The Summer Queen Circle
Here's a circle to celebrate Queen Summer with her flowers and butterflies and bees! The songs are recorded in the pentatonic scale and I have given suggestions for movement. I hope you enjoy it!
The little darling Spring has run away, The sunshine grew too hot for her to stay. She kissed her sister Summer, and she said, “When I am gone, you must be Queen instead.” Now reigns the Lady Summer, round whose feet A thousand fairies flock with blossoms sweet.
{Unknown author}
Begin sitting and recite with hand gestures….Hands under smiling face in a gesture of “oh I’m so darling!”.....then hands flutter away out to sides. Arms make a circle over head for the sun. Lean forward, hands frame mouth as Spring kisses Summer. Hold arms stretched out in front, palms up. Hands form a crown on your head. Arms down by sides hands touching ground, sway side to side, arms sway and hands/fingers flutter along the floor
Pretty flower elves are we, Dancing to and fro, Peeping out from ‘neath our buds, As round and round we go.
Sleepy, sleepy snails are we, Our steps are long and slow. We drag our feet along the ground, As round and round we go.
Butterflies from the air are we, Our wings are fairy light. We dance before the King and Queen Upon the flowers bright.
Funny little gnomes are we, Our beards are long and white. Towards the rocks our footsteps turn, To tap from morn till night.
Long green snakes in the grass are we, Our tails are far away, We wriggle and wriggle and twist and turn, As in and out we sway.
Busy, busy bees are we, Our wings make honey glow. We sip the nectar from the flowers, As round and round we go
{Unknown author; Final verse and pentatonic song by Kelly Ehrman}
Pretty Flower Elves Are We
Move round and round together in a circle. First verse: Hold hands and skip. Second verse: Crawl. Third verse: Dance with beautiful fluttering wings. Fourth verse: March with a strong stamp. Fifth verse: On tummies, move and wriggle like long snakes. Sixth verse: Skip again
Summer breeze so softly blowing, In my garden pinks are growing, If you’ll go and send the showers, You may come and smell my flowers.
{Traditional nursery rhyme}
Standing still, arms wave on the breeze. Gesture with both arms/hands flowers growing. Gesture with both arms and wiggling fingers rain falling. Arms behind back, bow at waist to smell the flowers
Daisies so bright, grasses so green, Tell me I pray, how do you keep clean? Summertime showers, summertime rain, Wash dusty flowers all clean again.
{Unknown author}
For this verse, pretend to roll around in the grass! Rolling like a log, arms stretched overhead, is a great developmental movement exercise. It helps to have children all start at one end of the room (or rug) and take turns rolling down to the end of it.
Pitter, patter falls the rain, On the roof and window pane. Softly, softly it comes down, Makes a stream that runs around. Flowers lift their heads and say, “A nice cool drink for us today.”
{Traditional Waldorf}
Sitting down or kneeling for a clapping game. Line 1: clap thighs quickly left-right-left-right (pitt-er-patt-er) then half speed both hands mark the beat on the ground (falls-the-rain). Line two repeat left-right-left-right (on-the-roof-and) beat - beat (window-pane). Repeat for lines 3-6.
Little flowers, little flowers, With your colors bright, Look above now to the sky, Full of warmth and light.
{Traditional Waldorf verse, set to pentatonic tune}
Little flowers, little flowers
Slowly stand up, look up, and raise arms above head.
I know a little butterfly With tiny golden wings; He plays among the summer flowers, And up and down he swings.
He dances on their honey cups So happy all the day, And then he spreads his tiny wings, And softly flies away.
I know a little honey bee A small but mighty thing, He works all day and cheerfully, Of golden honey he sings.
{Unknown author; third verse added by Kelly Ehrman}
First verse: Standing, arms spread wide, sway back and forth foot to foot with graceful arms. Second verse: Sway forward and backward with butterfly arms swooping up, then down and up as you go back and forth. Third verse: Standing still, arms move up and down at sides, hands flap quickly up and down at the wrists.
How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every passing flower!
How skillfully she builds her cell! How neat she spreads the wax! And labours hard to store it well With the sweet food she makes.
{Isaac Watts}
Stand and recite.
Cling Ding Ding, The summer bells now ring; There’s laughter on the hills, The daisies show their frills, Cling Ding Ding, Be welcome, Summer Queen!
Cling Ding Ding, The summer bells now ring; The bees buzz round all day, The butterflies flit and play, Cling Ding Ding, Be welcome, Summer Queen!
{Traditional German song; King changed to Queen and second verse adapted for this circle}
Cling Ding Ding
Another skipping song: For young children, skip round in a circle. For older children, stand in a circle and clap the beat on lines 1-2; skip quickly into the middle and out on lines 3-4; clap lines 5-6.
The End.
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