🎵 Sanibonani, Sanibonani
isiZulu
Greeting & ring
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Sanibonani, sanibonani,
Ninjani? Ninjani?
Siyaphila sonke, siyaphila sonke,
Siyabonga, siyabonga.
Hello everyone, how are you? We are all well, thank you.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wave both hands on the greeting lines; open palms upward on 'Ninjani?'; hands on chest for 'siyaphila'; soft claps on 'siyabonga'.
Builds: Morning ritual and belonging; isiZulu greeting vocabulary; question-and-answer turn-taking; pitch and melody.
⚠ Original words set to the public-domain tune of Frere Jacques. siSwati group can sing 'Sanibonani' identically; both languages share the greeting.
🎵 Avuxeni, Vana!
Xitsonga
Greeting & ring
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Teacher: Avuxeni, vana!
Children: Ahee!
Teacher: Mi pfukile?
Children: Hi pfukile!
All (clapping): Avuxeni, avuxeni,
Hi ta dyondza, hi ta tlanga!
Good morning, children! - Yes! Did you wake well? - We woke well! Good morning - we will learn, we will play!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Call-and-response: children shout the answers, then everyone claps a steady beat on the last two lines.
Builds: Xitsonga greeting ritual (avuxeni/ahee exchange); call-and-response listening; steady beat.
⚠ Original chant built on the standard Xitsonga morning greeting exchange. Orthography to be checked by a Xitsonga speaker.
🎵 Sawubona, Mngani Wami
isiZulu
Greeting & ring
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Sawubona, mngani wami,
Sawubona, wena!
Nginike isandla sakho,
Sijikeleze - heya!
Hello my friend, hello you! Give me your hand, let us turn around - hey!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Children stand in pairs, shake hands, then hold both hands and turn in a small circle. Swap partners and repeat so every child greets several friends.
Builds: Peer greeting and eye contact; learning friends' names; cooperative turning; social confidence.
⚠ Original. Works in siSwati almost unchanged (Sawubona, mngani wami). Grammar to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Good Morning, Good Morning
English
Greeting & ring
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Good morning, good morning,
How are you? How are you?
We are here together, we are here together,
At our school, at our school.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wave on the first line, point to a friend on 'how are you', join hands in a ring on 'together'.
Builds: English greeting phrases; sense of group; melody.
⚠ Original words to the public-domain tune of Frere Jacques - same tune as s1, so children map isiZulu and English greetings onto one melody.
🎵 Woza, Sondela (Circle Song)
isiZulu
Greeting & ring
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Woza, woza, sondela,
Senza indilinga.
Bamba isandla somngani,
Indilinga enkulu!
Come, come closer, we make a circle. Hold your friend's hand - a big circle!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Sing while children walk in and join hands until the ring is complete, then sway side to side. Use it to gather the group for ring time.
Builds: Following a routine cue; spatial concept of a circle; cooperation; gentle transition into ring time.
⚠ Original gathering song. Check 'senza indilinga' phrasing with a native speaker; siSwati groups can sing 'sente indingilizi'.
🎵 Ring a Ring o' Roses
English
Greeting & ring
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Hold hands and walk around in a circle; pretend to sneeze; everyone flops gently to the ground on the last line.
Builds: Group play; anticipation and self-regulation; balance and safe falling; rhyme.
⚠ Traditional English ring game, public domain. Children love the controlled 'fall down'.
🎵 Kunye, Kubili, Kutsatfu
siSwati
Counting
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Kunye, kubili, kutsatfu, kune, kuhlanu!
(shaya tandla - clap, clap, clap!)
Kuhlanu, kune, kutsatfu, kubili, kunye!
(fihla tandla - hide your hands!)
One, two, three, four, five - clap your hands! Five, four, three, two, one - hide your hands!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Hold up one finger per number counting up, clap three times, then fold fingers down counting back and whip hands behind the back.
Builds: siSwati number names 1-5; counting forward and backward; one-to-one finger correspondence; fine motor.
⚠ Original chant using standard siSwati numbers. Orthography ('kutsatfu', 'tandla') to be confirmed by a siSwati speaker.
🎵 N'we, Mbirhi, Nharhu
Xitsonga
Counting
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
N'we, mbirhi, nharhu, mune, ntlhanu!
(clap, clap!)
Ntlhanu, mune, nharhu, mbirhi, n'we!
(stamp, stamp!)
Hi hlayile!
One, two, three, four, five (clap!) - five, four, three, two, one (stamp!) - we have counted!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Fingers up one at a time counting up, two claps; fingers down counting back, two stamps; arms up in the air on 'Hi hlayile!'.
Builds: Xitsonga number names 1-5; forward and backward counting; coordinating speech with movement.
⚠ Original chant using standard Xitsonga numbers. Orthography to be checked by a Xitsonga speaker.
🎵 One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
English
Counting
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
One, two, buckle my shoe;
Three, four, knock at the door;
Five, six, pick up sticks;
Seven, eight, lay them straight;
Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Mime each pair: touch shoes, knock in the air, pick up real twigs from the yard, lay them in a row, flap wings like a hen.
Builds: Number sequence to ten; rhyme and rhythm; miming; can be made concrete with real sticks and stones.
⚠ Traditional English counting rhyme, public domain. Collect real sticks outside for 'pick up sticks' - free maths apparatus.
🎵 One, Two, Three, Four, Five (Fish Alive)
English
Counting
3-4 4-5 5-6
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Count on fingers; mime catching a wriggling fish and letting it go; shake the 'bitten' little finger at the end.
Builds: Counting to ten; question-and-answer language; left/right awareness; fine motor.
⚠ Traditional English nursery rhyme, public domain.
🎵 Five Little Ducks
English
Counting
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Five little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother duck said 'Quack, quack, quack, quack!'
But only four little ducks came back.
(Repeat with four, three, two, one...)
Sad mother duck went out one day...
And all of her five little ducks came back!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Five children are ducklings who waddle away behind a chair; one hides each verse. On the last verse all come running back for a hug.
Builds: Taking away one (early subtraction); counting back from five; dramatic play; emotional resolution.
⚠ Traditional counting song, public domain. Swap 'ducks' for 'chickens' (amachwane) for local flavour.
🎵 Diketo Stone-Counting Chant
mixed
Counting
3-4 4-5 5-6
(While playing diketo/upuca with 5 stones and a small hole or bowl:)
Kunye! Kubili! Kutsatfu! Kune! Kuhlanu!
(or in Xitsonga:) N'we! Mbirhi! Nharhu! Mune! Ntlhanu!
One! Two! Three! Four! Five! - counted as each stone is scooped.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Grade R version of the traditional stone game: toss one stone up, scoop stones from the circle with the same hand, catch the tossed stone. Younger children simply drop stones into a tin one by one while the group chants the count.
Builds: Counting with meaning (one number per stone); hand-eye coordination; concentration; turn-taking; heritage play.
⚠ Diketo (also upuca, magave) is a recognised South African indigenous game. Counting chants vary village to village - invite local gogos to teach the version they grew up with.
🎵 Round and Round the Garden
English
Fingerplay
0-1 1-2 2-3
Round and round the garden,
Like a teddy bear;
One step, two step,
Tickle you under there!
(Local variant:)
Round and round the mealie patch,
Like a little mouse;
One step, two step,
Into your little house!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Trace a circle on the baby's palm, walk two fingers up the arm, tickle under the arm or chin. Babies soon lift their hand to ask for it.
Builds: Bonding and touch; anticipation; body awareness; first turn-taking for babies.
⚠ First verse is the traditional English rhyme (public domain); the mealie-patch variant is our original localisation.
🎵 This Little Goat
mixed
Fingerplay
0-1 1-2 2-3
This little goat went to market,
This little goat stayed ekhaya,
This little goat ate green mielies,
This little goat had none,
And this little goat cried 'Me-e-e, me-e-e, me-e-e!'
All the way home.
'Ekhaya' = at home.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wiggle one toe or finger per goat, starting with the big toe; on the last line run fingers up the child's leg or arm while bleating.
Builds: Body awareness (toes/fingers); anticipation; animal sounds; one-to-one correspondence.
⚠ Local adaptation of the traditional 'This Little Piggy' (public domain); goats are what Bethel children actually see on the way to school.
🎵 Incy Wincy Spider
English
Fingerplay
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout;
Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out;
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain;
And Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Fingers climb over each other for the spider; wiggle fingers downward for rain; big circle arms for the sun; climb again.
Builds: Fine motor finger coordination; weather words; resilience story in miniature; sequencing.
⚠ Traditional English fingerplay, public domain. Pairs well with the Imvula rain song (s43) on rainy days.
🎵 Two Little Sunbirds
mixed
Fingerplay
1-2 2-3 3-4
Two little sunbirds sitting on the wall,
One named Themba, one named Sana.
Fly away, Themba! Fly away, Sana!
Come back, Themba! Come back, Sana!
Themba = 'hope/trust'; Sana = 'little one'.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: One finger on each shoulder for the birds; whirl each hand behind the back on 'fly away'; bring them back to the shoulders on 'come back'.
Builds: Object permanence for little ones; name substitution (use children's own names!); fine motor isolation of index fingers.
⚠ Adaptation of the traditional 'Two Little Dickie Birds' (public domain), using local names and the sunbirds children see in aloes.
🎵 Izimbila Ezinhlanu (Five Little Dassies)
isiZulu
Fingerplay
2-3 3-4 4-5
Izimbila ezinhlanu emadwaleni.
Yinye iyabaleka - sala kahle!
(Count down: ezine... ezintathu... ezimbili... yinye...)
Azikho izimbila emadwaleni -
Zilele zonke emngedzeni. Shhh!
Five dassies (rock hyraxes) on the rocks. One runs away - goodbye! ... No more dassies on the rocks - they are all asleep in the crack. Shhh!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Five fingers stand on the other forearm ('rocks'); tuck one finger away each verse; end with both hands folded and a whisper.
Builds: Counting back from five in isiZulu; subtraction idea; quiet ending makes it a good calm-down; local animal knowledge.
⚠ Original fingerplay. isiZulu plural/number agreement and 'emngedzeni' (in the crack/burrow) must be checked by a native speaker - use a simplified count if needed.
🎵 Tintiho ta Mina (My Fingers)
Xitsonga
Fingerplay
1-2 2-3 3-4
Tintiho ta mina, tintiho ta mina,
Ta cina, ta cina!
Ta ya ehenhla, ta ya ehansi,
Ta tumbela - swi herile!
My fingers, my fingers, they dance, they dance! They go up, they go down, they hide - finished!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wiggle all ten fingers ('dancing'), stretch them high, drop them low, then hide hands behind the back on the last line.
Builds: Xitsonga body/position words (up, down, hide); finger control; following sung instructions.
⚠ Original fingerplay. Xitsonga orthography ('ta cina', 'tumbela', 'swi herile') to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Shosholoza
isiZulu
Movement
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Shosholoza, shosholoza,
Kulezo ntaba,
Stimela siphume South Africa.
Wen' uyabaleka, wen' uyabaleka,
Kulezo ntaba,
Stimela siphume South Africa.
Push forward, push forward, through those mountains - the train comes from South Africa. You are running away, through those mountains...
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Children make a train, hands on the shoulders of the child in front, arms circling like wheels, chugging around the yard faster and slower with the singing.
Builds: Gross motor locomotion; group coordination; steady beat; South African heritage song every child will hear again at school.
⚠ Traditional Ndebele/Zulu migrant workers' song, public domain folk song. Sing call-and-response: teacher leads, children answer.
🎵 If You're Happy and You Know It / Uma Ujabula
mixed
Movement
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it,
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! (clap, clap)
Uma ujabula uyazi, shay' izandla! (clap, clap)
Uma ujabula uyazi, gxuma phezulu! (jump, jump)
Uma ujabula uyazi, memeza 'Yebo!' (Yebo!)
isiZulu verses: If you are happy and you know it - clap your hands / jump up / shout 'Yes!'
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Clap, stamp, jump, shout as each verse instructs; let children invent new actions (wiggle, turn around, roar like a lion).
Builds: Following instructions; naming feelings; action vocabulary in two languages; joyful energy release.
⚠ Widely regarded as a traditional folk song; the isiZulu verses are our own translation. Check 'gxuma phezulu' with a native speaker.
🎵 The Grand Old Duke of York
English
Movement
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: March on the spot; stretch tall for 'up', crouch small for 'down', freeze in a half-squat for 'half-way up' - the freeze gets the giggles.
Builds: Marching to a beat; position concepts up/down/half-way; body control and freezing; counting talk (ten thousand!).
⚠ Traditional English marching song, public domain.
🎵 Ndlopfu! Mpfundla! (Animal Moves)
Xitsonga
Movement
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Ndlopfu! - dzu, dzu, dzu! (stomp slowly)
Mpfundla! - tlula, tlula, tlula! (hop, hop!)
Nyoka! - ssss, ssss, ssss (slither)
Nghala! - hooo! (roar and freeze!)
Elephant - stomp! Hare - jump! Snake - slither! Lion - roar!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Children move like each animal as its Xitsonga name is called: heavy elephant stomps, light hare hops, wavy snake arms low to the ground, lion roar then freeze in a proud pose.
Builds: Xitsonga animal names; contrasting movement qualities (heavy/light, fast/slow); listening and switching; imagination.
⚠ Original movement chant using Kruger-park animals the children know. Xitsonga spellings to be confirmed; 'tlula' = jump.
🎵 Sukuma! Hlala! (Action Chant)
isiZulu
Movement
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Sukuma! (stand up)
Hlala! (sit down)
Gxuma! (jump)
Yima! (freeze)
Gijima endaweni! (run on the spot)
Thula... hlala phansi. (quiet... sit down)
Stand! Sit! Jump! Freeze! Run on the spot! Quiet... sit down.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Children do each action on the isiZulu command. Speed up, slow down, whisper the last two lines so the game ends calm and seated.
Builds: Listening comprehension in isiZulu; inhibitory control (freeze!); vestibular input; ends with self-calming - perfect wiggle-break.
⚠ Original action game in the style of traditional command games. Works in siSwati with the same words for most commands.
🎵 Walking, Walking
English
Movement
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Walking, walking, walking, walking,
Hop, hop, hop! Hop, hop, hop!
Running, running, running; running, running, running;
Now we stop! Now we stop.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Walk, hop, run and freeze exactly as the words say; repeat with tip-toe, stamping, marching, or animal walks.
Builds: Locomotor skills; tempo change; stopping on cue; movement vocabulary.
⚠ Original words to the public-domain tune of Frere Jacques (a common preschool usage worldwide).
🎵 Ugqaphu / Kgati Skipping Chants
mixed
Movement
4-5 5-6
(While two children turn the rope and one skips, the group chants:)
Kunye, kubili, kutsatfu, kune, kuhlanu...
(or claps and chants the skipper's name:)
The-mba! The-mba! Gxuma, Themba!
Counting each successful jump; 'Gxuma' = jump!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Traditional rope-skipping game for Grade R: two turners, one skipper, everyone counts the jumps aloud. Younger children jump over a still 'snake' rope wiggled on the ground.
Builds: Jumping and timing; counting with purpose; cheering for friends; heritage play.
⚠ Ugqaphu/kgati/ntimo is one of South Africa's officially recognised indigenous games. Chants vary by community - collect local versions from families.
🎵 Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
English
Body parts
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes;
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes;
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose;
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Touch each body part as it is named; repeat faster and faster; then hum a body part silently while still touching it.
Builds: Body-part vocabulary; sequencing and memory; tempo; crossing the midline when done with opposite hands.
⚠ Traditional action song, public domain tune and words.
🎵 Ikhanda, Amahlombe
isiZulu
Body parts
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Ikhanda, amahlombe, amadolo, izinzwane,
Amadolo, izinzwane;
Ikhanda, amahlombe, amadolo, izinzwane,
Amehlo, izindlebe, umlomo, ikhala!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes... eyes, ears, mouth and nose!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Same actions as the English version - touch each part as named, speed up on the repeat.
Builds: isiZulu body-part vocabulary embedded in a tune children already know; bilingual transfer.
⚠ isiZulu version of the traditional song as sung in creches across SA. siSwati swap: inhloko, emahlombe, emadvolo, tinzwane / emehlo, tindlebe, umlomo, imphumulo.
🎵 Nhloko, Makatla, Matsolo
Xitsonga
Body parts
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Nhloko, makatla, matsolo, swikunwana,
Matsolo, swikunwana;
Nhloko, makatla, matsolo, swikunwana,
Mahlo, tindleve, nomu, nhompfu!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes... eyes, ears, mouth and nose!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Touch each body part as it is named, same as s26/s27.
Builds: Xitsonga body-part vocabulary; gives Xitsonga-home-language children their language in the daily ring.
⚠ Xitsonga version of the traditional tune. 'Swikunwana' (toes) and other spellings MUST be checked by a Xitsonga speaker - sing phonetically until confirmed.
🎵 Siyaqoqa Manje (Tidy-Up Song)
isiZulu
Tidy-up
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Siyaqoqa, siyaqoqa manje,
Qoqa manje, qoqa manje;
Siyaqoqa, siyaqoqa manje,
Amathoyizi endaweni yawo!
We are tidying up now... toys to their place!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Sing on repeat while everyone packs away; the song ends only when the mat is clear - children race the song.
Builds: Signals the tidy-up routine without nagging; responsibility; classification (blocks with blocks, books with books).
⚠ Original words to the public-domain 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush' tune. Check 'amathoyizi endaweni yawo' phrasing with a native speaker.
🎵 Tidy-Up Time
English
Tidy-up
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Tidy up, tidy up, everybody's helping;
Tidy up, tidy up, put it in its place.
Blocks in the box - clap, clap!
Books on the shelf - clap, clap!
When our room is nice and neat,
We sit down on our mat.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Chant with a work rhythm; two claps after each 'job done'; finish seated on the mat with hands in laps.
Builds: Routine transition; sorting and one-place-for-everything; sense of shared responsibility.
⚠ Original chant.
🎵 This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands
English
Hand-wash
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands;
This is the way we wash our hands,
Before we eat our food.
(More verses: ...scrub between our fingers / ...dry them on the towel)
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Sing at the basin/bucket line; actions are the real washing - rub palms, backs, between fingers, dry well.
Builds: Hygiene routine; health habit linked to a song cue; sequencing the steps of proper handwashing.
⚠ Traditional 'Mulberry Bush' tune and formula, public domain. Singing it twice is roughly the 20 seconds of scrubbing health guidelines ask for.
🎵 Geza Izandla
isiZulu
Hand-wash
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Geza, geza izandla,
Ngensipho, ngamanzi;
Phambili, emuva,
Phakathi kweminwe -
Izandla ezihlanzekile!
Wash, wash your hands with soap and water; front, back, between the fingers - clean hands!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Each line matches a scrubbing action: palms, backs of hands, interlaced fingers; show sparkling hands on the last line.
Builds: isiZulu hygiene vocabulary; correct handwashing technique; routine independence.
⚠ Original. Grammar ('phakathi kweminwe', 'ezihlanzekile') to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Siyalandelana (Line-Up Chant)
mixed
Line-up
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
One behind the other - siyalandelana!
Hands by your sides - siyalandelana!
Quiet little feet - siyalandelana!
Look at our line - siyahamba, let's go!
'Siyalandelana' = we follow one another; 'siyahamba' = we are going.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Chant with a soft clap on 'siyalandelana' while children form the line; start walking only on 'let's go'.
Builds: Orderly transitions; position language (behind, next to); self-control while waiting; bilingual routine cue.
⚠ Original chant mixing English and isiZulu the way local classrooms naturally do.
🎵 Open, Shut Them
English
Quiet-down
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Give a little clap, clap, clap;
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them, slowly creep them
Right up to your chin;
Open wide your little mouth -
But do not let them in!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Open and close fists, clap, fold hands in lap; fingers creep up to the chin, then whisk hands away at the end.
Builds: Settles hands and bodies before story or meal time; fine motor; delightful self-control joke at the end.
⚠ Traditional fingerplay, long in the public domain; ends with hands quietly in laps - use it right before stories.
🎵 Thulani, Thulani (Quiet Echo)
isiZulu
Quiet-down
2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Teacher (singing softly): Thulani, thulani, bantwana...
Children (softer): Thulani, thulani...
Teacher (whisper): Thula... thula...
Children (whisper): Thula...
(finger on lips, hands in laps, silence)
Be quiet, be quiet, children... quiet... quiet...
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Echo game: children copy the teacher's voice getting softer and softer until everyone is whispering, then silent with hands in laps.
Builds: Voice-volume control; listening; group self-regulation without shouting over children.
⚠ Original quiet-down device using 'thula/thulani' - the same word children know from the lullaby, so calm is already attached to it.
🎵 Thula Thul', Thula Baba
isiZulu
Rest & lullaby
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4
Thula thul', thula baba, thula sana,
Thul' ubab' uzobuya ekuseni.
Thula thul', thula baba, thula sana,
Thul' ubab' uzobuya ekuseni.
Hush, hush, little one - hush, daddy will come home in the morning.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Rock slowly, pat the child's back on the beat, hum the tune once the words are done; dim the room for sleep time.
Builds: Soothing and secure attachment; the classic South African lullaby children will hear at home too; soft singing voice.
⚠ Traditional Zulu lullaby, public domain folk song (sometimes 'Thula Mama' / 'Tula Sana'). Sing 'mama' instead of 'baba' as needed.
🎵 Abiyoyo
mixed
Rest & lullaby
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Abiyoyo, Abiyoyo,
Abiyoyo, Abiyoyo,
Abiyoyo, Abiyoyo,
Abiyoyo... (softer and softer)
A lullaby of one gentle word.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Rock or sway with babies in arms; older children sway sitting cross-legged; sing slower and softer each round until it fades to humming.
Builds: Because it is one word, every child - siSwati, Xitsonga or isiZulu speaking - can sing it from the first hearing; breath control; calming.
⚠ Traditional Xhosa lullaby, public domain. Noted here as Xhosa, not a local language, but its one-word text crosses all language groups easily.
🎵 Lala, Mntfwana Wami
siSwati
Rest & lullaby
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4
Lala, lala, mntfwana wami,
Vala emehlo akho;
Lala, lala, mntfwana wami,
Make ulapha, lala kahle.
Sleep, sleep, my child, close your eyes; sleep, sleep, my child - mother is here, sleep well.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Slow rocking rhythm at nap time; pat the mattress softly on the beat; repeat as a hum.
Builds: Rest-time cue in the children's own home language; emotional security ('make ulapha' - mother is here); soft dynamics.
⚠ Original lullaby written in traditional style. siSwati orthography ('mntfwana', 'make ulapha') to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Etlela, N'wananga
Xitsonga
Rest & lullaby
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4
Etlela, etlela, n'wananga,
Dyambu ri perile;
Tinyeleti ta vangama,
Etlela, n'wananga.
Sleep, sleep, my child - the sun has set; the stars are shining - sleep, my child.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Sway slowly; trace little stars in the air on the third line; end with a long soft 'shhh'.
Builds: Rest-time cue in Xitsonga; nature vocabulary (sun, stars); calm descending melody.
⚠ Original lullaby in traditional style. Xitsonga orthography ('ri perile', 'ta vangama') to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Salani Kahle, Bangani
isiZulu
Goodbye
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Salani kahle, bangani bami,
Sobonana kusasa!
Sidlalile, sifundile -
Hambani kahle, bye-bye!
Stay well, my friends, we will see each other tomorrow! We played, we learned - go well, bye-bye!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wave with both hands; hug a friend on the third line; blow a kiss on 'bye-bye' as children move to the gate.
Builds: Closing ritual that marks the day as finished and predicts tomorrow (secure routine); reflection ('we played, we learned').
⚠ Original goodbye song. Check verb forms ('sidlalile, sifundile') with a native speaker; siSwati groups may sing 'Salani kahle, bangani betfu'.
🎵 Fambani Kahle, Vanghana
Xitsonga
Goodbye
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Fambani kahle, vanghana,
Hi ta vonana mundzuku!
Fambani kahle, vanghana,
Mundzuku - ahee!
Go well, friends - we will see one another tomorrow! Go well, friends - tomorrow, yes!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Big slow waves on each line; both fists up with a happy 'ahee!' on the last word.
Builds: Xitsonga farewell ritual; time concept 'tomorrow' (mundzuku); closure and anticipation.
⚠ Original. Xitsonga orthography ('hi ta vonana mundzuku') to be checked by a native speaker.
🎵 Goodbye, Friends
English
Goodbye
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Goodbye, friends; goodbye, friends;
Time to go, time to go;
See you in the morning, see you in the morning;
Go safely home, go safely home.
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Wave goodbye; point to the gate on 'time to go'; hands make a roof over the head on 'safely home'.
Builds: English farewell phrases; predictable end-of-day ritual; safety message.
⚠ Original words to the public-domain tune of Frere Jacques - the same melody family as the greeting songs, closing the day's circle.
🎵 Imvula, Imvula (Chapha, Chapha)
isiZulu
Theme songs
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Imvula, imvula,
Chapha, chapha, chapha;
Imanzi ingubo yami,
Chapha, chapha, chapha.
Gqum! Gqum! Liyaduduma!
Gqum! Gqum! Liyaduduma!
Rain, rain - splash, splash, splash - my clothes are wet, splash splash splash. Boom! Boom! It's thundering!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Drum fingertips on the floor for rain, getting louder; stamp or drum fists for thunder; shrink small and quiet as the 'storm' passes.
Builds: Sound-play (chapha = rain sound, gqum = thunder); the click 'q' in a joyful context; loud/soft dynamics; weather talk on rainy days.
⚠ Traditional Xhosa/Zulu children's rain song, widely sung in both languages; documented by PRAESA and Mama Lisa's World. Zulu wording shown; Xhosa version has 'ilokhwe yam'.
🎵 Old MacDonald / uBab' uDlamini
mixed
Theme songs
1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O!
With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there...
(Local verse:)
uBab' uDlamini unepulazi, E-I-E-I-O!
Unezinkomo - muu! Unezimbuzi - me-e! Unezinkukhu - kwek-kwek!
Father Dlamini has a farm - he has cows (moo), goats (meh), chickens (cluck).
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Children choose the next animal and everyone makes its sound and movement; point to children to be the animals.
Builds: Animal names and sounds in two languages; verse structure and memory; humour; connects to children's real home animals.
⚠ 'Old MacDonald' is a traditional folk song, public domain. The uBab' uDlamini verse is our original localisation - swap in a surname from your community.
🎵 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
English
Theme songs
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Actions & what it builds ↓
Do: Open and close star fingers above the head; whisper the second singing for a magical hush - good before rest time.
Builds: Gentle melody for winding down; wonder-talk about the sky; fine motor 'twinkling'.
⚠ Traditional tune (public domain); words by Jane Taylor, 1806, long out of copyright.
No songs match.
No stories match.
