Nursery World - Sharing Rhymes - We can Jump, Jump, Jump

Sharing Rhymes

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:

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.

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Sharing Rhymes - We can Jump, Jump, Jump