Seaside & Under the Sea Level: Key Stage 1 - Songs & chants

Apusskidusski (two ways!)

This is a traditional Swedish song, with a lovely tune, called I Medelhavet. Here is an approximate translation of the original words, with an additional verse that I made up. It's a song for a mother or father to sing to their child, but you could ask the children what they think the words mean and then they could make up a third verse. In this version, the song is almost like a lullaby.

• In middle ocean
• Sardines are swimming
• Apusskidusski Apusskidu
• But in my own heart
• You're swimming too
• Apusskidusski Apusskidu
• __
• Up in the blue sky
• The birds are flying
• Apusskidusski Apusskidu
• But in my own heart
• You're flying too
• Apusskidusski Apusskidu

In the video, the song is begins in Swedish and is then translated into four other languages, including English. You'll be amazed at how different the song sounds at an upbeat tempo and I wonder how many children will prefer this version! Sometimes children surprise me with a preference for gentle music.

Down There Under the Sea

You'll probably need to listen to this song and sing along several times to learn it really well before teaching it, as it's easy to muddle up the words, big blue ocean and deep blue sea! You could teach it using the First Me, Then You method and then use the sound track to sing along to. The verses go in this order:

• Lots to see
• Lots of fish
• Whales and sharks
• Crabs and shells

For each verse, choose different instruments for children to represent the different things in each verse eg shell shakers for their verse about crabs and shells – shake only on the words crabs and shells, and so on.

Row Row Row Your Boat

The children love doing rowing actions in time with this song, sitting one behind the other with legs out to the sides. I like to do the original verse first, with the ending Life is but a dream - this way, the children enjoy the 'naughty' version about the crocodile even more! The song is so well known that I have not written out the words.