Over the Sea, Sailors and Pirates -- Whole Body Movement

"Going Over the Sea" and "Over the Deep Blue Sea" have different melodies, but the lyrics are nearly identical. I liked them both so much that we did one the first half of the year, and learned the next one for our Pirate Party in May.

The kids loved both of them.

Going Over the Sea

Here is a link to a youtube video of this recording by Goin' Monkey.

There are many recordings of this on Itunes, but I chose this one because it has a gentle tempo, it's a playful acoustic performance and the brief interludes between verses allow time to remind the kids what number comes next. Just perfect!

We started with just a few numbers and gradually worked our way up to seven. This was enough for us.

Here are the motions we chose for this song:

Start each verse with the correct number of fingers

When I was one, I ate a bun, (act out)
Going over the sea. (one arm moves up and down like waves)
I jumped aboard a sailorman's ship, (jump)
And the sailorman said to me, 
(bend knees like a bowlegged sailor, thumbs up by waist, elbows out, arms swinging side to side)

Chorus
"Going over, going under, (arms reach up, arms reach down)
stand at attention, like a soldier, (salute at attention) 
With a one, two, three." (still at attention, stomp three times)

Verses 2-10
When I was two, I buckled my shoe, going over the sea...
When I was three, I banged my knee, going over the sea...
When I was four, I shut the door, going over the sea...
When I was five, I learned to dive, going over the sea...
When I was six, I picked up sticks, going over the sea...
When I was seven, I went to heaven, going over the sea...
When I was eight, I learned to skate, going over the sea...
When I was nine, I climbed a vine, going over the sea...
When I was ten, I caught a hen, going over the sea...

Over the Deep Blue Sea (Pirate Ship)

Here is a link to a youtube video of this song in live performance by Susan Salidor


This one is a little fast, but very fun.
The motions in the verse are similar, although some of the number rhymes are different.
In the chorus we sing:

He said "Go this way, that way, (arms stretch out to one side, then the other)
Forward, Backward (arms stretch forward, pull backward)
And Over the Deep Blue Sea!" (reach high and low like cresting a wave)