April 2007 Song of the Month

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There Was A Tree
(Green Grass Grew All Around)
(traditional song)

This is a wonderful song I learned as a child at camp. We would just sing it with the echoes, but I have added felt board pieces and hand motions. This works with 2-6 year-olds, using the variations listed below:

2-3 year-olds:
Sing the song with the felt board pieces. Begin with the tree in place, and add the other pieces as you sing. Little ones won’t understand how to echo the lines, so you can just sing the song slowly, pointing to the felt pieces as you sing. Sing slowly and pause, giving toddlers a chance to name the parts. The repetition gives them a chance to learn the words.

3 - 4 year-olds:
Sing the song, trying out the echoes (some 3-year-olds will be able to do this with some practice), and use the felt shapes and or hand motions below.

4-6 year-olds:
Do the hand motions below with or without using the felt board and shapes.
HAND MOTIONS:
Tree: Bend one arm with fingers open for leaves; rest elbow of “tree” hand in palm of other hand
Nest: cup hands
Egg: make a fist
Bird: bend arms and flap “wings:
Wing: flap one arm only
Feather: wiggle one finger
Bug: rub thumb and index finger together as if rubbing a tiny bug between your fingers.
Add and repeat these motions every time the word is sung

MORE!:
For more factual information about trees, go to the Song of the Month Trees!

There Was a Tree

There was a tree (echo) all in the wood (echo)
The prettiest little tree (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the tree was in a hole, and the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now in that tree (echo) there was a nest (echo)
The prettiest little nest (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
And the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now in that nest (echo) there was an egg (echo)
The prettiest little egg (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the egg was in the nest
And the nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
And the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now on that egg (echo) there was a bird (echo)
The prettiest little bird (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the bird was on the egg, and the egg was in the nest,
And the nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
And the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now on that bird (echo) there was a wing, (echo)
The prettiest little wing (echo) that you ever did see ((echo)
Well the wing was on the bird, and the bird was on the egg,
and the egg was in the nest
And the nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
and the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now on that wing (echo) there was a feather (echo)
The prettiest little feather (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the feather was on the wing, and the wing was on the bird,
The bird was on the egg, the egg was in the nest
The nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
And the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around

Now on that feather (echo) there was a bug (echo)
The prettiest little bug (echo) that you ever did see (echo)
Well the bug was on the feather, the feather was on the wing
The wing was on the bird,
The bird was on the egg, and the egg was in the nest
The nest was in the tree, and the tree was in the hole,
And the hole was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around
Yes the green grass grew all around, all around,
The green grass grew all around