Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Pirate Storytime: Songs and Fingerplays

I believe that I promised a piratatical themed storytime and comments on the same. No one is reading this yet, but I hope that someday when it is read, it will be useful to go through the archives. There is a ton of stuff out there on pirates including a very recent PubYac compilation. Here are some of my favorites.

Songs and Fingerplays

If you're a pirate and you know it
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)
If you're a pirate and you know it, then you'll hear the sea winds blowin.
If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

verses two and three
If you're a pirate and you know it, walk the plank (stomp, stomp)...
If you're a pirate and you know it, say ahoyAhoy! (with arm movement)...

I wrote this one, so please use it but give credit! I'm proud of my "piggyback" song creation. Someday I'm going to publish all of them. The rest of these I did not write.

One-Eyed Jake
I’m One-Eyed Jake, the pirate chief
(cover one eye with hand as if covering eye with a patch)
A terrible, fearsome ocean thief
I have a peg upon my leg
(Stand on one leg)
I have a hook and a dirty look
(One arm in the air, curving hand into a hook shape—make exaggerated mean face)
I’m One-Eyed Jake, the pirate chief
A terrible, fearsome ocean thief.

This is a fun one to use cumilitively. Add action after action, until the child is standing balanced on one leg, an eye covered, arm in a hook. They'll giggle as they try to stay upright. It isn't easy for me to do (especially in heels).

The Day I went to Sea
When I was one (hold up one finger)
I sucked my thumb (mock sucking thumb)
The day I went to sea.
I jumped aboard a pirate ship (jump)
And the captain said to me. (point to self)
We're going this way (lean and sway while pointing right)
And that way (lean and sway while pointing left)
And forward (rock/walk forward)
And backward (rock/walk backward)
Across the deep blue sea. (spin in circle)

other verses
When I was two, I tied my shoe...
When I was three, I scraped my knee...
When I was four, I shut the door...
When I was five, I danced a jive... (or learned to dive)...

This one is easy to sing, simple tune. If you start singing, I bet you'll fall into the "right" tune. And the kids seemed to love it. I did it at storytime, big hit. I did it with 2nd and 3rd graders at a school visit and they were really getting into the rocking forward and back and to each side.

Ten Little Pirates
Ten little pirates stood in a row hold up all ten fingers
They bowed to their captain so lower and raise fingers
They marched to the left march hands to left (or opposite since kids will mirror you)
They marched to the right see above
They shouted yoo hoo! cup hands over mouth
And gave their captain a fright act scared, cover mouth with hands

Simple, but great with younger kids.

Coming up: Reviews of Pirate picture books for storytime usage!

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!! I'm doing a pirate storytime tomorrow (standing in for my children's librarian) and I could not find the fingerplay books that are in her professional collection. This is much better than the one I was making up (5 daring pirates sailing close to shore, one jumped off and then there were 4, etc.)

Jill Patterson
Orange County Public Library (Ca.), La Habra Branch

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I'm teaching Vacation Bible School with a VeggieTale pirates theme. I was looking a simple song to use, and these are perfect!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you! So clever! I'm going to use them in storytime tomorrow and for a pirate preschool program I've got planned later in the month (hour and a half of books, song and pirate based activities, if you must know ;-) Good stuff. I'm running short on time so this is a real lifesaver...I love this job!
Laura M, Hillsboro Public Library

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to thank you! We are having a pirate theme all week and the only songs I found were too hard for our class of 3 year olds but these ones are going to work great! Thanks again!
p.s. You should publish them you deserve the credit

Joanna Clausen said...

Just a mom with a child currently intriqued by pirates. Thanks for the songs/fingerplays!

Tracy said...

That's a great post! I wish that I had it yesterday! I was looking for the words for one of the songs that I sing, and found so many more that I'd like to sing!

Thanks.

abcgirl said...

Hello Born Librarian! I am writing one of the chapters for the 2010 Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Manual and I'd like to request permission to use some of these great pirate rhymes. The Manual is a 400 page book of resources and program ideas used by public libraries for their summer library programs (do you use it at your library? The 2008 theme was Catch the Reading Bug). CSLP is a nonprofit organization. The fingerplay or song would appear only in the 2010 manual, "Make a Splash @ Your Library" as part of a pirate storytime. If you grant permission for us to use your original rhyme, please let me know how you would like to be credited. Do you, by any chance, have the PubYac message where the others came from? (Are they archived somewhere?) I'd like to ask the authors/contributors for permission to use several of these. They're great!

abcgirl said...

oops, I don't know if my last message left contact information or not, so I'll try again and check that little box.

Thanks!

Carol Mulligan said...

Thanks! The Los Angeles Public Library is doing a pirate theme ("Treasured Islands") for our summer reading club. This comes in handy!!!

Carol Daumer Gutjahr said...

From another librarian in Hobart, Indiana: Thank You for these cute pirate songs!

Brenda McDonald said...

Love, love, love your blog. You are an inspiration to the rest of us J librarians.

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Anonymous said...

Thanks so much. I did your If Your'e a pirate and you know it for my job interview. I guess they liked it becuase I got the job. I've linked back to your site from my blog so thanks for the great song!
www.craftmesillylibrarian.blogspot.com

Danielle said...

I used your great pirate songs at our Mommy and Me Book Club and shared your site with my readers. Thanks for the fun songs!


http://preschoolbookclub.blogspot.com/2011/06/henry-and-buccaneer-bunnies-by-carolyn.html

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for these great ideas! I have been doing a pirate camp for preschoolers and can't wait to try out these new fingerplays!

Ani Masi said...

FANTASTIC fingerplays! Will make great flannel sets too : ).

marfita said...

These were great! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

thank you very much!our theme for this year is pirate and i'm trying to develop the english course on this theme. you've been very helpful!
laura from sardinia, italy

Allison said...

This is great! I'm doing a pirate storytime for 'Dig Into Reading' (think treasure), and these are great! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Some lovely ideas which I look forward to using with my class. Thankyou
Emma

Anonymous said...

Love it! this is so helpful! Thanks

Anonymous said...

Thanks very excited now as we're having a pirate week at my nursery next week!

jlmorehouse said...

Hello Born Librarian!! Thank you for your posts - they may be old but boy! they are useful! We are doing a short pirate unit .... make of that what you will!!