Sharing Rhymes - We can Jump, Jump, Jump

We can jump, jump, jump,

We can hop, hop, hop,

We can clap, clap, clap,

We can stop, stop, stop,

We can nod our heads for yes,

We can shake our heads for no,

We can bend our knees a little bit,

And we can sit down really slow.

Why action rhymes matter

Action rhymes can help children to:

• develop their gross motor co-ordination
• make sense of the words within the rhyme
• hear sounds in words
• improve their attention and listening skills
• develop social and emotional skills
  
  

Tips for sharing action rhymes

• Consider children’s level of co-ordination when choosing rhymes
• Exaggerate the gestures so that children can connect them to the words
• Repeat a rhyme several times so that children can increasingly join in
• Leave a slight pause between words so that children can anticipate the next movement
• Watch out for children who have difficulty in co-ordinating their movements
  
  

Suggestions for sharing this rhyme

• Say the rhyme slowly and model the actions
• Vary the tone of your voice as you share the rhyme so that you are quieter when children need to slow or sit down
• Repeat the rhyme several times so that the children can become familiar with the words and actions
• Observe which children are and aren’t able to co-ordinate their movements while saying the rhyme
  
  

Ideas for extending the learning

• Change the words of the rhyme to incorporate other actions – for example, replace ‘clap’ with ‘tap’ or ‘jump’ with ‘bounce’
• Plan ‘stop and go’ games – for example, ‘stop running when I clap’
• Play ‘Simon says’ with older children who are able to understand the format
• Share other songs involving parts of the body, such as ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’
• Ensure the range of resources and activities within your setting provides children with plenty of opportunity to develop their gross motor movements – for example, create obstacle courses, provide logs to balance on or play throwing and catching games using bean bags.
  
  

For this and other action rhymes, visit: www.monroepubliclibrary.org/uploads/2/1/4/1/21416964/website_songs_and_rhymes_english.pdf