Piggyback Songs

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A piggyback song is a song that uses a well-known tune with alternative words.  A few reasons I love to use piggyback songs are:

1. I don’t have to read music or find a recording of the song; I already know the tune!
2. Parents and caregivers know the tune and can help sing along
3. Children usually know the tune too!
4. If I forget the tune I just have to “sing” the original song in my head.
5. Because it is not a recording you can slow down the song
6. You can make up your own words to go with any theme!
7. You can even sing books!  Just last week at baby storytime we sang “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” to the tune of Baa, Baa Black Sheep.  The parents were great at joining in with the singing!

Common tunes to use for piggyback songs:

• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Bingo
• Mary had a little lamb
• Here we go ‘round the Mulberry Bush
• The Farmer in the Dell
• Old MacDonald had a farm
• Three Blind Mice
• Frere Jacque
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• Jingle Bells
• Wheels on the Bus
• London Bridges
• Muffin Man
• One Little, Two Little, Three Little…
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Happy Birthday
• Did you ever see a lassie?
• Yankee Doddle

Here are a few of my favorite piggyback songs

Farm Animals--to the tune of Wheels on the Bus

The cow on the farm goes Moo, moo, moo…

All day long!

Are you sleeping?—to the tune of Frere Jacque

Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?

Little bear, Little bear?

[snore]

Wake up little bear!

Wake up little bear!

Grrr, Grrr, Grrr!

Grrr, Grrr, Grrr!

Other animals: bunny (hop), bird (flap), crocodile (chomp) etc.

I created my own Welcome to Storytime song using the tune Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ABC Song

Welcome all to storytime

We will sing and we will rhyme

Read a book and then we’ll play

Time for storytime, hip, hip, hooray!

Now we’ll sing our ABCS

We’ll do them all just wait and see!

ABCDEFG

HIJKLMNOP

QRSTUVWXYZ

Now I’ve sung my ABCs

Let’s start storytime yes siree!

Our baby storytime morning song (I learned from Mrs. B) is to the Happy Birthday tune!

Good Morning to You

Good morning to _______________

Good morning to _______________

Good morning dear _____________

It’s nice to see you!

A few fun resources I found online about Piggyback Songs include:

Sing a New Song

The George Center for Music Therapy 

Jean Warren's Preschool Express