs we sing together at circle time at Family Inventors’ Lab, a STE(A)M enrichment class for ages 3 – 7. To see the full lesson plan for any theme, just click on the name of the theme. Here’s info on why we use music in a STE(A)M enrichment class.

Theme: What is an Inventor

Song: Inventor’s Lab Theme Song.  Words by Peter and Janelle Durham. Tune: Bully in the Alley.  (tune here.)

Note: to use this in your classroom, instead of ending each verse with “Here at Inventor’s Lab”, you could end with “’cause I’m an inventor now” or “yes I am an engineer.”

Look at me, I’m building and inventing,
Way, hey, building and inventing
Look at me, I’m building and inventing,
Here at Inventor’s Lab

There’s a challenge that I want to do
Way, hey, building and inventing
Here’s the process that I will go through
Here at Inventor’s Lab

I brainstorm ideas from which to choose
Way, hey, building and inventing
I look for supplies that I can use
Here at Inventor’s Lab

Now it’s time to build my innovation
Way, hey, building and inventing
As I work I get more inspiration
Here at Inventor’s Lab

I test it out to see what’s wrong and then
Way, hey, building and inventing
I fix and tweak and do the test again
Here at Inventor’s Lab

My work is done, the challenge has been met
Way, hey, building and inventing
I think it’s my best invention yet.
Here at Inventor’s Lab

Look at me, I’m building and inventing,
Way, hey, building and inventing
Look at me, I’m building and inventing,
Here at Inventor’s Lab.

More Inventing (to the tune of “I wanna be a producer”

I wanna be an inventor / Invent new tools every day
I wanna be an inventor / Invent toys with which to play
I wanna be an inventor / Do new things that I can’t now
I wanna be an inventor / And make people shout out wow!

Find 11 verses here.

Engineering:

Theme: Towers

Lyrics from Preschool Express (which they say they adapted from a poem by Peggy Sloan). Can be sung to the Final Jeopardy theme music. (here’s the tune.)

Pick a block to put on top.
Careful now, don’t let it dro-o-o-o-op!
Higher, higher – up you go.
Take your time, just do it slow.
Balance one block, two blocks, three
See how tall your stack can be-e-e.
Pick a block to put on top.
Careful now – don’t let it drop!

Theme: Bridges

Song 1: We’re going to build a bridge today, by Cymbric Early-Smith, to the tune of Johnny Comes Marching Home Again. (tune here)

We’re going to build a bridge today, hurray! hurray!
We’re going to build a bridge today, hurray! hurray!
We’ll make it strong, we’ll make it straight,
We’ll see if it will hold the weight
And we’ll all be learning together while we play.
Hurray!

Song 2: London Bridge

Theme: Build a House

Song 1: This is the Way… from Pre-K Fun. [Use rhythm sticks to mime the activities!]

This is the way we saw the wood, saw the wood, saw the wood,
This is the way we saw the wood, so early in the morning.
This is the way we hammer the nails…
Lay the bricks… Paint the walls….

You could also do these verses to match the actions in the book Building a House by Barton.

This is the way we dig a hole… hammer and saw… pour cement… lay the bricks… make a floor… put up walls, build a roof… build a fireplace… put in pipes… wire for lights… put in doors… paint the walls… build a house. [on final verse, instead of ending with “so early in the morning” end with “the family moves inside.”]

Song 2: “When I build My House” by Parachute Express. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBfJbbHJej0 (starred lines are done as call and response – you sing, they echo.) Mime the steps with rhythm sticks.

When I build my house*, I’ll need some wood*.
And I’ll saw the wood*, when I build my house*.
And we’ll saw the wood, saw the wood, saw the wood when I build my house.
When I build my house, there’s so much to do…
It’s nice when you come along and help me too.

On second verse swap in… I’ll need some nails… and I’ll hammer the nails. After singing third line with nails, repeat the third line with sawing the wood.
Verse 3: bricks, lay the bricks.
Verse 4: Paint, paint the walls.
(See the posters of the lyrics if that’s not clear….)

The song finishes with:
And when I’m through, I’ll go inside. And I’ll look with pride at the work I’ve done.
I painted the walls, painted the walls, painted the walls when I built my house.
Laid the bricks… Hammered the nails… Sawed the wood…
When I built my house, there was so much to do…
It’s nice when you come along and help me too.

Theme: Cars

Songs: Wheels on the Bus, or Zoom Down the Freeway (Here’s Zoom as a song… We do it as a chant, not quite so musical.)

Zoom down the freeway, zoom down the freeway, zoom down the freeway. Stop.
Up goes the drawbridge, Up goes the drawbridge, a boat is going past.
Down goes the drawbridge, down goes the drawbridge, the boat has passed at last.
Zoom down the freeway, zoom down the freeway, zoom down the freeway. Exit!

Theme: Electricity

Song 1: Electricity is a Powerful Thing, by Cymbric Early-Smith

Electricity is a powerful thing… I know, I know…
Electricity is a powerful thing… I know, I know…
Then ask kids to suggest something they use electricity for, and we substitute in those words.
Electricity lights our streets…  I know, I know. Electricity lights our streets, I know, I know.
Electricity warms our Homes… Electricity starts our cars… Electricity makes lightning >boom<

Song 2: Electricity from School House Rock. (Lyrics here.)

Theme: Contraptions and Rube Goldberg Devices

Song: Button Factory. Tune here.

Hi! My name is Joe. And I work in a button factory
One day my boss came up to me.
He said “Joe, are you busy?” I said, ”No”
He said “push this button with your right hand”

[Kids start miming pushing a button. On next verse, say “push this button with your left hand”, and kids push with both the right AND the left. Keep adding verses and actions… push with left toe, hip, forehead, whatever – it gets sillier and sillier. When you’re ready to end, say ‘“Joe, are you busy?” I said Yes!!!’ and fall down.

Theme – Robots

Robot Song from Fingerplays and Action Rhymes. (To the Tune of: The Wheels On The Bus)

The arms of the robot swing up and down,
Up and down, up and down,
The arms of the robot swing up and down,
All around the room.

The legs of the robot move back and forth…
The head of the robot turns side to side…
The buttons on the robot blink on and off…
The voice of the robot says beep, beep, beep…

Theme: Wind and Flight

Song: Blow Wind Blow. Tune at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpul-xC_ZXE or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5VlSX7Mdk8

Blow, wind, blow! And go, mill, go!
That the miller may grind his corn;
That the baker may take it, And into rolls make it,
And bring us some loaves in the morn.

Theme: Simple Machines

Simple Machines by David Newman: find tune here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Fhs8pXGxM

Simple machines make work easier to do
Use a wedge or a lever or a pulley or a screw;
A wheel and axle or an inclined plane.
They’re all simple machines, oh simple machines.

A wedge starts wide, but is pointed at the end
A lever’s like the seesaw that you ride on with a friend
A pulley is a wheel with a rope that goes around
Wherever there is work to do, you know what will be found…

Simple machines make work easier to do
Use a wedge or a lever or a pulley or a screw;
A wheel and axle or an inclined plane.
They’re all simple machines, oh simple machines.

An inclined plane helps you move things up and down
A wheel and axle helps things move or turn around
A screw is like a screw (duh!) or the lid of a jar
Without simple machines, we couldn’t get too far…

Simple machines make work easier to do
Use a wedge or a lever or a pulley or a screw;
A wheel and axle or an inclined plane.
They’re all simple machines, oh simple machines.

Simple machines make work easier to do
Use a wedge or a lever or a pulley or a screw;
A wheel and axle or an inclined plane.
They’re all simple machines, oh simple machines.

Song 2: Move It Work It from Capstone kids (has a companion book by Salas) which is to the tune of Kookaburra. Find the song here.

Song 3: Simple Machines song from Hubpages unit on simple machines. It’s done to the tune of Yankee Doodle. Find it here.

Science

Theme – Chemistry: States of Matter

The Matter Song from Teachers Pay Teachers, with modifications by Janelle Durham. To the tune of Farmer in the Dell

Chorus: There’s matter over here.
There’s matter over there.
Liquid, solid, or a gas,
There’s matter everywhere

A solid keeps its shape.
It doesn’t separate.
What you see is what you get.
A solid keeps its shape.

When you melt a solid down,
A liquid will be found.
It’s wet & flows to fill a shape.
And drips down to the ground.

Gas is in the air.
You can’t see it but it’s there.
It blows and flows right through your nose.
And fits in anywhere.

Options: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn3v_LUVIOI; www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhFwdJqvfw

Theme – Chemistry: Mixtures

Cake Recipe song from Patty Shukla. Before teaching the song, teach kids clap the rhythms of the chorus: 1-2-3 1-2-3 mix-mix-mix mix-mix-mix and 1 2 3 4 mix mix mix mix.

Chorus: I’m gonna make a cake today
Gonna make a cake for my birthday
I’m gonna make a cake today
Gonna make a cake for my birthday

First, two cups of flour
Then mix-mix-mix, mix-mix-mix
Second, one cup of sugar
Then mix, mix, mix, mix
Chorus

Third, three large eggs,
Then mix-mix-mix, mix-mix-mix
Fourth, one cup of milk
Then mix, mix, mix, mix
Chorus

Fifth, one stick of butter,
Then mix-mix-mix, mix-mix-mix
Sixth, tablespoon vanilla
Then mix, mix, mix, mix
Chorus

Seventh, tablespoon of baking powder
mix-mix-mix, mix-mix-mix
Eighth, a teaspoon of salt,
Then mix, mix, mix, mix
Chorus

Ninth, spread some more butter,
and spread-spread-spread in the pan,
Tenth, pick up the batter
and pour-pour-pour with my hands
Chorus

Mom puts it in the oven
350 and she bakes the cake
After 25 minutes, mom takes it out
I made my cake
Chorus

The best part is at the end.
The best part is at the end.
The best part is at the end.
When I get to put on the icing.
[Say:] And lick the spoon!

Chorus – two times

Theme – Chemistry – Reactions

Song: Boom Chicka Boom – hear it here. If you’re wondering what this has to do with Chemical Reactions, it’s that our alternate name for this class theme is “Make Things Go Boom!”

First verse – sway hips when singing… all other verses have a different motion…

I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat)
I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat)
I Said A Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom! (repeat)
U-HUH (repeat) OH-YEAH (repeat) One more time (repeat) Cowboy Style!

(Hold your right hand up and do a lassoing action.)
I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat)
I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat);
I Said A Boom-Chicka-A-Ropa Chicka-A-Ropa-Chick-A-Boom (repeat)
YA-HOO (repeat) YEE-HA (repeat) One more time, (repeat) Motorcycle Style!

(Using both your hands pretend to rev up your motorcycle.)
I Said A Vroom-Chick-A-Vroom (repeat)
I Said A Vroom-Chick-A-Vroom (repeat);
I Said A Vroom-Chick-A-Rocka-Chick-A-Rocka-Chick-­A-Vroom (repeat)
U-HUH (repeat) OH-YEAH (repeat) One more time (repeat) Janitor Style!

(Using both hands make a sweeping action.);
I Said A Broom-Push-A-Broom (repeat)
I Said A Broom-Push-A-Broom (repeat);
I Said A Broom-Push-A-Mop-A-Push-A-Mop-A-Push a Broom
U-HUH (repeat) OH-YEAH (repeat) One more time (repeat) Underwater Style!

(Make underwater sound by moving your finger quickly, up and down, in front of flapping lips.)
I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat)
I Said A Boom Chicka Boom! (repeat);
I Said A Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom! (repeat)

Theme – Light and Shadow

A couple options, both to the tune of Frere Jacques:  (Source 1; Source 2)

See my shadow, see my shadow
Move this way, move that way.
See it do what I do, see it do what I do,
It follows me, it follows me.

I see shadows,  I see shadows,
On the wall,  On the wall.
Some are short and scary,
Some are short and scary,
Some are tall, Some are tall.

Theme – Rainbows

Barney’s Rainbow Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbF3-vk1s6s

Oh, I like red, it’s the color of an apple. Orange, it’s the color of an orange.
Yellow, it’s a lemon, and a wonderful sun, sun, sun.
Green, is the color of the trees, and lots of things that grow.
And then there’s blue for the sky, And purple, that’s a color that’s fun, fun, fun.
And when we put those colors side by side, Now, what do you think we’ve done? We’ve made a rainbow, and it’s a really beautiful one, one, one.

Other nice options on Preschool Express on Perpetual Preschool, or on this YouTube playlist.

Theme – Dinosaurs

There’s lots of great dinosaur songs / videos for listening and watching on YouTube. Check out this playlist. There’s lots of preschool level songs about dinosaurs that you could use for circle time at Perpetual Preschool, Preschool Express, and Kidsparkz.

Song – We Will Stomp You. From Perpetual Preschool. To the tune of We Will Rock You.

[stomp, stomp, clap (4 times) OR if sitting down, clap thighs twice, clap hands once (4 times)]

I’m ankylosaurus I’m big and strong; 10 feet tall and 30 feet long.
I’ve got a club on my tail, Armor on my back;
Don’t get too close Or I’ll give you a whack.
Chorus: We will , we will stomp you, stomp you. We will, we will stomp you, stomp you.

Stegosaurus is my name. A little walnut is the size of my brain.
On my back are seventeen plates. Leaves and plants Are what I ate.
Repeat “stomp you” chorus.

I’m tyrannosaurus rex I’m big and mean.
The meanest dinosaur That you’ve ever seen.
I’ve got tiny little arms, Great big feet;
I’ll pick you up with my big sharp teeth.
I will, I will, Chomp you, chomp you. I will, I will CHOMP YOU !!!

Theme – Earth and Earthquakes

Song – We Will Rock You. (Tune is Queen’s We Will Rock You)

In class, we play the “Cassady will Rock You” video and kids clap along and sing the chorus. There’s another video version from Emily B. There’s another set of lyrics at Beakers and Bumblebees, and here’s one from the National Park Service website.

We will – we will – rock you! We will – we will – rock you!
I was underneath the sea. (Pinch nose shut, raise one hand and sink down.)
I’m the oldest rock you can see. (Bend over an imaginary cane and be old!)
Life decayed and layered me. (Hand over hand to mime layers.)
I am sedimentary! (Hands out in front and spread to sides like yeah, I’m cool.)

We will – we will – rock you! We will – we will – rock you!

Igneous is who I am. (Point to self with thumb.)
Magma is how I began. (Hands together, palms down, arching out in front of you like a lava flow…up and over.)
I’m a hot one, that’s the truth, (Lick finger tip, touch hip and make a sizzling hiss.)
I was molten in my youth! (Wiggle fingers out in front of you to mime boiling.)

We will, we will – rock you! We will – we will – rock you!

We think this is pretty neat, (Tap finger against side of head.)
Pressure, chemicals and heat, (Count off on 3 fingers so all can see.)
Change around our building blocks (One hand over other in circular motion…switch-overs.)
Into metamorphic rocks! (Mime molding clay with both hands.)

We will – we will – rock you! We will – we will – rock you!

Theme – Magnets

Song – Did you ever see a magnet? From www.tooter4kids.com/Magnets/magnet_poems.htm. To the tune of Did you ever see a lassie.

[Have them lean side to side when singing “this way and that.”]

Did you ever see a magnet, a magnet, a magnet?
Did you ever see a magnet pull this way and that?
Chorus: Pull this way and that way, and this way and that way.
Did you ever see a magnet pull this way and that?

On iron and steel, its pull is unreal!
Did you ever see a magnet pull this way and that?

Chorus

A magnet has action, it’s called an attraction!
Did you ever see a magnet pull this way and that?

Chorus

Alternate song with a spicy Latin rhythm… From Music K – 8. Mp3 of music available at: https://www.musick8.com/html/current_tune.php?numbering=101&songorder=13

Magnets push, magnets pull
Magnets stick to certain metals – like iron
Magnets can stick to each other
And push each other away
(Repeat)
Push and pull, push and pull
That’s what magnets do
Push and pull, push and pull
That’s what magnets do

Theme – Gravity

This is a companion to the “Did you ever see a magnet” song we sing in magnet week. These words by Janelle Durham, to the tune of Did you Ever See a Lassie.

[When we say “pull this way”, we crouch down. When we say “not that way”, we stand up on our tiptoes.]

Well, you’ll never see gravity, gravity, gravity
But you can see gravity pull this way, not that.
Chorus: Pull this way, not that way, pull this way, not that way.
You can see gravity pull this way, not that.
You toss up a ball, gravity makes it fall
Oh, you can see gravity pull things to the ground.
(Chorus)
You throw up a gown, gravity brings it back down
Oh, you can see gravity pull things to the ground.
(Chorus)

An alternate song, to the tune of London Bridge, can be found here.

Theme – Planets and Astronauts

Song – Zoom Zoom Zoom (here’s a video of librarians teaching the song, and here’s another video you could sing along with in class)

Zoom Zoom Zoom, we’re going to the moon.
Zoom Zoom Zoom, we’re going very soon.
If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom Zoom Zoom, we’re going to the moon.
In 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1, Blast Off!

Verse 2: Fun Fun Fun, we’re going to the sun and Verse 3: Far, Far, Far, we’re going to the stars

OR “We can have a party upon the stars, with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Jupiter might just sing a tune to Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.”

Theme – Stars and Constellations

Song: Catch a Falling Star. (Tune here. We teach just the chorus. Then we put on the video, and blow bubbles for them to catch.)

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket,
save it for a rainy day.
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket,
never let it fade away.

Options: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Follow the Drinking Gourd (sung before the Civil War, about escaping slaves following the Big Dipper and the north star to freedom)

Theme – Skeletons

Song – Dem Bones. Tune, jazzy tune.

Chorus: Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones. [3 times]
Doing the Skeleton Dance.

The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone.
The ankle bone’s connected to the shin bone.
The shin bone’s connected to the knee bone.
The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone.
Doing the skeleton dance.

Chorus

The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone.
The hip bone’s connected to the back bone.
The back bone’s connected to the neck bone.
The neck bone’s connected to the head bone.
Doing the skeleton dance.

Chorus

Biology and Nature

Theme – 5 Senses

The Five Senses Song, by Cymbric Early Smith (to the tune of Bingo)

What are the senses, can you tell?
We use them every day-o:
Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, Smell.
Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, Smell
Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, Smell…
We’re using our five senses…!

Include gestures for senses – point to eyes, then ears, then tongue, touch cheeks with palms, then point to nose. (Note: this was challenging even for adults to get right.)

Like BINGO, you can start dropping words – first time through we just point at eyes instead of saying look, then we say listen, taste, touch, smell. On second time, we point at eyes, then ears, then say taste, touch, smell, etc….

Theme – Animal Classification

Song – One of these Things is Not Like the Other from Sesame Street.

One of these things is not like the other.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you guess which thing is not like the other,
By the time I finish this song?

After each time you sing the song, show a picture of four animals, three from one category, and one that doesn’t belong to that category. Have the youngest children guess which doesn’t belong, and have older children tell what criteria show us that animal doesn’t fit with the others.

Theme – Habitats

Sing to the tune of Mulberry Bush / This is the Way We Wash Our Hands. We found this at http://perpetualpreschool.com/animal-habitat-songs/#more-1922 but adjusted the wording a bit… Hold up a puppet, ask where it lives, then sing a version of this song:

• Forests are where the deer live, the deer live, the deer live… forests are where the deer live, It’s their habitat.
• Deserts are where camels live…
• Oceans are where octopi live…

Theme – Eggs and Birds

Song – I’m a little chick – tune of I’m a Little Teapot.
Inspired by 3 songs on http://jeninthelibrary.com/tag/eggs/

I’m a little chickie, (crouch down inside your egg) Ready to hatch,
Pecking at my shell, (Pecking motion) Peck, peck, scratch! (scratching motion)
When I crack it open, Out I’ll leap. (Pop Up)
I’ll spread my wings (hands in armpits and flap) And cheep, cheep, cheep.

Theme – Bugs

Song 1 – Caterpillar. We found this song on https://kcls.org/content/caterpillar-caterpillar-crawl-crawl-crawl/  but Janelle added the first verse and revised some of the words a little so they scanned better to the music. Done to the tune of Frere Jacques / Are You Sleeping.

[Optional: you could combine this with a movement game, and have the kids pretend to be each of these stages of the life cycle.]

Caterpillar, caterpillar, curl, curl, curl, curl, curl, curl, curl up in your egg,
curl up in your egg, curl, curl, curl, curl, curl, curl.
Caterpillar, caterpillar, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawling on a green leaf,
crawling on a green leaf crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Caterpillar, caterpillar eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eating leaves all day,
eating leaves all night, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat.
Caterpillar, caterpillar, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin a silk cocoon,
spin a silk cocoon, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin.
[the scientifically accurate one would be something like: shed shed shed… shed your skin the chrysalis…]
Caterpillar, caterpillar, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep in your cocoon,
sleep until you bloom, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep.
Caterpillar, caterpillar, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm from your cocoon, squirm from your cocoon squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm, squirm,
Caterpillar, caterpillar, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, you are not a caterpillar,
you’re a big butterfly,  fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly

Song 2 – From Growing Up Wild book. to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

Head, Thorax, Abdomen; [touch head, chest, belly]
Head, Thorax, Abdomen.
Six legs, some wings, and an exoskeleton.

[Touch legs, back, and then sweep your hands around your body]
Head, Thorax, Abdomen

Head, Thorax, Abdomen; Head, Thorax, Abdomen.
Big eyes, small size and two antennae too. [Point to eyes, then use fingers to show a small something, then wiggle fingers over your head as antenna]
Head, Thorax, Abdomen

Theme – Seeds and Plants

A simple song, to the tune of Row Your Boat:

Grow, grow, grow your plants
Grow them tall and green
Soil and water, sun and air
All seeds depend on these

An alternative would be this, inspired by Preschool Education.

Dig, dig, dig the earth
Then you plant your seeds
A gentle rain and bright sunshine
Is all that they will need

Song 2 – Inch by Inch – the Garden Song. (Here’s a video with John Denver and the Muppets. You can also find versions by Pete Seeger; Arlo Guthrie; Peter, Paul and Mary; and my favorite recording by Priscilla Herdman – which accompanies lots of other lovely songs on her album Daydreamer. There are also books featuring the words of the song and illustrations, such as Inch by Inch: The Garden Song with illustrations by Eitan.)

Inch by inch, row by row
I’m gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and hoe
and a piece of fertile ground.

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna help these seeds I sow
Soil will warm them from below
Till the rain comes tumbling down

Theme – Sink or Float.

Song – Will It Float by Janelle Durham. Tune – London Bridge. Accompanies a demo: Hold up an object, sing the song, then ask for the kids prediction. Test it.

Will it float or will it sink? Will it float? Will it sink?
Will it float or will it sink? What do you think?

You could add other verses to teach concepts, such as:

Heavy things usually sink, usually sink, usually sink.
Heavy things usually sink, but it depends upon their shape.

Some shapes float better than most, better than most, better than most,
some shapes float better than most, and others tend to sink.

Theme – Submarines and Under the Sea

Song – Over in the Ocean. Get the book Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Berkes and Canyon (described here: https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2016/06/14/over-in-the-ocean-book/. Read the book (see below) and sing the song. (You can find a video of it here or here.)

Over in the ocean, far away from the sun
Lived a mother octopus and her octopus one
Squirt said the mother, I squirt said the one
So they squirted in the reef far away from the sun

Over in the ocean, where the sea grasses grew
Lived a mother parrotfish and her parrotfish two.
Grind said the mother, we grind said the two,
So they ground on the coral where the sea grasses grew.

Over in the ocean, in the sea anemone.
Lived an old mother clown fish and her little clown fish 3.
Dart said the mother, we dart said the three.
So they darted all around in a sea anemone.

Over in the ocean, on the sandy sea floor
Lived an old mother sting ray and her little stingrays four
Stir said the mother, we stir said the four
So they stirred with their fins on the sandy sea floor

Over in the ocean where the scuba divers dive
Lived an old mother puffer and her pufferfish five.
Puff said the mother, we puff said the five
So they puffed in and out where the scuba divers dive

Over in the ocean doing somersault tricks
Lived an old mother dolphin and her little dolphins six.
Jump said the mother we jump said the six
So they jumped and they played doing somersault tricks

Over in the ocean in their sea fan heave
Lived a mother angelfish and her angelfish seven
Graze said the mother, we graze said the seven
So they lazed and they grazed in their sea fan heaven

Over in the ocean very streamlined and straight
Lived a mother needlefish and her needlefish eight.
Skitter said the mother, we skitter said the eight
So they skittered through the water very streamlined and straight

Over in the ocean drifting in a yellow line
Lived an old mother gruntfish and her little grunts nine
Grunt said the mother, we grunt said the nine
So they grunted and they kissed drifting in a yellow line

Over in the ocean in their turtle grass den
Lived an old father seahorse and his seahorse ten
Flutter said the father, we flutter said the ten
So they fluttered all around in their turtle grass den.

Over in the ocean where the sea creatures play
While their parents all were resting they up and swam away!
Find us said the children, from ten to one
When you find all the creatures than this rhyme is all done.

[If you don’t have the book to search for the creatures in, end this way instead: Name us said the children from ten to one, when you name all the creatures then this song is done.]

Other options are: All the Fish are swimming in the water (www.youtube.com/watch?v=60RRRq4dJ58 or http://kcls.org/content/all-the-fish-are-swimming/); Slippery Fish (www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkQeX2nBH3Y and hand motions here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C9HSOlb4qI); Yellow Submarine, or Under the Sea.

Resource: Check out this post (and collection of related resources) about the Benefits of Singing with Children or check out research summaries on music’s benefits. Here are all the rhythm activities we use in class to teach rhythm skills. And here are some thoughts on how we use music in our STE(A)M enrichment class.

More Resources: All these songs are sing-alongs. If you like to play a recorded song, there are several good resources for finding them – some will be songs you could adapt to a simple kids’ sing-along. Others are really too musically or lyrically complex for little ones to sing:

• Jack Hartmann: Hear previews: https://www.jackhartmann.com/album/science-songs-for-kids-science-songs/  Purchase from Amazon.
• Capstone Kids: Songs and companion books – only 4 titles, but they’re good. Are You Living? Move It! Work It!: A Song About Simple Machines, From Beginning to End: A Song About Life Cycles, Home on the Earth: A Song About Earth’s Layers
• Songs for Teaching – Science Songs for Early Childhood: http://www.songsforteaching.com/sciencesongsforyoungchildren.htm
• Have Fun Teaching: www.havefunteaching.com/products/downloads/songs/science-songs/