‘River of song’ will be a work in progress for some time but this section allows you to see where and how it is shaping up.
Latest Summer 2026 news can be found on my
Newsworthy Home page.

Too hot for comfort

Too hot to think, too hot to sleep, too hot to sit at the computer and stay updated. We’ve never had a summer like this in England before—forest fires, buckled rail lines, dwindling water supplies, parched land, weeks without rain, and new species arriving on our shores. And yet, some still deny global warming! I just revisited the song “Now is the Cool of the Day” by Jean Ritchie and these lyrics stood out: You may live in this garden if you keep the grasses green / if you keep the waters clean.
Great song, worth a listen.

It’s a little quiet round here…

Not in this house, though, with family and friends constantly coming and going, as in many households. Out and about as it should be during the holiday season—visits here, visits there—and hardly any time to open the computer and say hello! Luckily, there’s plenty of music available on this website to support Autumn term planning and even Summer festivities. And, as always, there are new songs on my YouTube channel.

Where have all the bumble bees gone?

Here in southwest England, they seem to have vanished—and it’s hardly surprising! The heatwave has wreaked havoc on insect life in our parched garden; stripped of its usual abundance of blossoms even the roses wither almost as soon as they bloom after two and a half weeks of relentless heat and no rain. For a bit of summer cheer, there are still plenty of songs celebrating our beloved busy bees to be found here: It’s a minibeast and bug world | River of song.

Indeed!

“Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play”
Philip Pullman

Oh, Mister Sun

I like to acknowledge the authors of songs shared here, or if they are traditional, their sources. It’s becoming harder to do this with so much unchecked misinformation, and AI often repeats these errors made by others, adding to the confusion. For example, the origins of the song “Oh, Mister Sun” are difficult to uncover, yet AI-generated information has wrongly linked it to Ruth Crawford Seeger’s 1948 book American Folk Songs for Children—I have a copy, and that’s not the case! There are several other errors being propagated incorrectly.
I believe I remember the song from my childhood, but like AI, could well be mistaken. I’d be thrilled to uncover the true roots of this song if anyone has accurate information arising from documented evidence.
Contact Dany at: riverofsong1@aol.com

Keep on singing – YouTube Monday

Every week, usually on a Monday, I upload new songs to YouTube, so be sure to check them out! You can find recent additions and ones to be added at the bottom of this page. This website may have more than enough songs for any occasion, but there are those from my childhood and teaching years that often come to mind, especially the seasonal ones and say “What about me?” I also still discover pieces that capture my attention in the extensive collection of songbooks gathered on my shelves. For me the challenge of learning new material to share and, above all, the joy of singing and playing my dear guitar will hopefully keep my mind in good shape as the years fly by!
Picture above drawn on a recent birthday card for me from one of my grandkids

Travel in song ♪♫ ♪♫ ♪♫

This week in the swimming pool boot room,
I chatted with a lovely lady from Uruguay, and our conversation turned to travel, which used to be a big part of my life. These days, the thought of airport queues, high temperatures, and concerns about sustainability, among other downsides, has lately made traveling to other countries far less appealing.
Fortunately, that world is still open to those of us who choose to travel at home or in our heads. As an avid reader other places and their histories are there on the page of a book to enjoy; but dipping into songs from around the globe and presenting them here and on YouTube has been a most delightful journey over the past few years.
Many collections of songs from other places can be found on this portal: Songs from many lands | River of song
I am also thrilled to find that so many visitors to this site come from all corners of the Earth. Thank you / gracias / merci / danke / grazie / arigato / xie xie / shukran / asante so much for your support.

Around the campfire

With summer calling, it’s time to plan trips up and away with family and friends. Whether it’s a coach ride, car journey, scouting adventure, family gathering, or after-school club, a community sing-along is the perfect way to keep spirits high and everyone buzzing.
Find a song for every occasion here:
Community sing-alongs | River of song
Ain’t it great to be crazy! | River of song

Busy bees – the air is buzzing

Summer is almost here and the bees are already out and about. Explore a collection of songs and poems celebrating these amazing creatures all gathered together in one place:
It’s a minibeast and bug world | River of song – where you can find a growing collection dedicated to bees and their fascinating little lives. In the nest few weeks I will aim to add more from other collections.

The merry, merry month of May

Whether you’re celebrating May Day or simply enjoying the month that signals summer’s approach, it’s all taken care of here Seasonal | River of song —so gather around the Maypole and take your pick.

Pause for thought

Every now and then, we all need a little jolt to make us pause and reflect on what we’re doing. A recent comment on Facebook kindly recommended my online song collection but noted that my website felt “rather overwhelming.” I have to admit, there’s a lot of truth in that—it can certainly feel overwhelming at times, especially when there never seems to be enough time in the week to keep things simple. Perhaps I need to:

• look at how this website can be organized more effectively
• start with this page – too many sections!!
• cut my weekly output of YouTube songs to two to give more time to transfer songs from the old ‘Singing Games for Children’ website which is fading by the day
• appreciate 60% of through traffic is from mobile phones

Any other thoughts? Contact address at the bottom of the page

IT’S SPLASHDOWN!

A warm welcome to the Orion spacecraft crew back from beyond the far side of the Moon —Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch from NASA, along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency. While the Artemis II astronauts didn’t land on the Moon, their mission has set the stage for a future lunar touchdown and inspired a new generation of young dreamers.
Discover a great new collection of songs and poems about our moon, astronauts, and the enchanting infinity of the universe in the captivating new release: To the Moon and Beyond.

Artemis 11 – To the moon and beyond

This way to outer space….

YouTube playlist: The moon and the stars – YouTube

A new collection is about to lift off! At present it can be found tucked away on a ‘Song Cupboard’ shelf but is getting ready for SPLASH DOWN! at the end of the week. Songs and poems been gathered from all parts of the ‘River of song’ universe ready for the Summer term. Keep your eyes on the stars!

Summer days are peeping round the corner

The sun is shining, bluebells are blooming, blossoms cover the trees, tulips are still bright but the daffodils have faded—April has arrived. In just a week or two, the summer term will begin. For a song to lift the spirits, check out Summer days | River of song.

Happy Easter

An egg-tra special occasion with bunnies, hunts and new life. There’s plenty to find at:
Spring is coming! | River of song and an Easter section at:
Seasonal | River of song newly updated!!

Spring has sprung

It is only the beginning of March but the signs are surely there; the sun shining on the daffodils in our garden this morning, birds singing, catkins wagging their pretty tails, clusters of primroses putting on a lovely display and leaf buds and blossom forming on the trees. A promising start.
Likewise my Spring collection of songs is blossoming
Spring is coming! | River of song
I still have a goodly number of songs to transfer from my old website ‘Singing games for children’ once each song is updated with its own PDF with music, chords, lyrics, links and illustrations but they are on their way with my favourites taking precedence.

Rain, rain go away!

Here in the South West of England, it’s been raining every day since the start of the year, with only a couple of stunning rainbows and occasional bursts of sunshine to brighten up the grey, wet days. The garden is drenched and soggy. Really looking forward to the brighter, sunnier days of Spring!
Investigate Weather-wise, there’s always something to find for inspiration and cheer.

Sing!

Love this quote: “The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is not to open your mouth and sing. What a mistake that would be!”  Pete Seeger

Ain’t it great to be crazy!

A new title for my comic collection as ‘Funny songs and poems’ didn’t sound so hilarious! I’m still adding tunes from my ‘Singing games for children’ website complete with its own PDF of lyrics, sheet music and chords. It is always great seeing them being downloaded to support parents, teachers, librarians and others who value such a resource.

Fairies and other little folk

!MAGIC NUMBER 21! Here is the first new page of the year, a collection full of enchantment and wonder. This one comes from my Song Cupboard treasury and will grow over time as more magical fairy songs find their way into its pages.

Let’s get moving

Movement and action songs have been somewhat overlooked on this ‘River of Song’ site since its launch three years ago, despite being such a key part of ‘Singing Games for Children’. The New Year feels like the perfect time to change that, as it’s a great season for a rethink and to get moving. I’ll start by adding those with seasonal relevance first when possible.
Action games and rhymes | River of song

Heading helter-skelter towards 2026

Thoughts of a New Year bring new ideas, clearing out the old, a fresh start, and the perfect time to begin again.
‘River of Song’ continues its journey, with its tributary ‘Singing Games for Children’ gently flowing in to join it. Designed to be a home for all my new songs, collections, and resources, and with the mission of transferring over 3,000 songs from my original website, progress is well underway. There’s still a few years to go, but links are now in place to make all my music accessible from here.
A big thank you to all the visitors to this site and viewers of my YouTube channel from around the world who have supported and encouraged my mission to promote a range of music for those of all ages. This includes those who fondly remember music enjoyed down the years, giving me the wonderful opportunity to do the same!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Christmas is coming

It’s all happening so fast! Nativity plays are just around the corner, and the festive season is well on its way. The elves have already been visiting my grandkids’ house, bringing delightful activities to enjoy each day. New carols have been added, and little by little, Christmas songs from my old website are being refreshed for their new home, each complete with its own PDF.
Songs for Christmas and Thanksgiving | River of song

Starry starry night

How we miss the brilliant night sky during the summer months! Lately, the clouds have been concealing the stars as the days grow darker, but the moon and Jupiter have been making appearances to brighten our evenings. Bring on the night in all its splendour—and the earlier the better so the children can enjoy its beauty and wonder.

And then came November

Half term has come and gone, along with the journey up and down the motorway to the North and back. Returning home reveals a garden scattered with autumnal leaves and sunlight pouring in to warm the heart! Last night fireworks lit up the night sky, an early weekend celebration of Bonfire Night.

Who knows?

One of my most popular autumn songs is ‘Come little leaves said the wind one day’ or “Wind and the Little Leaves” by George Cooper, which I recorded a decade ago. Frustratingly, I can’t recall where I found that melody. There are many other lovely tunes recorded elsewhere; some I found beautiful but tricky and even wondered if I had composed the music myself; in my early recording days, I didn’t always note whether I had done so! If you have any answers, please let me know at: <riverofsong1@aol.com>

Mairzy Doats

One thing I really enjoy about this website is how it lets me revisit songs I recorded ages ago and see what my audience likes. It gives me a reason to prioritize and a reminder to update songs from my old site with fresh PDFs. Plus, it makes me smile when I stumble upon an old favorite like “Mairzy Doats” from my Lavender Lane collection.

Halloween hullabaloo! 

Halloween is just around the corner, and spooky PDFs are steadily taking over the information from my old website, while new songs are being added to create a delightfully cackle-worthy collection for your perusal.

Scottish songs, rhymes and poems

!MAGIC NUMBER 21!
This collection of songs from bonny Scotland now has its own page.
Scottish songs, rhymes and poems | River of song

Autumn term 2025

The trees are rapidly changing to their wonderful Autumn colours / colors; slowly shedding their leaves– leaves to pick up and identify, leaves to kick around, leaves to pick up and toss into the air. S

Harvest home!

!MAGIC NUMBER 21!
A new collection of bountiful songs.
Harvest home! | River of song
Seasons change as always and the harvest is upon us. The word ‘harvest’ is from the Old English ‘hærfest’, meaning autumn.
Time to appreciate that food is grown on the land, not behind the doors of a supermarket!
It is also a time to think of those in need; to collect together harvest gifts ready for distribution through church, supermarkets or charities.

♪♫ Tunes, tweaks and twiddles ♪♫

You might have notice a very few ♪♫ emoji signs appearing here and there on this website, they are there to identify original music I have composed for a rhyme, saying or poem, mostly traditional but some with permission.
There will be many not yet labelled this way but acknowledgements can always be found under my videos and on PDFs.
Eventually once at least 21 have been identified there be a dedicated collection.- another job to take forever!

Sleeping songs

Slowly but surely songs are being transferred from my old fragmented website ‘Singing games for children’ to their new home here, it will take many a month / year before the job is done! Today I came across a beautiful song in my ‘Song cupboard’ collection ‘River’ by Bill Staines that had not yet been transferred.
Made for kids / Not made for kids
‘River’ was also a video affected by the withdrawal of the comment box on YouTube in order to protect young children. As many of my recent songs and several older ones fall into the category ‘not made for kids’, I have been able to reinstall that valuable resource, ‘River’ is now that category with a comment box operating.
So here it is with a new PDF.

Autumn calling!

The summer holidays are still in full swing but the Autumn term is fast approaching. Fear not! The place to visit for songs, poems and games for this time of year is packed with goodies. Many of these have come from my original website ‘Singing games for children’ but slowly and surely these resources are being updated each with their own music and lyric PDFs and link to a YouTube video. Autumn | River of song

Sept. 20th International Day of Peace

At present global challenges are many with climatic, economic and political unrest. Armed conflicts are on the rise too, some for the reasons above but also include disputes over territory, inequality and the rise of extremism.
Singing for peace is one way to give voice to a desire for peace among people in the world and to express hope and solidarity with the victims of war. Dona Nobis Pace

Sept. 16th Clean up the World Weekend

August 17th World Honey Bee Day 

Summer is here and the bees are out and about. Songs and poems about these wonderful creatures swarm together here:
It’s a minibeast and bug world | River of song – honey for the soul, humming away in unison.

July 30th International Day of Friendship

A day fostered by the United Nation to cherish friendship and promote the role it plays across all cultures.
It is also day to let your friends know how much you care about them and celebrate this important relationship characterized by mutual affection, trust, respect and support. For children friends can provide opportunities for playing, sharing and practicing self regulation. Singing together and playing singing games is a great way to foster friendship and the words of songs can help nurture kindness, care and other positive attributes that encourage friendship in a more universal way. You can find many such songs through out this website but especially at:
Songs for a Better World | River of song
Holiday time can also be a lovely opportunity for making new friends.

 July 20th International Moon Day

I see the moon, the moon sees me

What a strange date to celebrate the moon, it must have come from the southern hemisphere! With longer days here (UK) in Summer we just occasionally get a peep of a paper moon as the sun goes down. But all year round you can find plenty of moon songs on this site. Inserting ‘moon’ in the search facility will lead to several collections. Naturally you will find a goodly number at: Lullabies | River of song

Picnics please!
July 10th Teddy Bear Picnic Day

And again! There is now a mini picnic selection for perusal in my Food and drink collection.

Reactive / proactive

Sometime this website feels wider than a mile, higher than a mountain – the limits seem boundless and often it feels difficult to prioritize where to go next. There are so many possibilities for moving forward.
But when I am asked to make a PDF of a particular song, find an old favourite and more recently a request for songs on ’empathy’ (which rapidly turned into a collection) I am delighted as it gives me a focus.
This is a reactive website, I react to the seasons in particular, the weather, visits from the grandkids, life in general, our changing world and just this morning to words like ‘social cohesion’ heard on the radio!
So if you have a request relating to music for the young or songs from the past get in touch; if I have the time or ability and it fits my vision for the website I will try to prior

Summer Holidays

How quickly they come round!
Time for a break! Well at least a little wind down. Some relief and space for those working in education, frantic juggling for parents in other full time employment.
For grandparents like ourselves a chance to see more of the grandkids! Off to the beach, rock pooling and exploring our lovely part of the country. Weekly YouTube output might be interrupted during this time but will be back to ‘normal’ in time for the busy new Autumn / Fall term
In the meantime the website will continue to grow with seasonal favourites added to Songfest seven so keep visiting!

Storytime in song

…and another collection gathered from corners of this ‘River of song’ website and my original home
‘Singing games for children’
Stories and music together encourage children to love reading. It nurtures language learning, improves memory, and develops listening skills through repetition and catchy melodies and so much more. A story to tell here:
Storytime in song | River of song

Exploring empathy

Whoops! I’ve missed Empathy Week / Day on June 12th by a massive margin. To make up for it I’ve begun an Empathy collection as this attribute is an important one all the year round especially in today’s divided world where unkindness and lack of respect for others is rife.
This collection has been inspired by a recent challenge from a practitioner who teaches children’s literature classes and needed songs on this theme for her 7-10 year olds. NOW LIVE! Exploring empathy | River of song

It’s hot, hot, hot!

It’s the longest day and unusually warm here in the South West of England and we’re looking for ways to keep comfortable.
‘When the sun shines bright’ think waterplay fun and bubbles, think keeping cool, think drink / hydration, think cover up and keeping safe, think sunscreen!
Find songs

Contact box reinstated!!

Find it on my contact page. I deleted this box in the early days of the website as messages did not seem to arrive this way, I have only just recently found them! Apologies to those who have tried to contact me in the past. Hopefully I now know where to look.
Get in touch. I always love to hear from you!
Something to ask? Or something to tell? Send a message now.

Find a new collection ‘Songs for Peace’ seeded from its home ‘Songs for a better world’.

Dona Nobis Pacem

At present global challenges are many with climatic, economic and political unrest.
Armed conflicts are on the rise too, some for the reasons above but also include disputes over territory, inequality and the rise of extremism.
Singing for peace is one way to give voice to a desire for peace among people in the world and to express hope and solidarity with the victims of war.
Children’s songs for peace can affirm a need to build a just, healthy and more peaceful world. AI overview: Peace songs for children are valuable because they promote positive emotions, teach important values and create a sense of unity and connection. They can help children understand complex concepts like peace and justice in an accessible and engaging way, fostering empathy and encouraging peaceful behaviors. 
Songs that sing of peace and love can also calm the soul and soothe the troubled mind.

Summer is a-comin’, so I’ve been told

Formally it is still Spring and in many parts of the Northern hemisphere Spring has only just got going.
In my part of the Southwest of England the traditional Spring flowers have come, blossomed and gone. There is now talk of a drought after fortnight of sunshine.
Definitely time to get going adding more sheet music PDFs to my lengthy Summer collection. You will see below I have already concentrated on minibeasts / bugs for starters, there’s more to come. Picnics, the seashore, comic campfire songs will be next in line. Naturally music for all those songs without a PDF tag can also be accessed at my old Singing games for children site.

Funny songs and poems

Spring is on its way with plenty of cheer with the birds and the bees and a multitude of bright flowers and and blossom to appreciate. And yet, and yet, in these tricky and trying times we need more to bring a little craziness, songs to make us smile, to have fun and laugh out loud.
Here you can find yet another collection from its ‘River of song’ / Song cupboard home has grown past the !MAGIC NUMBER 21! target for achieving its own page. It will continue to grow.

Hi folks, you might have noticed not much has changed here at ‘River of song’ this week; the Easter bunny has bought me and family a nasty bout of Norovirus! 😷 Lots of water and no Easter eggs is beginning to do the trick so hopefully I’ll be back on track soon ready to add to and update my Summer Days collection ready for the new school term.

You’ve might have noticed a few little hearts scattered around this website recently. They indicate a little leap of the heart, 💖a buzz, 💖just that magical feeling 💖when I revisit a song I particularly enjoy.
Many others touch my heart in the same but I shall try hard to restrict such an award!!

It’s a minibeast and bug world

Another collection from its ‘River of song’ home Creatures great and small has grown without trying.
It has hopped, buzzed, wiggled, slithered, crawled or flown way past the !MAGIC NUMBER 21! target for achieving its own page.

The bees are buzzing but where are the butterflies…

Spring flowers are out in all their glory and with the sunshine and rain along come small creatures in profusion. Sadly the news this week featured the rapidly declining butterfly population over the last few decades.
“Monitoring has revealed 51 of the UK’s 59 butterfly species declined last year compared with 2023, while just six increased. It was the second worst year on record for common butterflies that live in gardens, parks and the wider countryside.” Butterfly Conservation is calling on people to not cut their grass between April and September, saying this simple act can make a lot of difference to moths, butterflies and other wildlife. “By far the best thing we can do to help butterflies is to create more habitat,” said Richard Fox.
Raise awareness of these lovely creatures with young children, there are many Butterfly / Caterpillar songs to be found here.

Food for thought

A new page! Our consumption provide us with energy and nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins so our bodies can function and thrive.
This means eating a wide variety of foods  This new collection has been gathered together to help children become familiar with foods from near and far and become more adventurous in their eating habits while having lots of fun. It will continue to grow. You can access under the Song Cupboard here: Food and drink | River of song

National Hedgehog Awareness Week

I better get my skates on, in 2025 NHAW runs from May 4th to May 10th. Organized by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) it aims to raise awareness about the decline of hedgehog populations and encourage people to help them.  I have a goodly collection of songs about this lovely creature and will try to gather them together before the end of the week. In Oxfordshire they were regular visitors to our garden; sadly here in the South West the badger population scares them away. For starters here is my YouTube playlist: Songs about hedgehogs – YouTube and a small and will be growing number here: Creatures great and small | River of song

20th April Easter Sunday

Late this year but plenty of time to explore songs about new life, rabbits and eggs in my Spring collection:
Spring is coming! | River of song

Daffodils

There are so many lovely Spring flowers to enjoy at this time of year but the daffodil with its golden head giving us a taste of sunny days to come stands out in all its glory.
Find songs about daffodils and other spring flowers in my comprehensive Spring collection.

Spring begins

Maybe not formally until March 21st but the signs are there; the sun shining on the celandines in our garden this morning, birds singing, catkins wagging their pretty tails, bunches of primroses putting on a lovely show and leaf buds forming on the trees. A good start. You can find many Spring songs for this time of year at:
Spring is coming! | River of song

Frog and friends

Ready to say hello and hopping your way!
Frogs, toads and salamanders | River of song
This amphibian collection originated in its original home Creatures great and small as part of the ‘Song cupboard’ treasury and has now hopped past the !MAGIC NUMBER 21! target for achieving its own page So here we go, Frogs and friends welcome you!
Frogspawn in the UK may be seen in ponds from January onward, depending on weather and location. Tadpoles appear in ponds in the Spring, around March time. Here in the warmer South West they can appear earlier.
Children are fascinated by their arrival and here you can find a whole bunch of froggie and other amphibian songs.

Birds of a feather

Ready and waiting and gathered together!
Birds of a feather | River of song
Birds sing to us and we sing about birds.
My bird collection has grown without trying and has flown way past the !MAGIC NUMBER 21! target for having its own page; it has now outgrown its original home Creatures great and small.

Songs from many lands

Is the place to go for finding songs from here, there and everywhere.
I have just gathered together six from Turkey, a country I remember fondly after twice in the late 1960s visiting International Work camps there.

Out of Africa

A small collection from a big continent.
You might have recently noticed some songs from this category recently appearing here.
Many of these songs from Africa were collected years ago when I first began my “Singing games for children” website; sometimes scattered around in different collections.
A few, as yet, do not have a dedicated video, that will hopefully be remedied!
Now you can find a unified compilation of African songs at:
‘Songs from many lands’
It will grow and hopefully win its own page when it reaches
!MAGIC NUMBER 21!
Have a peek!

!MAGIC NUMBER 21!

A new section has been rewarded its own dedicated homepage:
Circle around | River of song
A good excuse for singing and playing together!

Feb 17th Random acts of kindness Day

Pop a little pancake into the pan

February 14th 2025

Be kind to one another ****

There’s love in the air as St. Valentine’s Day approaches. Each song / PDF here is complete with lyrics, sheet music and how to play.
Find more songs of love on my:

Love, Kindness and Sharing playlist

Winter is here

Feel a chill in the air? Just think of the penguins at the South Pole and get moving!
There’s a little bunch of penguin songs with new PDFs to enjoy in the Winter collection and Seven songs below.

Snow fell in the our small city this week, not very usual in this part of the country. A lovely white covering made the day sparkle with light, put smiles on everyone’s faces and sent snowballs flying. It only lasted 24 hours and then was gone to be replaced by ‘Storm Bert’!!
A good excuse though to keep going with a flurry of Winter PDFs.

Happy New Year and good cheer

2025 is here.
Slowly but surely ‘River of Song’ continues to wend its way onward with its tributary ‘Singing games for children’ flowing gently down to join it!
With the aim of being a home for all my new songs, collections and resources and a mission to transfer 3,000 plus songs from my original website, progress is being made.
There are a few years to go yet but links are now in place for all my music to be accessible from here.
My heartfelt thanks to the many visitors to this site and viewers of my YouTube channel from around the world who have supported and encouraged my mission to promote a range of music for those who work with children. And not only the young but those out there who look back fondly at music they have encountered over the years, giving me an opportunity to do exactly the same!! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Christmas in the classroom

I was asked this week what I was doing putting up a carol at the beginning of November (Much more politely than that!) As a retired infant teacher I remember November and the following month with great affection, the time for getting the carols out and dusted ready to be practiced for the Nativity play!
Any how all the best with making Christmas and other festivals such fun for your kids – exhausting but so lovely to see their happy excited faces and watch their confidence blossom during rehearsals.

Winter is on its way

There might be a chill in the air but its time for festivals and celebrations to lighten the darkness and warm hearts with their lanterns, fireworks, bonfires and togetherness and as always songs to accompany them. River of song Calendar 2024 will give you a taster of some of these as will Seasonal | River of song with its Wassails Winter | River of song and of course Songs for Christmas and Thanksgiving

Happy first birthday ‘River of Song’

This website began one year ago,
23rd August 2003!
With the aim of being a home for all my new songs, collections and resources and a mission to transfer 3,000 plus songs from my ageing ‘Singing games for children’ website, a small start has been made.
Progress takes time, so there’s another few years to go but already links are in place for all my music to be accessible from here.
A kind viewer this week called this site ‘unique and refreshing’ which I rather like as I am very much learning as I go (making many mistakes on the way) for I have little IT knowledge but lots of enthusiasm to keep me going.
It is also great to have an opportunity to revisit old favourites and share them with a new audience.

Autumn term 2024

The trees are rapidly changing to their wonderful Autumn colours / colors; slowly shedding their leaves – leaves to pick up and identify, leaves to kick around, leaves to pick up and toss into the air. Suddenly there is light peeping through the branches with a hint of the winter to come.
Find a multitude of songs about this annual display of glory in my Autumn collection. Come and have a look – Autumn is calling!

Ukraine calling

Songs and rhymes from and for the Ukraine
This is a collection I began in response to the invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of 2022.
These children’s rhymes and songs have been translated into English from their original language. There are also songs written by myself in sympathy for the people of that stricken land.
All the Ukrainian songs here are now complete with YouTube links and PDFs!

A new term has begun!

For some the very first one of their lives, for others a new school at secondary level.
It’s time to meet old friends again and make new ones.
Find songs here to make that transition go smoothly.
Transition | River of song

!MAGIC NUMBER 21! or more the sections below have been rewarded their own dedicated homepage:

Folkways The place for nostalgia from folk days past

Schools radio and T.V. The place for nostalgia from schooldays past

Creatures great and small!!

This new collection is dedicated to pets, domesticated animals and the wildlife we see all around us – in the air, on land and in the sea. It will grow slowly but my many favourites get first look!
Here you can also find links to relevant YouTube playlists.

Summer term 2024

Summer holiday

Time for a break! Well at least a little wind down. The grandkids are arriving tomorrow, hooray! Off to the beach, rock pooling and exploring our lovely part of the country. A breather then a family wedding with folk from Australia and Paris . Busy, busy, busy – did I say a break!!
So three new videos next Monday as usual followed by none the following week but back in time for the new Autumn / Fall term.
In the meantime I will continue to grow the website during this time and add seasonal favourites to Songfest seven so keep visiting!

Press F5

I regularly revise / tweak content, PDFs in particular, and have noticed that occasionally updates do not appear. If a PDF link is faulty (404 Not Found) it may be that it has been replaced, press F5 to update, otherwise please let me know: riverofsong1@aol.com

Getting eaten alive July is blooming Summer days are here
Visit my Summer or
Minibeast YouTube playlists
or my ‘River of song’ collections:
* Creatures great and small!!
* Summer days
* Community sing-alongs
Many just perfect to pass on to any other happy campers or picnickers you might know.

So many songs, so many threads!

I’m feeling a little bit like a spider at present weaving a web out of 3,000 plus songs from my old website and YouTube videos and not quite knowing the best way forward, both what needs to be prioritized and the expectations of my audience!
It is all a bit haphazard depending on the seasons, who comes to visit, a whim or the need to prioritize compromised material.
Who comes to visit? Usually grandchildren for their holiday near the sea but tomorrow a relative from Rome. I was vexed to find out that there were only six Italian songs in my trove from other lands. So coming soon: Giro, giro tondo, a classic singing game I began working on this ten years ago but never finished or videoed, with a little help from my guest it has come to fruition!
New collections from other lands: This has encouraged me to add a small number of songs from Italy at:
Songs from many lands | River of song.

When any song collection on this page reaches the
!MAGIC NUMBER 21! or more it will be rewarded with
a dedicated homepage!

Newly published – a splash of colour

And on its way…. A splash of colour | River of song

Hooray!

All collections are now updated to be Desktop, Tablet and Mobile friendly apart from archived compilations. Time to move forward once again with new PDFs and updated and new pages

Adventures in technology contd..

Summer + Winter + Christmas and Thanksgiving + Spanish collection + Follow my leader + Autumn + Spring + Count away + Just nursery rhymes + Poetry please! + Games to play with baby + Action games and rhymes + Rounds and partner songs + Making music + Songs from many lands + Seasonal + Call and response + Finger and hand plays + Caribbean calling! + Lavender Lane + Lullabies + Weather wise + Songs for a better world
Are all now updated to be Desktop, Tablet and Mobile friendly. Have a look!

Ensuring that Tablet and Mobile access is enabled is a time consuming affair with the need to go back and reset much of my previous input. But as always there is a positive to each negative as I can edit and update at the same time. Several sections of the old ‘Singing games for children’ website have lost their sheet music over the years and now need to be restored here at ‘River of song’ in a PDF form which can include illustrations .
Rescued material includes new PDFs at:
‘For the very young/ knee bouncing’ which is now naturally Desktop, Tablet and Mobile friendly.

Recently published…
East and Southeast Asia | River of song

This page contains songs from CHINA, INDONESIA JAPAN, KOREA AND MALAYSIA most with videos and some with PDFs.
More countries from these regions to follow.
And “Hooray!” It is also desktop, tablet and mobile friendly.

International Dawn Chorus Day

The first Sunday of May, this year the 5th, is a worldwide celebration of nature’s greatest symphony. 
You can find 333 videos on my YouTube bird playlist, choose your favourite here: Songs about birds – YouTube
Better still get up early and listen to the real thing!

Spring term 2024

Adventures in technology… another technical ‘Whoops!’

I have been away from home over Easter hols with the grand-kids who have no difficulty navigating all sorts of media whereas I have only just realized that the YouTube and PDF links which appear firmly attached to each song on my computer screen at home drops below the song lists on an IPad or mobile – disaster!
Hopefully I’ll get to grips with this in the not too distant future – please bear with me!!

Whoops!! my new contact address somehow got overlaid with my old e-mail address – think it is OK now!!!
Apologies if you have been trying to get in touch.
Let me know if there are specific songs / themes / collections from my old website ‘Singing games for children’ that you would like to see transferred here / jump the queue; I will do my best to see that they take preference.

Here in the South West of England the weather is all over the place; in the last three days we’ve had sunshine, light showers, heavy rainfall, hail here and snow on Dartmoor and a long large clap of thunder outside our house.
It’s time for ‘Weather wise’ http://riverofsong.uk/weather-wise/ to get to grips with the vagaries of our climate, our changing earth and its often unpredictable outcomes.
Published now and on its way!

Officially Spring has only just sprung (March 21st) but Easter is just around the corner (Plenty of songs here for the celebration!)
Hotfoot after that comes the summer term. Do not be fretful Summer Days! has premiered
Summer days | River of song
This collection with links to my YouTube playlist and ‘Singing games for children’ website has already begun to grow with new videos and PDFs all in one place.
Have a look and see how it is going!

New!

This collection from the West Indies has a little place in my heart. Find out more:
Caribbean calling | River of song
Calypsos, lullabies, shanties and
more to come…

Find Native American songs, chants and poems here:
Songs from many lands | River of song

March 2025

Saint Patrick’s Day Falls on March 17th, be ready to celebrate and visit a new collection of Irish Songs; songs that include leprechauns, shamrocks and all things green

Sunday 30th March Mothering Sunday UK

February 2024

Rounds and partner songs have just been updated and are now fully linked to the ‘Singing games for children’ website. Just need to add individual PDFs and YouTube links.
Getting there bit by bit!

Lavender Lane the place for nostalgia is shaping up nicely with its songs from days gone by.
I have now added two new collections ready to be developed – School’s radio and TV + School assembly / community songs. Just need to go hunting through my old site to find them and look out for those not yet recorded.

The Spanish collection

Songs from Spain and the Hispanic world are now on their way. Some come from my earliest collections and have a different format from my more recent offerings. Most are games and dances and not every song will have a video attached.
My more recent publications will naturally conform to the standard templates.
Again I ask for you patience as I continue to update each compilation / archive but as always there are links throughout to my YouTube playlists and the Singing games for children website. This will be a pretty comprehensive library!

Music mayhem🎵🎹🎸🥁🛢

Half term and we’ve had fun making music with the grandkids. Monday’s regular singing session was enlivened and accompanied by the drum, bongo, xylophone, swanee whistle and tongue drum.💖 Enjoy!
Waterbound 🌊 Robin in a pine tree 🐦 A hint of Spring

Valentine’s Day

Falls on February 14th, a good excuse to get going with a loving collection!

Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday

Get ready for pancake making and tossing with a collection of hand and number plays and songs for all ages. This year it’s on February 13th.

A new year is on it’s way! Get ready for Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, which falls on February 10, 2024 by visiting Seasonal | River of song to find songs for this festival and more from the Chinese tradition. Just a start more to come.

Snow is still falling in many parts of the world.
You can find several snowmen songs here: Winter | River of song

Spring is calling! a collection in readiness for the upcoming school year.
Can’t wait for the wonders of Spring, there’s so much to anticipate.
I shall continue to regularly add more PDFs to this new page until summer approaches! All the ‘Singing games for children’ links are now fully in place

January 2024
New Year greetings!!

Spring is coming!! It might be cold in January but daffodil tips are pushing up through the soil.
Just the push I needed to start a Spring page on this website. Here is a taster, one of my favourite Spring poems, When you see a daffodil

More for the very young: Knee bouncing songs and rhymes (Just a start) Such a wonderful way to help children appreciate rhyme and rhythm. And most of all great fun, especially where there is a surprise ending and the once they are familiar with the words, the anticipation of what is to come!

December 2023

More for the very young: Knee bouncing songs and rhymes (Just a start) Such a wonderful way to help children appreciate rhyme and rhythm. And most of all great fun, especially where there is a surprise ending and the once they are familiar with the words, the anticipation of what is to come!

Number fun! contd. The collection is now fully linked to my old site and I am now working slowly but surely to make all songs one click from here.
Number fun! A new collection of number rhymes and songs to enjoy. Just a start but all ready for the new year. Count away | River of song

Snow in the city today, just a light sprinkling but much more impressive up on Dartmoor.
Dance like snowflakes
Must keep going with my winter collection:
Winter | River of song
Singing together
Visit my new page:
Rounds and partner songs | River of song
Just a start but better now than then.

November 2023
Temperatures are set to plummet in this part of the world (England) so remember to Feed the birds!
A selection of songs have been updated this week, from the seasonal winter collection, to help children consider the plight of our feathered friends as the temperature dips at this time of year : Winter | River of song

It’s snowing, it’s blowing! Time to wrap up warmly!
Find songs to encourage children to put on suitable clothing when outside at play:
Winter | River of song

Christmas is coming! and Thanksgiving
Find a comprehensive collection of songs for the festive season here:
Songs for Christmas and Thanksgiving | River of song

Need a Turkey song for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Look no further for a gaggle of gobblers:
Gobble, gobble, gobble!

What did you do on bonfire night in the past?!
Find words, music and more about this tradition here: PDF
A response to a comment ‘Mad’ wrote about this cob-coaling song :

“I’m from Oldham. Was taught this as a boy. I Loved it bcoz this was one of those times of year, we had an excuse to go knock on doors, sing and hopefully get a reward. We didn’t get “oddy money” or these days an allowance. I remember the end of the night, bucket full of change, we tally it all up and there was a split between us. We didn’t actually split the money. Just worked out how much each of us had depending how many, then went down the “BOB SHOP” and bought a barrow load of Pop and Sweets. Good days. Long gone. We collected pop bottles in between these occasions, 10p back on a bottle.”

Hey diddle, diddle there’s a nursery rhyme page on its way!
Just nursery rhymes
New pages begun: Call and response /
Music making

October 2023
Ready for the winter wassailing season? Come and knock on this door! Seasonal
Half term: Not much done online as kids down for a visit with a very wet visit to the seaside, a long sunny mushroom hunt and pumpkin making.
New pages begun: For the very young / Follow-my-leader songs / Action games and rhymes / Songs for Christmas and Thanksgiving / Winter
As before seasonal songs will take precedence when moving forward.

September 2023
Building a website! Spent much of this week going down rabbit holes trying to work out how to make columns! Think I’ve now got the hang of the basics but oh how frustrating not being able to move forward and add content. Adding mp3s comes next! Any advice welcome!

In the Catalan collection added this week you can find several delightful Autumn songs and singing games. The Catalan collection | River of song