Laptime Songs

Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Fingerplays for Kids

Snowball, Snowball

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Snowball, Snowball
Flannel Board Hide and Seek Game

Snowball, snowball
Big and round
Behind which mitten
Can you be found?

To play the game:
Put each mitten on the flannel board one by one talking about the color of the mitten. For toddlers you can say the color and invited them to repeat it. For preschoolers you can ask them what the color is and then reinforce their learning by repeating the name of the color.

Once all the mittens have been placed on the flannel board, turn the board around and hide the snowball behind one of the mittens. As you are doing this you can explain how the game works. Turn the board around and say the chant. Have the children guess a color. Look behind the color. If the snowball is not there, have another child guess. If the snowball is there, cheer! You can turn the board around and hide it again. I have found that little ones enjoy this game 5-7 times or until all the colors have had a turn to hide the snowball.

A Goodbye Rhyme

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A Good-bye Rhyme

Wave high, wave low
I think it’s time we’ve got to go.

Wave your elbows, wave your toes,
Wave your knees, wave your nose.

Wave your chin, wave your lips,
Blow a kiss from your fingertips.

Wave your ears, wave your eyes,
Wave your hands and say “Good-bye!”

With Infants

Lay the infant on a blanket or on your lap. Tickle each body part as it is mentioned. Help the infant wave good-bye with their hands.

With Young Toddlers

Either sit facing your sitting toddler, or have your toddler sit on your lap. If facing each other you can mirror your toddler by waving each body part as it it mentioned. If toddler is sitting on your lap, you can help them wave each body part as it is mentioned.

Go Bananas

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Go Bananas!

Banana

Form banana
Form, form banana

Peel banana
Peel, peel banana

Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!

Orange

Form the orange
Form, form the orange

Peel the orange
Peel, peel the orange

Squeeze the orange!
Squeeze, squeeze the orange!

Potato

Form potato
Form, form potato

Peel potato
Peel, peel potato

Mash potatoes!
Mash, mash potatoes!

This Little Train

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This Little Train

(Tune: “This Old Man“)

This little train, painted black
It comes chugging down the track
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

This little car painted blue
It has seats for me and you
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

This little car painted yellow
It shimmies and shakes like a bowl of jello
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

This little car, painted green
It’s the fanciest car you’ve seen,
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

This little car; it is grey
It takes you places far away
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

This caboose; it is red
It will take you home to bed
With a “Choo-choo; Toot-toot”
Hear the whistle blow
This little train goes chugging home.

Free Train Printable

Download this free printable to use in your next train-themed program. Each train is full-page sized and a different color. 9 pages, 9 trains, 9 colors: black, gray, white, red, orange, yellow, blue, green & purple.

Download Now

Get a Ticket

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Get a Ticket

Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train.
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train.
Don’t stand out in the wind and rain.
Get a ticket, ticket, ticket for the train.

Additional verses make the following substitutions:
Bus: Climb aboard, you can ride with us.
Plane: Don’t stand out in the wind and rain.
Boat: The water’s too cold to swim or float.
Bike: It’s way too far to walk or hike.

The Train

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The Train

Choo choo choo choo choo choo choo choo!
Billy and Johnny, Maria and Sue*,
All of them watch for the train to pass through.
Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong ding!
See the engine puffing, hear the bell ring.
Click clack, click clack, click clack clack,
Tell me please, will you come back?

*Substitute the names of children in your group

5 Little Ghosts

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Five Little Ghosts

Five little ghosts flying out the door,
One flew away and then there were four.

Four little ghosts playing happily,
One flew away and then there were three.

Three little ghosts yelling boo! boo! boo!,
One flew away and then there were two.

Two little ghosts having spooky fun,
One flew away and then there was one.

One little ghost caught sight of the sun,
Flew back home and that left none.