Spring Cleaning Circle

Composed by Laurie Clark. Adapted by Stephanie Ferris.

Song

We dance and we sing to welcome the spring, and we shall help mother to clean everything.
Skipping in a circle. Optional: Skipping in a circle while holding hands.

Mother wants to clean the house, she needs help from me and you.
Point me/you.

So that the house can shine like the fresh new spring, it can sparkle too.
Wiggling fingers to gesture sparkle.

Our hands shall do good work this day
Hold up hands
Let us name our fingers, I will show you the way.
Little Penny
Hold up pinky finger
Penny Roo
Hold up ring finger
Roo Whistle
Hold up middle finger
Mary Josell
Hold up pointer finger
And Old Man Bumbabala
Hold up thumb, rotating in a circular motion

Mother says that we must sweep,
Sweeping gesture with arms and hands
Sweep and sweep and sweep the floor
From wall to wall until the dirt goes right out the door.
Big sweep gesture

We skip and we sing to welcome the spring, and shall help mother to clean everything.
Skipping in a circle

Crawl under the bed that is what father has said
Crawl on belly toward the middle of the room
To get the dust bunnies, get each one
For the dust bunny, you can use a piece of tissue or toilet paper, handkerchief, piece of cloth, a feather, a cotton ball, or a piece of wool roving. It needs to be an item light enough to loft into the air with a blow.
Blow them in the air, it is so much fun!
Blow your bunnies into the air. For an extra challenge, you can try to aim your blow into a basket or a bowl. This is fun to try again and again!
And now that job is done, yes now that job is done, yes now that job is done
Dusting off hands gesture

We tiptoe and sing to welcome the spring and we will help father to clean everything.
Tiptoe in a circle

Father asks us to fold the laundry
Fold the laundry, stack each piece, it is a pile high
Will the pile reach all the way to the sky?
Put one hand on top of the other. Slowly rise from sitting to standing position until pile reaches over the head.

Now wash the dishes, wipe them, and put them away
Stack them on the shelf, “Be mindful,” is what father does say.
Open right-hand palm rubs open left-hand palm.

Our dog named Shaggy is dirty and doesn’t smell that good
Holding your nose
Shall we gently wash him? Father says we should.

Baths are not what our dog likes and he is running away
Crawling
”Come back here, Shaggy, we are spring cleaning today.”
Crawling fast

We caught Shaggy, now we can wash and scrub
One person on all fours like a dog
Scrubba, dub, dub, gently wash the dog in a tub.
Another gently “washes” the back of the person who is on all fours, then trade and the washer becomes the dog

Shall we wash our kitty too?
”No, no,” says mother. “This is what you can do.”
Shake head no, wag pointer and middle finger together gesturing “no”

Clean kitty’s bowl, make it shiny and bright
Left hand forms bowl while right hand washes it
Then pour milk into it, now that is right
Open right hand “pours” with thumb separated as spout

“Go to the barn,” mother says, “to your pony sweet. Take the pick, and clean the mud off pony’s feet.”
One, two, three, four
Right foot in front, tap foot 3x, balancing on left foot
Five, six, don’t play tricks
Left foot in front, tap foot 3x, balancing on right foot
Seven, eight, nine, this one looks fine
Switch feet from left to right and repeat tapping and balancing
Ten, eleven, twelve, now all is well
Switch feet from right to left and repeat tapping and balancing

Back into the barn dear pony, here is some hay so sweet
Hold arms out, gesturing holding hay
Now please try to keep the mud from going in between your feet.
Shake pointer and middle finger together in a wag

We gallop and sing to welcome the spring and we shall help mother to clean everything.
Singing the same tune as before while galloping

“Find fresh flowers,” father says, “to decorate the table, please bring as many flowers as you are able. Snowdrips and crocuses please do bring, for these are the very first flowers of spring.”
Cup hands like a blossom

Here are beautiful spring flowers, I will sit down on the ground. I pick the flowers for the table,
Gesture of picking flowers
But I feel raindrops on my head
Fingers tap head

One person turns so the other can gently tap the back of the other person with fingertips like raindrops. Then switch. You can speak or sing this.

Pitter patter raindrops — here come the spring showers.
Pitter patter pitter patter giving a drink to the flowers
Pitter patter pitter patter I am getting wet right here.
Pitter patter pitter patter — I better go home, oh dear!

We RUN and we sing to welcome the spring and we shall help father to clean everything!

The flowers are on the table.
I have done as much as I am able.
Mother and father thank me for helping them.
They hug me, I have done my very best.
Hug
But now I am tired and I will lay down and rest.
Lay down for a little rest