Galloping Baby Bounces

There are lots of babies on their way this year in our family and friends' circles - which I am oh-so excited about! Since little baby M is going to seem like an ox next to these soon-to-come little ones, I'm afraid he won't feel like the "baby" anymore. Sigh....

Here are some delightful bounces for babies and toddlers that are easy to learn and lots of fun to enjoy with your little one. Remember, these bounces, chants, songs, etc. that you participate in with your child are not only helping them to understand music as it comes naturally, but the bond and the joy that these activities produce is priceless!


Here they are - Learn one or two and give 'em a try:

Ride a Horsey 

Ride a horsey up and down,  (bounce baby up and down, mimicking a horse ride)
Ride a horsey, ride into town.
Ride a horsey, black or brown,
Ride a horsey, then get.... down! (gently drop baby)


Ride and Ride the Pony

Ride and ride the pony, a mile per hour only,
jump over the tree stump, down falls the baby! (lift baby up on "jump" then gently drop baby on "down falls...")

~or~

Ride, ride the pony, a mile per hour only,
jump over the hill, and baby takes a spill! (gently "spill" baby over your legs)

 Ride Away 

Ride away on your horses, your horses, your horses;
Ride away on your horses, ride, ride on!
Galloping, galloping, on we go!
Galloping, galloping, to the show.
Ride away on your horses, your horses, your horses;
Ride away on your horses, now woah, woah! WOAH!  (slow down on each "woah" and either gently drop baby on last "woah" or slide her down your legs.)

Here is "baby" M enjoying these so you can hear some of the melodies. You can probably make up your own melodies to each of these since they flow so rhythmically anyway. I'm still learning these ones as you can tell, as we need some new ones to work into our repertoire 'round here... So, we'll be learning them together! :-)

I'd LOVE to hear what bounces and rhymes YOUR baby loves!

Knee Bounces!

Once a baby has reached 6 months or so, they're ready for some active bouncing. It's one of their favorite things - to "ride" on your knees to a rollicking rhyme.

I was at an amusement park this summer (wearily following my tireless older 2 boys around from one ride to another - why do they have so much energy??!) and I saw a "ride" for infants where you sit the child in a booster-type seat, strap them in, then pay some money to watch them go around in a tiny circle. It was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. And, being the person that I am, I thought, "how much better a warm lap and an active bounce rather than a silly, plastic ride?"

So, here are a few bounces that involve moving your baby from one knee to the other and are super easy to get into your repertoire.

Trotty Horsey

Start with baby on knees - imitating a trotting horse:

Trotty horsey, trotty horsey

went right up to town.

One foot up and the other one down,

     Lift baby up then back down

Trotty horsey ran along,

A-gallopy, gallopy, gallopy gone!

   Bounce baby back and forth on knees, optional: gently drop baby through knees on "gone!"

Jack Be Nimble

This mother goose rhyme is so simple and works very well!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,

Jack jump over the candlestick!

Bounce baby to rhyme, then on "over" move to the other knee. Repeat! 

Father and Mother and Uncle John 
This one was shared in an earlier post, but it's worth repeating because it works so well)

Start with a steady bounce with baby/toddler on your knees:
Father and Mother and Uncle John
All rode to town one by one.

Mother fell off - woah!
lean baby over one side of knees

Father fell off - woah!
lean baby over to the other side

But Uncle John rode on, and on, and on, and on, and on....
bounce baby on knees in middle - faster and faster. 

Get going bouncing those kiddos!

Baby Bounces - Ponies and 'Horseys'

If you've been here for a little while, you know how much I love baby bounces and chants. They are precious gems passed down from generation to generation producing baby smiles and giggles.  Passed down orally from one parent to the next, they are treasured pieces of tradition we should preserve for our kids to pass down to their kids.

Musical activity from infancy on develops a child's sensitivity to and understanding of rhyme and rhythm. Also very valuable is the strong bond between bouncer and bouncee that these little activities develop.

These bounces below are rollicking fun and will get adorable giggles and smiles out of your little one.
They are "horsey-themed" and thus lend themselves well to bouncy, rhythmic movement on your lap or on your hip.  (If you need a little more of a bouncing "how-to" go Here!)


Macaroni Pony

I have a little pony,

his name is Macaroni

He trots and trots and then he stops,

My funny little

Macaroni pony.

Here's what this one sounds like:

Come Up Horsey

Come up horsey, hey, hey!
Come up horsey, hey, hey!
Mama's gonna buy you a little lap dog,
Mama's gonna buy you a little lap dog,
Mama's gonna buy you a little lap dog,
Put him in your lap when she goes off.
So, come up horsey hey, hey!
Come up horsey, hey, hey!

Here's what it sounds like:

There are about 5 more I'd love to share, but I'll save them for later so as not to overwhelm you all at once. Give these a try with your child or grandchild and see if they like them!

Baby's Body Awareness

One great benefit to doing chants and rhymes with your baby is that they facilitate baby's discovery of his/her own body. Infants become aware of their own body little bits at a time. I still remember when all my babies discovered their hand or foot for the first time and what a delight it was to see the intrigued look in their eyes as they examined this new discovery....

To help your baby discover his/her own body more and more, consider doing baby chants on the left and right sides of their body. This will help them feel and discover more than just their bellies and those cute little cheeks that everyone pinches.

For example, start from the foot or the hip on the Right side and rhythmically move your fingers up to the pattern of the chant (ending with a big tickle).

 Then try the Left....

You can use any chants you like (you can always browse on this site), but here are a few that are shorter, so they work well for your short little bundle of joy and time-out well for a trip up or down the side of your baby). 

Jump A Little 

Jump a little, jump a little,  (jump with your fingers)

Jump, jump, crow. 

Have a little cake 

and away we'll go! 

Little Grasshopper

There was a little grasshopper, 

always on the 'jump'  (jump with your hand)

Because he never looked ahead, 

He always went "Bump!"   (tap baby's head or nose)

And, tried and true, your favorite and mine, 

To Market, To Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig, 

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. 

To market, to market to buy a fat hog. 

Home again, home again, jiggety jog. 

To market, to market to buy a plum bun, 

Home again, home again, market is done! 

This one has oodles of possibilities! We like to go up one side during line one, then down the other side on line two, repeating this pattern for each verse. 

So.... 

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,  (travel up baby's left side)

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.  (travel down baby's right side, tickling foot at the bottom each time.) 

Incorporate as many little tickles as possible to get those babies laughing and more aware of all their amazing and adorable little bodies! 

Enjoy! 

And... little (well, not-so-little anymore!... sniff, sniff...) baby M added high five for a job well done! 

"Borrowed" Lullabies

Ah... the lazy, hazy days of summer.... perfect time to check in on how all your lullaby-singing is going out there?? Are you spending a few minutes at the end of your child's day in sweet words and song?

A good point to make is that children sleep peacefully when they are prepared well for it. You're all working or have worked hard on getting your little darlings to sleep well, I'm sure...

But... if helpful for any of you, here are some suggestions for nighttime routines:

Pick a bedtime and stick to it (I know... it's summertime... bedtime is a bit more flexible... but not too flexible!)
Have a getting-ready-for-bed routine... Like: Take bath, brush teeth,  drink water, read story, sing lullaby, lay down. Goodnight.
When they are prepared lovingly for bed, it makes their sleep that much sweeter.

Although... they don't always stay in bed.... One of our favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, in one of his stand-up routines, describes getting a young child to stay in bed is like a reverse hostage scenario: "I'll give you whatever you want, just STAY IN THERE!!!!"


Anyway - my point today is (if you're already confused, as I am), keep that lullaby in your routine! Every night, three times a week, once a week - just keep it there! It does a world of good for your child to be comforted by the singing sweetness of your voice and to drift off to sleep with a melody in his/her head.

Don't just resort to turning on a CD of lullabies... yes, those are nice also. But, think if you were a child, you may prefer the tangible love of your parent to just the mechanical presence of a CD.

Here are two lovely lullabies "borrowed" from other traditions:

I.   "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" 
This is an American Negro Spiritual from the late 1800's, ascribed to W. Willis, who was a freed slave. He was inspired by the story in the Bible of Elijah being taken away to heaven in a chariot, and the song may also have ties to Harriet Tubman's work, as many looked to being freed by the "chariot" of the underground railroad.

Text: (This is a sampling, as there are several verses)
Chorus: 
Swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan, what did I see?
coming for to carry me home;
A band of angels coming for me;
coming for to carry me home.
Chorus

Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down

coming for to carry me home; 

But still my soul is heaven bound
coming for to carry me home.

Chorus

Here's the melody in good 'ole gospel style by Etta James (a bit faster than you might sing it for a lullaby, but fun nonetheless): Click Here!


II.  "Numi, Numi" (Hebrew Lullaby) 
This is a beautiful song and the real "Numi, Numi" (Sleep, Sleep) is all in Hebrew, which is a bit of a challenge for me...  So, I keep "Numi, Numi" and then add English words - roughly like this:

Numi, Numi, Little Baby,
Numi, Numi, nim
Numi, Numi, Little One,
Numi, Numi, nim.

Daddy's gone to work,
He went, Daddy went,
He'll come when the moon comes out,
and bring you a gift.

 Numi, Numi, Little Baby,

Numi, Numi, nim

Numi, Numi, Little One, 

Numi, Numi, nim. 

etc...

For the melody: Click Here!

There are other verses, or you can just create your own.
The melody is too beautiful to pass up though! (P.S. It's on itunes - in the album "From generation to generation: A Legacy of Lullabies by T. Solnik. I've been wanting to check this album out!)

Keep loving on those babies!

Ball Rolling and Bouncing

Anyone who knows us knows that my children have a natural obsession with anything that bounces, rolls or is thrown... Little baby M is falling right into that mold too! Amazing... the hubs and I are both music nerds... what do we get? Little jocks. :-)

So, this reminded me of a few ball-themed-songs for your little ones' enjoyment while playing with a ball.

Oh! Also - one of my favorite blogs is doing a series called "30 for 30" focused on playing with your kids; not just giving them things to play with, but actually engaging with them. I think it's a great challenge for us all not to get bogged down in "doing" too many things while we miss out on actually playing with our kids. Mine especially love us being involved with them, not just passing one toy after another at them. You can check out her series; click: HERE!

OK, some simple ball songs!

Bounce High, Bounce Low

Bounce High, Bounce Low,
Bounce the Ball to Shiloh!
Bounce High, Bounce Low,
Bounce the ball right by-oh!

This one is great while bouncing a ball to your little one (duh!).

Roll The Ball

I roll the ball to "baby"
she rolls it back to me,
I roll the ball to "baby"
she rolls it back to me,
Roll the ball, roll the ball,
I roll the ball to "baby" she rolls it back to me.


Insert your child's name for "baby." You may be surprised how early you baby starts rolling a ball back to you when you do so to him/her!

Roll, Catch!
Roll, catch, roll, catch,
Bounce, Bounce the ball.
Roll, catch, roll, catch
Bounce, Bounce the ball.


Do this one slow enough to do each motion - or fast enough if doing it with a giggly toddler. :-)




Here are the tunes:

Have fun playing with your baby and his or her favorite ball!

Baby Chants about Candy

Who doesn't love candy? I mean come on... even if you're a purist who won't touch any of it, don't you still get a little excited when you walk past a bursting-with-color candy store?

We do enjoy some candy around here, so here are some chants to do with your baby or toddler while singing/chanting candy words - which are always more fun to sing about, me-thinks.

Lollipop, Lollipop
Lollipop, lollipop,
Lick, lick a lollipop.
Red, green, blue,
pink and yellow too.
Lollipop, lollipop,
sweet are you!

Bubblegum

Bubblegun - POP! 

Bubblegum - chew. 

Bubblegum pink 

and bubblegum blue. 

Motions: These are good for bouncing baby or clapping baby's hands as you chant or sing through.
For Lollipop, tickle baby on last "you!"
For Bubblegun, bounce baby high on Pop!

Handy Pandy

Handy pandy, sugar candy

One, two, three!

Top one, bottom one,

Where can it be?

Motions:  Hide a small object or treat in one hand, pound fists on top of each other as you sing or chant the rhyme, then have child choose which hand has the hidden object.



Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?

(This one has been around for years and works best with preschoolers)
First, choose a child to be the cookie thief. We'll use.... Susie and Danny. :-)

-Susie stole the cookie from the cookie jar.
Susie:  Who me? 
-Yes, you!
Susie: Couldn't be! 
-Then who?
Danny!
Danny stole the cookie from the cookie jar...
etc...

Motions: This one is best either in a group of children (circle) or while riding in the car when there are others around to "accuse" etc...
You can clap the beat to this one too as you're chanting the first line.
Point to the accused and then open hands when asking "Then who?" etc.... (not if you're driving, please....).

Enjoy! :-)

Movin' and Groovin' Bounces

Baby M is a big fan of bounces... as anyone who's held him can attest to. As soon as I get him up in the morning, he starts bouncing in my arms.

As babies get more core and neck strength, they enjoy putting it to good use by being appropriately tossed around in rhythmic bounces and songs. Please adhere to the word "appropriately." My dad also likes to bounce his grandkids... but sometimes is a little too rough, and his bouncing has the opposite affect... He's getting better though. :-)

These bounces are some of my little jumping-bean's favorites....

1. The Old Woman's Pies 

There was an old woman 
as I have heard tell, 
she went to sell pies, 
but her pies did not sell. 
She hurried back home 
but her step was too high, 
so she stumbled and fell, 
and the birds ate her pies! 

Motions: 
First two lines, just bounce baby to the rhythm of the chanted words (or to a melody of your own making) as you go.
On "she hurried back home," - move babies arms quickly as if running (or bounce faster)
On "but her step was too high" - lift or gently toss baby up on the word "high"
On "so she stumbled and fell" - on "fell" drop baby a few inches or so either from your arm or through legs.
On "and the birds ate her pies" - tickle babies sides like little birdies poking at a pie.


2.  Triddety Trot 

Triddety trot to market, 

to buy a sweet green pear, 

Triddety trot and home again, 

and throw him(her) up in the air. 

Triddety trot to market, 
to buy a loaf of bread, 

Triddety trot and home again 
and throw him(her) in bed! 

Motions: 
Bounce baby to the rhythm of the first three lines, as if trotting on a horse.
On "throw him up in the air!" Toss baby a few inches or so up in the air or lift baby high from one knee to the other.
On "throw him in bed!"- with baby in your arms, pretend to "throw" baby by doing a throwing motion... of course, never losing your safe hold on your little pumpkin.

3. Bouncing Up and Down 
Bouncing up and down in a little red wagon,
Bouncing up and down in a little red wagon,
Bouncing up and down in a little red wagon,
Won't you be my darling? 

One wheel's off and the axel's draggin... (2 more times)
Won't you be my darlin? 

Other wheel's off and the axel's draggin... (2 more times)
Won't you be my darlin? 

Back wheels off and we all fall out,  (2 more times)
Won't you be my darlin? 

This one is best if sung. It's to the tune of "The Paw Paw Patch." (where, oh where is pretty little Susie?... If you don't know the melody go to this link and click on "Listen to the Song"). All my kids love this one... when they hear me doing this with baby M, the other two come running for their turn too.

You can certainly use your imagination for how to make this as fun and silly as possible, but here are some suggestions to get your thoughts going -

With baby/child sitting in your lap:
1st verse - Bounce child as if riding in a bumpy wagon (not necessarily neat and tidy).
2nd verse - Move child to one knee and lean him/her over so they're tilted outward on your knee.
3rd verse - Move child to other knee and do the same thing.
4th verse - Drop child between legs on the word "out" for each line (still keeping hold of them, of course...).

Well, that should be good enough. Don't be afraid to toss your little sweetheart around a bit - don't worry they'll let you know if they don't like it... and they'll also definitely let you know if they DO like it.
Get going and go play with your baby! :-)

The Way(s) the Lady Rides...

One of the most well-known bounces is "This Is the Way the Lady Rides." It's fabulous. Who thought of it? We may never know.... but we'll keep on enjoying it.
There are also lots of variations on this wonderful rhyme... all guaranteed to bring delight to your little munchkin.

Each verse has a different description of riding based on the character, so your bouncing will change with each one. Again... these rhymes are MOST enjoyable when parent/grandparent is enthusiastic, descriptive, rhythmic and energetic. That's not too much to expect of you, right?

Here is the basic rhyme (or what many people think is the basic rhyme) and a collection of variations... chosen from those compiled by Mr. I-exude-musicality-out-of-every-pore-of-my-being, John Feierabend.

This Is The Way the Ladies Ride

This is the way the ladies ride,
A-clippity clop, A-clippity clop
A-clippity, clippity, clop.

This is the way the gentlemen ride,
A-gallop-a-trot, A-gallop-a-trot,
a-gallop, a-gallop-a-trot.

This is the way the farmers ride,
A-hobblety-hoy, a-hobblety-hoy,
A-hobblety, hobbelty-hoy!

This is the way the soldiers ride,
"And a Hep! 2, 3, 4, Hep! 2, 3, 4,
heppety, heppety, hep! 2, 3, 4.

This is the way the cowboys ride,
A-whoopy-i-ay, a-whoopy-i-ay,
A-whoopy, whoopy, whoopy-i-ay!

--As you can tell, the bounces get progressively livelier and bouncier as you go along. Can't tell if you're doing it right? Their laughs should also get progressively bigger as you go. If they're not squealing and laughing at the cowboy part.... try again with more gusto! :-)

Two Variations: 

1. This is the way the ladies ride,
Neat and small, neat and small.

This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Boots and all, boots and all.

This is the way that *baby rides,
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

*Substitute baby's name.

2. This is the way the ladies ride,
Saddle aside, saddle aside,
(bounce baby sitting sideways on your lap)


This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Saddle astride, saddle astride.
(baby sitting astride)


This is the way the baby rides,
tucked inside, tucked inside.
(hug baby)

And this is how they all looked great
when they jumped over the 10-bar gate.
(bounce baby from one knee high over to the other)


Who needs mechanical plastic ponies outside the store when mommy or daddy can be a far superior horsey??
Go bounce those babies! :-)

Chants for Baby

Babies love to know that you love them. One way to show this is to have fun playing with them. They enjoy laughing with you. It really does help build happy, delightful children with a joyful twinkle in their eye!

Another fun way to engage your baby (ages 0-1ish... or beyond!) is by chants where you incorporate their little bodies into the actions. We are all probably familiar with "Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker's Man" - which is a great one! - and how much the babies love it because of the rhyme and hand motions the parent does with baby's hands. These types of chants are great for several reasons:

1. They are rhyming and sing-songy, teaching rhythm, patterns and vocal creativity
2. They use baby's body, helping baby become aware of various body parts and the different feelings caused when mommy or daddy uses them for motions or tickling.
3. They bond parent and baby
4. They can get baby laughing and smiling when seemingly nothing else can.
etc, etc....

So, if you're getting tired of "Pat-a-cake" here are a few more to try:

Old Hawk
Old hawk goes
around, around
finds a little.... chickie!

Motion suggestions: 
Do this one with baby lying on back.
During first 2 lines, make your hands or just fingers into a flying motion and "fly" around baby's belly.
During third line, pause briefly after "little" and plunge fingers down (appropriately!) to baby's belly and tickle on the word "chickie!"

Around, Around the Garden
Around, around the garden
the little bunny goes.
Hippity-hop, Hippity-hop,
I'm gonna get your.... nose!

Motion suggestions: 
This one can be with baby sitting or laying on back.
"Hop" your two fingers around baby's body.... belly, arms, legs, etc. until you come to the "I'm gonna get your..." where you get closer and closer to baby's nose. Then, gently squeeze baby's nose on the last word.

Bore a Hole
I'm gonna bore a hole,
I don't know where,
I think I'll bore a hole right..... there!

Motion suggestions:
Baby can be laying down or sitting.
With your pointer finger, move in circular motion in the air around baby and then have a slight pause before picking a spot where your finger dives down to baby and tickles.

Pausing a second or two before the climax of the rhyme enhances baby's expectation and usually results in more giggles because of the extra anticipation. :-)

Don't forget the old standards like "Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Mo" too!

Which chants are your baby's favorites?

Bouncing Baby Boys (and Girls)

For the two of you out there who don't know, babies love to be bounced (although, preferably not on a full tummy...). Bouncing babies and toddlers is not only fun for  bouncee and bouncer, but did you know that it develops their inner musical aptitude as well?

Think about a baby bounce that most of us are familiar with... Humpty Dumpty, for example.
Now think about all the great things about bounces:

1. They rhyme - teaching patterns of sound and speech
2. They're often a descriptive story or scenario - developing their imagination
3. They have "high spots" of anticipation - teaching expectancy and outcome like "Humpty Dumpty had a great... FALL!"
4. They are sing-songy, or a full-fledged song - teaching melody and rhythm.
5. Baby's body is (appropriately) bounced to the beat of the song - teaching innate rhythm through shared body motion.

You didn't know they were so beneficial, did you? (or maybe you did....)

In a world where you can buy an electronic toy with any number of sounds and songs and languages, I bet that your baby still would choose YOU over any plastic toy.
We could give our little ones Baby Einstein videos all day, and their musical ability would not develop in any way that would be comparable to the extreme value of the physical, vocal and happy experience of bouncing.

Baby bounces are gems that are passed down from a grandparent to parent and so on. They are memorable, wonderful rhymes used for one purpose - joy. Joy in the child's face. Joy in the giver's face. There is nothing like the pure delight of a child enjoying such direct attention from their loving family.

I don't remember the first musical toy I had, but I have great memories of my dad bouncing me on his knees to "humpty dumpty sat on a wall..." and then dropping me down (gently! Thanks dad...) to "he had a great...... FALL!" and all the giggles that followed... as well as repeated appeals to "do it again, Daddy!!"

So, I will list many bounces on this site because they are priceless little activities that our children need from us.

I'll start with a little bouncing "how-to"

Here are three ways to bounce your baby or toddler:

1. Lay baby on his/her back on your lap. This is best for newborns/infants who don't have much core strength yet:

2. Hold baby up on your knees:

    3. Hold baby standing on the floor:

This is the one my 8-month-old currently likes because he's all about standing and jumping now-a-days.

Or, bounce them while standing up and holding them.... or lying on the floor with them on your knees... there are lots and lots of options!

Next, choose a bounce! I've listed some of our favorites below. They can be chanted or sung, but you should be sure to bounce your baby to the beat. I've put the strong beat in caps so you have an idea how to chant each one.


Ride Charlie Ride

RIDE Charlie RIDE,
RIDE that horsey RIDE  
(repeat)
Then finish with a louder "Yeeeeeeee-Ha!" where you bounce baby high, or wiggle him around.

Also... feel free to insert your own child's name for "Charlie"

Clap Hands 

Clap HANDS, clap HANDS
'Till DADDY comes HOME
with BUNS in his POCK-ets
for BABY a-LONE

Clap HANDS, clap HANDS
'till DADDY comes HOME
for DADDY has MONEY
and MAMMY has NONE.

(This one can be good to do with baby in your lap so you can "clap" his or her hands.

Ride a Cock Horse 

RIDE a cock HORSE
to BANberry CROSS,
to SEE a fine LADY
upON a white HORSE
RINGS on her FINGERS
and BELLS on her TOES
SHE shall have MUSIC
where-EVER she GOES!

I like to wiggle baby on "where...eeeehhhver" with a neighing sound like the horse.... I'll let you imagine. :-)

So, there are three to start with!
I'd love to hear what you do too!

And... next time you plop baby down and reach for their electronic-toy, consider trying a bounce or two instead. You won't regret it. :-)