The Napping House (by Audrey Wood)
BBCD#3, Track #93
Cut out characters and Velcro onto felt board or place on floor, starting with Granny on the bed, ending with the flea on top. After children are familiar with the song, try it with instruments: Hand out instruments to children in groups of two or three (i.e. three children playing sticks, then three on sand blocks, etc., depending upon your total number of children). As each new character is named, that group begins to play their instruments and continues to play through the rest of the song. By the time you get to the flea, everyone is playing together! An adult can guide the children through this activity with the help of the song card. Simply velcro the characters onto the song card next to the instrument as you sing each verse. These instruments are just suggestions, so feel free to choose your own.
Melody for part I – “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
Granny is snoring, snoring, snoring. (rub sticks softly)
Granny is snoring, in a napping house.
Child is dreaming, dreaming, dreaming. (tilt rainstick slowly)
Child is dreaming, in a napping house.
Continue with the following:
Dog is dozing, dozing, dozing, etc. (rub sand blocks softly)
Cat is snoozing, snoozing, snoozing, etc. (swirl maracas softly)
Mouse is slumbering. (rub drum softly)
Chant loudly:
Flea is awake! (tap triangle or finger cymbal)
Now everyone is playing their instruments together – continue with the ending below, changing the tune to Farmer in the Dell:
The flea wakes up the mouse,
the mouse wakes up the cat!
The cat wakes up the dog,
in the napping house!
The dog wakes up the child,
the child wakes up the granny!
Everyone is waking up,
in the napping house!
Granny Child
Dog Cat
Mouse Flea
Bed