Chants - Kiwi chants and fun chants that kids love

Chanting is fun! Just absolute fun!

Chanting can be introduced and enjoyed in a range of activities. For example a chant for children when on the swing is:

I'm swinging
I'm swinging
I'm swinging up so high!
Like a butterfly

If you are not a good singer - don't worry as you don't have to be.

Learning chants is great for children's language development, confidence, and discovering rhythm and rhyme.

Often done in a group with other children and adults chanting together gives a feeling of community.Below are some popular early childhood chants.

Clap hands (for infants)

Clap hands, Clap hands, till Mummy comes home

Clap hands, Clap hands, till Daddy comes home

Clap hands, Clap hands, till _____ comes home

Fruit haka (Māori)

Aporo, aporo
slapping your thighs

Panana, panana
slapping your elbows

Pītiti, pītiti
hands to your chest

Mereni, mereni
hands on back of thighs/buttocks

Repeat and end on "Mereni" x3.

Boom chica boom

I Said A Boom Chica Boom!
leader says and others repeat

I Said A Boom Chica Rocka Chica Rocka Chica Boom!
repeat

U-HUH
repeat

OH-YEA
repeat

One More Time
repeat

Mary wore her red shoes

Mary wore her red shoes, red shoes, red shoes.

Mary wore her red shoes, all day long.
repeat inserting names of children and something they are wearing and colour of it

I'm a little hunk of tin

Nobody knows what shape I'm in

I've got 4 wheels and a running board

I ain't no Chevy and I ain't no Ford

Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, crash, beep-beep.

Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, crash, beep-beep.
(suitable for chanting while jogging around the bike or cart track to keep at the same pace or say while doing hand actions)

Hello, Hello

Hello
leader says first and others repeat following - waving

Nice day
repeat - smile

Pleased to meet you
repeat - shake each other's hands

Pleased to meet you too
repeat

Lets run
repeat - run on the spot

Lets play
repeat - any playing action

I will beat you
repeat - "I will beat you too"

Over there
repeat - run to wall

And back
repeat

Then we'll sing
repeat

and clap
repeat - clap

Watch me laugh
repeat - then make a laughing sound

and poke a face
repeat - everyone shows their funny face

Now we're friends
repeats - hold hands

Come and join us at Our Place
say together

The 3 Bears Jive

Rhythm 3/4 (2 claps and 1 beat of open palms on knees). This is a group jive and children and adults usually sit in a circle on the floor or on chairs.

Once upon a time in a nurs-ery-y rhyme there were 3 bears.

A mom-ma and a pop-pa and a wee bear.

They all went a walking and a-walking in the woods.

Along came a girl with long curly-y hair.

(low voice) Someone's been eating my por-ridge, said the poppa bear
echo: said the poppa bear

(higher voice) Someone's been eating my por-ridge, said the momma bear
echo: said the momma bear

(tiny voice) Hey Mom-ma 3 Bear said the little wee bear someone has been eating my porridge. Yeah!

Verses:
Someone's been sitting in my chair said the poppa bear, said the poppa bear
repeat for momma and for baby say "Someone has broken my chair. Yeah!
Someone's been sleeping in my bed said the poppa bear, said the poppa bear
repeat for momma and baby

Goldilocks woke up and broke up the party

Bye, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye!
said the poppa bear
repeat verse for momma and baby

The children went a skipping

The children went a skipping, a skipping, a skipping

The children went a skipping upon a winter's day

Fa la la la la, fa la la la la la

The children went a skipping upon a winter's day

All in the group chant as they do the action stated. Ideas for next verses:
The children went a hopping ...
The children went a jumping ...
The children went a twirling ...
The children went .... on a winter or summer or autumn, or sunny, or cloudy .... day