Playsongs blog ~ where we share songs, news and views

Our Playsongs blog regularly features a favourite baby and toddler song or rhyme. We relate stories from our contributors and followers about their favourite songs, and tell you the stories behind the songs.

Sheena at Playsongs

One two three a-leary

I remember 'stotting' the ball in my Scottish school playground. The song we used was 'One two three a-leary' and the game was to bounce...

Carole Thomas

Hark hark the dogs do bark

Rhymes and songs evoke special memories from early childhood…

Sheena

My Blue Heaven

My Blue Heaven, sung by Gene Austin in 1927, has the perfect lilt for rocking or back-patting a little baby.

Sheena

Giro giro tondo ~ Italian circle game

Marco plays this circle game from his childhood with his baby daughter. The words mean: 'Turning round and round, What a beautiful World,...

Suzi Williamson

Go to sleep, my baby (songs from Suzi's childhood) ~ lullaby

Gene Williams' Wyoming Lullaby is one of those songs which passes into the oral tradition and reappears in many slightly different varia

Em Wilson

Ride a cock horse (Songs from Em's childhood) ~ nursery song

Em Wilson, editor of Music Express, bassoonist, Wider Opportunities practitioner and Early Years Music leader, remembers her grandpa...

Sheena

Shake shake shake the bells ~ action song for a scrunchie or bell rope

Some of you have been asking for Early Years songs to use with a scrunchie or bell rope. Here's one with an infectious skipping rhythm and l

Sue Nicholls

Listen with Mother (Songs from Sue's childhood)

No-one in my family sang childhood songs to me, so the big musical moment in each day was 'Listen with Mother' which featured well-sung...

Rachel Shearer

The Fidgety Bairn (Songs from Rachel's childhood)

Rachel Shearer ran her own independent music group in Oxfordshire for over 20 years until recently. She loved the baby music classes and...

Moira Planche

Rock-a-bye baby (Songs from childhood ~ Moira)

Moira is a wise and very experienced sales manager, who has for many years looked after educational sales teams going into schools to...

Kaye

Little lamb (Songs from childhood ~ Kaye)

Kaye is one of Britain's favourite children's authors ~ and the writer of many, brilliant little Playsongs Publications rhymes. She has a...

Tamar

Heidenröslein (Songs from childhood ~ Tamar)

Tamar Swade, author of Someone Special, song-writer, musician, dancer, counsellor, researcher and writer about the healing power of...

Joc

Patacake (Songs from Joc's childhood)

Joc Lucas is a graphic designer and mum to 6-year old Finn, who loves music. Joc remembers the hand-clapping game Patacake from her own...

Jacqui

Ring a ring a roses (Songs from childhood ~ Jacqui)

Jacqui Doughty is mum to three growing lads and runs a film production company based in Bath. She has always worked in television and...

Helen

This is the way the ladies ride (Songs from childhood ~ Helen)

Helen MacGregor is one of the UK's most prolific authors of educational music books. They include Music Express, Listening to Music,...

Sheena and Linda

The grand old Duke of York (Songs from childhood ~ Linda)

My big sister, Linda, and I grew up on the North East coast of Scotland. We both have memories of the children's parties put on by the...