Charlie Over The Ocean
Copyright 2013 by Nancy Stewart
This song may be downloaded for free and used for any purpose that is not for profit.

Now that it’s spring and the kids are outside, it’s a great time to get out those circle games! Teach children the song and then play the game. Of course it can also be played year-round inside. Just be sure you have enough room for running around the circle!

Charlie Over the Ocean

Charlie over the ocean, Charlie over the sea

Charlie catch a blackbird but you can’t catch me!

Game Directions:
Children sit in a circle. One child is “Charlie,” and he or she walks around the outside of the circle while everyone sings and claps to the beat. When the last word is sung (“me”), Charlie taps the closest child on the head and runs. The child who is tapped on the had tries to catch him before he gets to his open spot. That child then becomes Charlie, and you can repeat it until all children have had a turn.

If you know the popular game, “Duck, Duck, Goose,” this is similar except “Charlie” doesn’t tap a child on the head until the end of the song.

NOTE: The recorded version is sung twice so you can learn the melody. But when playing the game, it is only sung once before a child is tapped on the head.