Like many British people today and those from other parts of the globe I have friends and family in other countries. My grandparents came from Russia, Poland, England and Ireland. My aunts had French and Italian husbands. My sister and her family live in Australia and one of my brothers in France. As a child I lived in Malaya for 2 ½ years and then in my youth traveled widely; sometimes to international work camps (Poland, Finland and Turkey) where youngsters from many countries came to work, socialize and sing together.

Schools in this country often have a wide ethnic mix. For a broader understanding of each other’s cultural identities we need to be familiar with aspects of these traditions and language.
With this in mind and to support those children with a mixed background like myself, I am keen to collect and promote songs and singing games from around the world.
More about my international background at: http://www.trilingualchildren.com/2014/12/life-story-spans-two-centuries-multicultural-family.html

for these songs go to my original web site,
singinggamesforchildren.com

Translations

 Literal translations do not always make sense to the English ear so these have been translated freely (very freely in some cases!) to complement the music and capture the spirit of each song.

Countries in bold indicate a dedicated page in the menu

Words and music by Dany Rosevear ****
Music by Dany Rosevear ♪♫ – only recently begun to add
You will notice a few hearts 💖 appearing here and elsewhere on this website, they indicate a song that is a big favourite of mine. There will be many equally enjoyed but not yet labelled as such!

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

Website pages: 

It’s a wonderful world

Out of Africa

Dance around Europe 1

Dance around Europe 2

Dance around North America 1

Dance around North America 2

Australia and New Zealand A-H, I-K, L-S, T-Z Australian originals

La pájara pinta The Spanish collection
Includes those from Hispanic countries, particularly South America

Australia and New Zealand YouTube playlist

A-H, I-K, L-S, T-Z Australian originals
A flea went hopping
YouTube PDF follow my leader / circle game
I have made a pretty nest
YouTube PDF Spring / Schools TV / hand play
Little Tommy Tadpole
YouTube PDF Spring / Frogs
Maranoa lullaby
YouTube PDF Australian / Schools radio
Tohora nui / The big whale
YouTube PDF action song /New Zealand

Canada

Ho ho watanay 💖
YouTube PDF Iroquois lullaby
The) Huron carol
YouTube PDF Schools radio / Christmas
She’s like the swallow
YouTube PDF Newfoundland / folk song / BBC Schools radio
Sleep-o little owlet new
YouTube PDF Kwakuitl / cradle song / bird

Czechoslovakia
Honey spread on brown brown bread
YouTube PDF T&T Spring 1952 bees / colour / food
Dog jumps through the window
YouTube PDF Czech weather nursery rhyme
Ifca’s castle
YouTube PDF a round / BBC Schools radio
Rocking carol
YouTube PDF Czech Christmas lullaby

East and Southeast Asia inc. China

Chinese Many can be found linked with Chinese New Year in the Seasonal | River of song collection +East and Southeast Asia | River of song

Devon and Cornwall YouTube playlist

Including all of the West Country UK inc Somerset.
Needless to say not a country but my part of the world in the UK! Some of these songs / rhymes might be just a version heard down this way.

Cornish May song
YouTube PDF late Spring
Going down to Devon ****
YouTube PDF summer / number
Hal-an-tow
YouTube PDF late Spring / Cornish
Hush a bye my little crumb
YouTube  PDF Cornish
My father had a horse
YouTube PDF Cornish folk song / community
Sans Day carol
YouTube PDF Cornish Christmas carol
The carrion crow
YouTube PDF Birds / Schools radio / Devon
The old grey duck
YouTube PDF
The posy rhyme
YouTube PDF Somerset / circle game / seasonal
The sailor’s alphabet
YouTube PDF summer / folk song
The snail Devon UK
YouTube PDF action song or hand play
The Whimple Wassail song new
YouTube PDF Devon UK / winter / community
The whale, the whale
YouTube PDF Devon UK / creatures
Tippety, tippety tin
YouTube PDF West Somerset pancake rhyme
Walk fast in snow
YouTube PDF A Devonshire Winter rhyme
West Cornwall wassail
YouTube Alan Rosevear sings

Catalan The Catalan collection | River of song / Catalan

Dutch

East and Southeast Asia East and Southeast Asia | River of song

French

YouTube playlist: Songs from the French speaking world – YouTube

Many more French songs can be found here: singinggamesforchildren.com

All in my father’s garden / Auprés de ma blonde
YouTube PDF summer circle game
Alouette
YouTube PDF Canadian circle game / call and response / bird
In the sunny meadow
YouTube PDF Summer / birds
Quand trois poules
YouTube PDF French nursery rhyme / line game
The first of May
YouTube PDF Spring / French / steady beat / BBC schools radio
The snowflakes carol new
YouTube PDF Xmas / Winter / French
Tourne, tourne petit moulin
YouTube PDF action song and hand play

German YouTube playlist

German songs or English songs of German origin or with stories or tunes from Germany
Autumn goodbye
YouTube PDF German
Brahms’ lullaby
YouTube PDF lullaby
I walk with my little lantern
YouTube PDF Autumn
Laterne laterne
YouTube PDF Martinmas
Oh, how lovely is the evening
YouTube PDF German call and response
Spring song / As I sat on the hillside
YouTube PDF birds / bees / German
Spring song / All the birds 💖
YouTube PDF birds / Spring / German
Summer, goodbye!
YouTube PDF Autumn / Summer / German
The cuckoo / Peter’s flowing stream 💖
YouTube PDF Spring / German / School’s radio
The little witch / Morgens früh um sechs / In the morning at six
YouTube PDF Halloween nursery rhyme new
The trout
YouTube PDF Germany / folk song / BBC Schools radio
Tirra-lirra-lirra 💖
YouTube PDF seasonal / birds / circle dance

Greek

Sponge fishing
YouTube PDF Greek / summer

Hawaii

Hawaiian boat song
YouTube PDF summer / ukulele
Owl’s lullaby 💖
YouTube PDF lullaby / birds

India

A little lovely dream ♪♫
YouTube PDF Hindu cradle song / poem / lullaby
Diwali is here
YouTube PDF food / celebration / autumn
Diwali is here again
YouTube PDF calendar
Little lamps are shining bright
YouTube PDF Diwali
Nellie the elephant
YouTube PDF nostalgia / story with link to India!
Song of the Delhi Tongawallah
YouTube PDF community
The blind men and the elephant
YouTube PDF poem / points of view story

Irish YouTube playlist

Irish Irish songs and rhymes | River of song

Israel

A happy song for a Spring day
YouTube PDF  action song / Israel
The vine and fig tree new
YouTube PDF better world / round / peace

Italian YouTube playlist

Italian
Batti batti le manine new
YouTube PDF baby / hand play
Bella bimba
YouTube PDF Italian / singalong
Dormi, dormi bel bambino
YouTube PDF Christmas carol lullaby
Fa la nana bambino
YouTube PDF lullaby
Giro, giro tondo new
YouTube PDF circle game
Marianina new
YouTube PDF folk song / Summer / Schools radio / weather
Papaveri e papere / Poppies and goslings
YouTube PDF
Santa Lucia new
YouTube PDF Italian folk song
Stella stellina new
YouTube PDF rhyme / lullaby
The star carol / Canzone D’I Zampognari new
YouTube PDF Italian
The winter now is over
YouTube PDF Italian/Swiss folk song
Three white gulls / Le tre colombe
YouTube PDF lullaby
Tiritomba
YouTube PDF community folk song
We went hunting for a lion new
YouTube PDF Italian / scouting / creatures / action

London

YouTube playlist: London games and songs – YouTube

A smooth road to London town
YouTube PDF
Anna Marie
YouTube PDF
Follow my leader to London Town
YouTube PDF
How many miles to London town?
YouTube PDF
London Bridge
YouTube PDF
London Bridge is broken down
YouTube PDF
London’s burning
YouTube PDF
London Hill
YouTube PDF
Pop goes the weasel
YouTube PDF
Pussy cat, pussy cat
YouTube PDF Pets / nursery rhyme
Saint Paul’s steeple
YouTube PDF nursery rhyme / London / apples
See saw, sacradown /
The merchants of London
YouTube PDF
The Tottenham toad
YouTube PDF
The winds they did blow / The squirrel
YouTube PDF Autumn / London / weather
Three pirates came to London town
YouTube PDF number / schools TV / London
Walk to London Town new
YouTube PDF action
Young lambs to sell
YouTube PDF

Native American / First Nation YouTube playlist

Fly like an eagle 💖
YouTube PDF circle game / call and response
Hiawatha a poem
YouTube PDF
Hear mosquito buzzing Ojibway song
YouTube PDF
Ho ho watanay Iroquois lullaby
YouTube
(The) Huron carol Christmas
YouTube PDF ST Autumn 1984
My owlet Native American
YouTube PDF
Night is here Cherokee lullaby
YouTube PDF
Now I walk in beauty
YouTube PDF songs for a better world / Navajo prayer / round
Sleep-o little owlet new
YouTube PDF Kwakuitl / cradle song / Canada / bird
The Earth is our Mother
YouTube PDF Native American / better world
The Earth is your Mother
YouTube PDF better world / poem / lullaby
The river is flowing 💖
YouTube PDF songs for a better world
We circle around / Long wing feathers
YouTube PDF Arapaho Sioux chant / call and response / circle game
Wishi ta doya a hand play
YouTube PDF

Norwegian

Paul’s little hen
YouTube PDF Farmyard / story / Schools radio

Oceania

Oceania is in the Southern Hemisphere, there are fourteen countries in Oceania, including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, and the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean to the west. It has around 10,000 islands.

Melanesia

Tongo Solomon Islands
YouTube PDF action game

Polynesia

Polynesia is a large triangular area of the East-central Pacific Ocean. It includes the Hawaiian Islands to the north, New Zealand in the west and Easter Island to the east.

Oo-a-lay-lay
YouTube  PDF call and response
Owl’s lullaby
YouTube PDF Hawaii

Out of Africa YouTube playlist

A small collection from a big continent.
Many of the songs here were collected years ago when I first began my “Singing games for children” website. A few, as yet, do not have a dedicated collection, that will hopefully soon be remedied!
Several of the songs are sung in countries other than those named in its region and sometimes even further afield.

Central Africa

Ah wane kune Zaire
YouTube PDF

East Africa

Dipidu Uganda
YouTube PDF meeting and greeting
Everybody gogo / Chamniamo gogo Kenya
YouTube PDF call and response / action rhyme
Jambo Bwana Kenya new
YouTube PDF partner song / transition

North Africa

A ram sam sam Morocco
YouTube PDF campfire action rhyme / round

South Africa

Birthday song game
YouTube PDF South African circle game

West Africa

Che che koolay Ghana
YouTube PDF clapping game / call and response
Funga Alafia Nigeria and Liberia
YouTube PDF call and response / circle
Good morning, good morning new Cameroon
YouTube PDF transition / circle / greeting game
Kololeoko Liberia
YouTube PDF clapping game / circle
Kumbaya ya Liberia
YouTube PDF lullaby / campfire
Obwisana Ghana
YouTube PDF circle game / steady beat / kindness
Pass the pebble on Ghana
YouTube PDF pebble passing game
Sansa krona / Little hawk
YouTube PDF Ghanaian circle game / steady beat / bird
We are going down the numbers Nigeria
YouTube PDF counting back / circle game

Polish YouTube playlist

Polish Karuzela ‘Singing games for children’ website

A fish story
YouTube PDF summer / action play / size
In a manger new
YouTube PDF Xmas carol
Jeżyk / Little hedgehog
YouTube PDF Polish action play / Autumn
Pingwinek / Dancing penguins
YouTube PDF Polish line dance / winter

Russian YouTube playlist

Russian songs
A plea for one world 🕊️
YouTube PDF Russia (?) / peace
Hymn for the Russian earth 🕊️
YouTube PDF round / circle dance / Russian folk song
Kolyada
YouTube PDF Christmas
Lulla, lulla Russian lullaby
YouTube PDF
The Hopak new
YouTube PDF Winter / School radio

Scottish YouTube playlist

Visit: Scottish songs, rhymes and poems | River of song

Slovakia

The cuckoo new ST Summer 1970
YouTube PDF Spring / Slovak folk song

South America – part of Spanish collection

Mexico

At the gates of heaven /
La puerta del cielo 
YouTube PDF Mexico
Duermete, Niño lindo / O sleep my little baby
YouTube  PDF Xmas lullaby
Las posadas / A place to stay new
YouTube PDF Xmas / Mexico / call and response
Los pollitos dicen / Hear the little chicks
YouTube PDF action rhyme / Spanish / lullaby / birds

Spanish
Baby chicks new YouTube PDF

Turkish

Ali Baba’s farm
YouTube PDF Turkish circle game
Little green frog
YouTube PDF Spring
Okul Öncesi Dans
YouTube kindergarten circle dance
Time to get clapping
YouTube PDF kindergarten circle dance
Tiny little bird
YouTube PDF Winter hand play
Üsküdar
YouTube PDF Turkish circle game

Ukrainian YouTube playlist

Ukraine calling

USA

Boatman dance, boatman sing
YouTube PDF USA folk song / Schools radio / conservation

Alabama

There’s a little wheel a-turnin’ in my heart
YouTube PDF better world / Alabama / hand play

Appalachians

Maria’s gone folk song / Appalachian line game
YouTube PDF

Cajun / Creole USA

Bonjour mes amis
YouTube PDF circle game / transition / round
Dors, dors, p’tit bébé 
YouTube PDF Cajun lullaby
Dreamland opens here
YouTube PDF A Louisiana lullaby
Sweep away
YouTube PDF a Creole lullaby

Tenessee

Cotton-eyed Joe
YouTube PDF Tennessee lullaby

Welsh YouTube playlist

All though the night Welsh hymn
YouTube PDF
All the world is sleeping / Suo-Gân
YouTube PDF lullaby
New Year carol
YouTube PDF Welsh / seasonal
The Ash Grove new
YouTube PDF Welsh tune / folk song / BBC Schools radio
The Gower wassail
YouTube PDF Christmas
The holly tree / Y Gelynnen Christmas
YouTube PDF Schools BBC radio

Find songs and games from these countries on my YouTube topic Playlists

Songs and rhymes from Asia

Australia and New Zealand

Catalan

Dutch

English songs of German origin

French

Irish

Italian

German

London

Native American

Polish

Russian

Scottish

Spanish 

Ukrainian

Welsh

In the forthcoming lists of songs below you will find links to:
‘River of song’ website pages for each song including lyrics, sheet music and chords plus a YouTube link to each song.
More links will be added as time permits especially where they are absent from my old website. Let me know if I need to give priority to music that you would appreciate. In the meantime use the links taking you to Singing Games for Children.

Songs and rhymes from Asia

Find Music from China here:
Seasonal | River of song

Japan

Ame, ame, fure, fure / Pitter patter
YouTube PDF weather
Crocuses based on a Haiku
YouTube PDF
Haru ga kita/ Spring has come new
YouTube PDF
Kagome, kagome – Bird in a cage
YouTube PDF circle game
Kuma San / Mr. Bear action
YouTube PDF
Japanese frog song
YouTube PDF
Roly poly acorn / Donguri korokoro
YouTube PDF
Sakura / Cherry blossoms
YouTube PDF
Star festival song / Tanabata
YouTube PDF
Tortoise and the Hare / Usagi to Kame
YouTube PDF
Willows in the snow based on a Haiku
YouTube PDF