Singing Games Activity Book - Go Round the Mountain

The 'Go Round the Mountain' activity from the Singing Games Activity Book is a dynamic and engaging musical game for children. In this activity, children pair up, forming two circles—an inner and an outer circle. As they sing the phrase "Go round the mountain," they hold hands with their partner and swap places. When the song reaches the "tu-di" part, they stamp their feet to the rhythm, and at the "diddledum" section, they tap their knees. The sequence culminates with the children clapping each other’s hands on the word "day." The game adds variety by instructing the outer circle to move one child to the right on the lyrics "all change direction," maintaining the same actions for the "tu-di" and "diddledum" parts before clapping hands again on the word "day." To add complexity, the game can be played with certain words omitted, but the corresponding actions still performed.

For a more instrument-focused variation, the game can incorporate claves, with the children divided into two groups. One group plays their claves on the first and third phrases, "Go round the mountain" and "All change direction," while the other group plays on the "tu-di diddledum" phrases. An extension of the activity encourages the use of 'thinking voices,' where the children imagine the sounds in their heads instead of singing out loud, fostering internal rhythm and musical imagination. These adaptations allow for the development of musical skills and coordination in a fun, interactive setting.