Infants Song List

Version 1, 2021

Welcome songAim To welcome everyone into the group session

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.

2. Instructor welcomes each of the children to the lesson by singing:

<insert name> is here today, <insert name> is here todayLet’s all splash our hands, <insert name> is here today(can include both baby and parent name)

Hello songAim To welcome everyone into the group session

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.

2. Instructor welcomes each of the children to the lesson by singing:

‘Hello, how are youHello, how are you?Hello, how are you?Hello, how are you?Hello, how are today?It’s nice to see <insert name> here,It’s nice to see <insert name> here,It’s nice to see <insert name> here,How are today?’

Introductions

Welcome trainAim To welcome everyone into the group session

Participants Six – eight

Formation Follow the leader

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Instructor stands at the start of the line with the carers and children following

2. Instructor welcomes each of the children to the lesson by singing:

‘The welcome train is coming Get on board! Choo-ChooThe welcome train is coming Get on board! Choo-ChooWelcome to <insert name>Get on board! Choo-Choo’

Humpty DumptyAim To teach a seated entry and learn to return to the pool edge,

aiming towards independence Participants Six – eight

Formation Sitting in a line on the edge of the pool

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Children sit in a line along the pool edge with carers in the water facing them.

2. Carers hold child’s hands and everybody sings:‘Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, (child enters water with assistance)All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,Couldn’t put Humpty together again’ (child is turned towards pool edge to return to safety and encouraged to hold on)

Variation: As child becomes more confident and able, a step-in entry can be used.

Entries

Ten green frogsAim To teach a slide entry one at a time on cue

Participants Six – eight

Formation Sitting in a line on the edge of the pool

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions / Lyrics

1. Children sit in a line along the pool edge with carers in the water facing them.

2. Everybody sings:‘Ten green frogs sitting on the wall,Ten green frogs sitting on the wall,And if one green frog accidently falls, (with assistance child slides into the water and holds onto the pool edge)There are nine green frogs sitting on the wall….’ (Eight, seven, six etc.)

Five little speckled frogsAim To encourage an independent jump in entry and return to

the pool edge to exitParticipants Six – eight

Formation Standing in a line on the edge of the pool

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Children stand in a line along the pool edge with carers in the water facing them

2. Initially the carers assist the children to enter the water on cue and then aim towards independent entry into the pool, returning to the pool edge and safely exit.

3. Everybody sings‘Five little speckled frogs, sittin’ on a speckled log eating a most delicios fly,Yum, yum, yum, yum.One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool’(Child enters the water with carers assistance).Then there were four little speckled frogs…. (Then three, two, one)

Teddy bear, teddy bearAim To encourage an independent jump in entry and return to

the pool edge to exitParticipants Six – eight

Formation Standing in a line on the edge of the pool

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Children stand in a line along the pool edge with carers in the water facing them

2. Initially carers guide the children to do the actions to their words and hold their hands when entering the water.

3. Aim towards independent entry into the pool, returning to the pool edge and safely exit.

4. Everybody sings‘Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around (child to turn around 360°)Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground (child touches the ground)Teddy bear, teddy bear stand up tall (child to stand tall with their arms up)Teddy bear, teddy bear jump off the wall’ (child enters the wall with carers assistance)

Climbing monkeysAim To build strength in holding onto the pool edge and

moving towards a safe placeParticipants Six – eight

Formation line along the pool edge

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in water at poolside, holding child facing pool edge.

2. Carer assists child to move hands along pool edge like a climbing monkey – to the right and then to the left. Everybody sings:

‘Climbing monkeys, Climbing monkeys, Climbing along the wallClimbing monkeys, Climbing monkeys, trying not to fall.

Its raining, its pouringAim To get comfortable with water over the body, head and

face

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment Watering can or small bucket with holes drilled in the bottom

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.

2. Instructor moves around the circle and showers each child with water using a watering can or small bucket with holes.

3. Everyone sings:‘It’s raining, its pouring,The old man is snoring,He went to bed and bumped his head and couldn’t get up in the morning.’

Breathing Ring a ring a RosieAim To initially encourage blowing bubbles and develop

confidence in submersion

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child under the arms in front of them, facing the instructor. Everyone sings:

2. ‘Ring a ring a rosie,A pocket full of posie,A-tishoo, A-tishoo,

We all blow bubbles’ (carer and child blow bubbles)

‘The cows in the meadow,

Eating buttercup,

A-tishoo, A-tishoo, We all jump up’ (carer holds up child in the air)

Variation: As children become more confident, ‘we all blow bubbles’ changes to ‘we all fall down’ and the carer gently submerges the child.

Blow out your birthday candlesAim To gain confidence in exhaling air and making surface

bubbles.

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle, line or informal

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer holds child on their hip and lowers body in the water, so the child’s face is close to the water surface.

2. Carer holds up fingers to simulate birthday candles (can hold up the number of fingers for the age of the child.

3. Child attempts to blow out their birthday candles and carer puts each finger down once they have been blown out.

This is the way we…Aim To get comfortable with water over the body, head and

face

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.

2. Everybody sings:‘This is the way splash our hands, splash our hands splash our hands,This is the way we wash our hand in the swimming pool’.

Repeat with: wash our face, wash our hair, blow our bubbles(Other variations can be used to promote skills across other strands)

Monkeys in the bedAim To develop confidence for independent entry and submersion

Participants Six – eight

Formation Children sitting on flotation mat with carers on the side

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment Flotation mat

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Children sit on the flotation mat facing their carer who is in the water on the side of the mat.2. One at a time (as the song counts down) children enter the water and glide underwater to their carer3. Everyone sings:

<insert number> little monkeys jumpin’ on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head (one child enters the water)Mama called the water and the doctor said ‘No more monkeys jumpin on the bed!<insert number – one less> little monkeys jumpin’ on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head (one child enters the water)‘…. Three little monkeys, two little monkeys, one little monkey… no more monkeys jumping on the bed!’

Going under Water

Twinkle, twinkle little starAim To develop a relaxed back floating position

Participants Six – eightFormation Circle, line or informal

Pool Depth Waist deep for adultsEquipment None

Instructions/ Lyrics

1. Carer to hold child in shoulder, chest or extended arm position

2. Encourage child to maintain back float position until the end of the song.

3. Everyone sings:‘Twinkle, twinkle little star (child twinkles fingers in the air)How I wonder what you are,Up above the world so high,Like a diamond in the sky, (child makes diamond shape with hands)Twinkle, twinkle little star (child twinkles fingers in the air)How I wonder what you are’

There were 10 in the bed Aim To introduce floating using a flotation mat and work

towards rotation skills

Participants Six – eight

Formation Children lying down on flotation mat

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment Flotation mat

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Children lie down on the flotation mat on their backs with carers standing around the sides of the mat

2. On cue, one carer assists the child to roll over and off the mat into the carers arms.

3. Everyone sings:There were <insert number> in the bed and the little one said,Roll over, roll over, and they al rolled over and one fell out’ (children all roll over and one child rolls off the mat).There were <insert number – one less>…. There were three… There were two… There was one…. There was none in the bed’

Staying Afloat

Did you ever see a speedboat?Aim To experience movement and balance in the water

Participants Six – eightFormation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adultsEquipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children on the side in the front float position in a circle.

2. Everyone sings:‘Did you ever see a speedboat (carer moves around in a circle)A speedboat, a speedboat?Did you ever see a speedboatGo this way and that way, (carer to swish the child to the left, then to the right)Go this way and that way, (carer to swish the child to the left, then to the right)Did you ever see a speedboatGo this way and that way, (carer to swish the child to the left, then to the right)

Tick tock, tick tockAim To experience movement and balance in the water

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/Lyrics

1. Carer to stand in a circle holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.

2. On cue, carers assist the children to perform the song.

3. Everyone sings:‘Tick tock, tick tock, (carer sways child from side to side)I’m a little cuckoo clock.‘Tick tock, tick tock,Now it strikes one o’clock’ (carer to lift child vertically up out of the water once)

….. Now it strikes two o’clock’ (carer to lift child vertically up out of the water twice)…Now it strikes three o’clock’ (carer to lift child vertically up out of the water three times)

Keeping Balance

I’m a little pancakeAim To experience back floating and rotational skills

Participants Six – eightFormation Line

Pool Depth Waist deep for adultsEquipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children in a back float shoulder, chest or extended arm position

2. Everyone sings:‘I’m a little pancake on my back,I’m a little pancake nice and flat,I’m a little pancake on my back,Flip me over and swim me back (carer to assist child to rotate over to the front float position, paddle and kick towards the wall and hold onto the pool edge)

I’m a dingle dangle scarecrowAim To experience back floating and rotational skills

Participants Six – eight

Formation CirclePool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children in a back float shoulder, chest or extended arm position

2. On cue ‘up jumped the scarecrow’ the carers rotate the children to an upright position

3. Carer aids the child in each of the actions to the song until the child can perform them individually

4. Everyone sings:‘When all the cows are sleeping and the sun has gone to bed,Up jumped the scarecrow and this is what he said, (rotate the child to upright position)I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hatI can splash my hands like this and kick my feet like that’.

‘When all the hens are rousting and the moons behind the cloud, up jumped the scarecrow and shouted very loud. I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hatI can paddle my arms like this and blow my bubbles like that’

MotorboatAim Initially it aims towards keeping balance and progresses to developing

kicking actionParticipants Six – eight

Formation CirclePool Depth Waist deep for adultsEquipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children on the side in the front float position in a circle.

2. Carers move around in a circle and move at the pace of the words of the song.

3. As children are able to kick independently, encourage them to kick at the pace of the words

4. Everyone sings:‘Motorboat, motorboat go so slow (move slowly around the circle)Motorboat, motorboat go so fast (move faster around the circle)Motorboat, motorboat step on the gas (move around in a circle at full pace)Vroom!’

Five little ducksAim To develop leg and arm movements

Participants Six – eightFormation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children on the side in the front float position, in a circle

2. Carer moves around the circle.3. On cue ‘little ducks went out to play’ carers and children

paddle and kick away from the circle4. One duck (child) stays away while the other ducks

come back5. Everyone sings:

<insert number> little ducks went out to play (paddle and kick away from the circle)Over the hills and far away.Mother duck said “quack, quack, quack, quack”But only <insert number> little ducks came back

‘Three little ducks… two little ducks… one little duck… and five little ducks came swimming back.

Kicking & Arms

Wheels on the busAim To develop leg and arm movements

Participants Six – eightFormation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adultsEquipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers hold children on the side in the front float position, or child can be vertical, in front of the carer, facing the instructor2. Carer moves around the circle and assist the children to perform the actions to the songs.3. Everyone sings:

The wheels on the bus go round and round, (paddle child’s hands) Round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all day long.

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (splash child’s hands) Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. The horn on the bus goesbeep, beep, beep all day long

The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish, (swish hands side to side in the water) Swish swish swish. Swish swish swish, the wipers on the bus go swish swish swish, all day long

The children on the bus go up and down, (move child up and down vertically) Up and down. Up and down. The children on the bus go up and down, all day long

The engine on the bus goes bubble, bubble, bubble (carer and child blows bubbles) Bubble, bubble, bubble. Bubble, bubble, bubble. The engine on the bus goes bubble, bubble, bubble all day long.

This Photo by Unknown Author is

If you’re happy and you know itAim To develop leg and arm movements

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers to stand in a circle holding the children in front of them, facing the instructor.2. Carers assist the children to perform the actions to the song.3. Everyone sings:

If you’re happy and you know it, splash your hands (splash hands twice)If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, If you’re happy and you know it splash your hands (splash hands twice).

If you’re happy and you know it,Kick your feet…’ (keep kick feet up and down)

‘Jump up and down….’ (carer moves child up and down vertically)‘Turn around…’ (carer turns child around)‘Make lots of rain…’ (splash water into the air with hands to make it rain)‘Blow big bubbles…’ (blow bobbles in the water‘Paddle your arms…’ (paddle arms)

Hokey PokeyAim To develop leg and arm movements

Participants Six – eight

Formation Circle

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers to stand in a circle holding the children in front of them, facing the instructor.2. Carers assist the children to perform the actions to the song.3. Everyone sings:

You put your left hand in, you pull your left hand out,You put your left hand in, and you shake it all about.You do the hokey pokey and you turn around (move child side to side and turn around)That’s what it’s all about (clap)

‘Right hand in…Left foot in… Right foot in… Whole self in.’

Ooh hokey pokey, Ooh hokey pokey, (bring child to center of circle and backThat’s what it’s all about!’ (finish with all children in the center of circle

Little green frogAim To develop a strong kicking action

Participants Six – eight

Formation Line

Pool Depth Waist deep for adults

Equipment None

Instructions/

Lyrics

1. Carers to stand in a line holding the child in front of them, facing the instructor.2. Carers assist the children to kick their legs on the cues to the song.

Everyone sings:‘Kick, kick, kick, went the little green frog one day,Kick, kick, kick, went the little green frogKick, kick, kick, went the little green frog one dayAnd he kicked, licked all day long.’