This song uses the tune of ‘The Drunken Sailor’ and works well with children of all ages helping them to explore their listening, pulse, sense of musical structure and their creativity. If your babies are anything like mine, then they will enjoy bouncing along as you sing. If you’re in control of the bouncing (!), then try to see if you can bounce baby in time with the pulse.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers will enjoy doing the actions and eventually singing and performing the song independently, perhaps with a toy of their own to be the ‘baby’. You could try to create your own version using ‘children’ instead of baby. Or change the song entirely to fit with your daily routines
e.g. “What shall we do with our dirty hands”, “Wash with soap and rinse with water” etc.
“What shall we do with your dirty bottom”, “give it a wipe and get a new nappy”
When singing with children, be aware of your own pitch. Children are smaller than adults, and their voices are therefore higher. Try to lift your voice so that you are not singing in your speaking voice.
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