The Crocodile
About this song
In this song we meet a crocodile, a horse and a dinosaur: three exciting animals that will
spark your child’s imagination. The song can be used as an action song and children will love
pretending to be the different animals: clapping their hands to make a snapping crocodile,
trotting around the room like a horse and stomping and roaring like a dinosaur. And, as your
child claps their hands and stamps their feet they are learning to keep a steady beat.
Developmental Value
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As well as being lots of fun, this kind of ‘make-believe’ activity plays a crucial role in
your child’s intellectual and social development. By offering your child opportunities
for dramatic play, you are providing them with a platform for developing language
skills, social skills such as empathy and co-operation and encouraging their creative
development.
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A child who is able to keep a steady beat will naturally be a better reader. Research
from the University of Cambridge has shown that the ability to hear beats in music is
an extremely strong predictor of reading ability. Reading is all about breaking down
letters, sounds and syllables. Keeping a beat does the same - it teaches us to segment,
break down sounds and listen carefully.
Using this Song At Home
1. Watch - Watch the video and join in with your child, pretending to be all the animals
with their different sounds and actions.
2. Think Creatively - Use this song to encourage your child to think about the sounds
that each animal makes and how they can re-create those sounds using their voices,
bodies and instruments. How many ways can you think of to make the clip clop noise
of a horse’s hooves? For example you can use your tongue, your knees or your feet.
Or try tapping two empty yoghurt pots or margarine tubs on the ground: they sound
just like a horse’s hooves. Encourage your child to think about each animal sound in
the same way.
3. Become ‘Sound Explorers’ - Search your home to see if you can find something that
will make a loud noise that sounds like a dinosaur stomping.
4. Make a ‘Junk Band’ - To help your child be creative about making sounds, gather
together some ‘rubbish’ such as empty food cartons, cardboard boxes, different kinds
of paper and some cardboard tubes...you can even add in some pots and pans from the
kitchen. Play ‘The Crocodile’ song and help your child to make animal sounds with
your pile of junk percussion.
5. A Great New Toy - Keep your collection of ‘junk percussion’ in an old cardboard
box or suitcase where your child can access it. Allow him to freely explore the sounds
he can make as part of his play activities. You may find that the old cardboard box
filled with interesting objects that make different sounds, is more stimulating than a
shiny new toy! It poses questions such as ‘What’s inside?’, ‘What shall I do with it?’
that will spark your child’s imagination and problem-solving skills.
LYRICS
THE CROCODILE
Well the crocodile has a great big smile he is such a friendly chap.
Well his mouth opens wider, wider, wider ‘til he shuts it with a snap,
Yes his mouth opens wider, wider, wider ‘til he shuts it with a snap.
It’s a horse of course and a very fine horse and the rider sits on top.
We can hear him move as four fine hooves go clip clop, clip clop, clip clop, clip,
We can hear him move as four fine hooves go clip clop, clip clop, clip clop, clip clop.
It’s a dinosaur you can hear him roar all around the muddy swamp.
The ground starts to shake and we all start to quake to hear him stomp, stomp,
stomp,
The ground starts to shake and we all start to quake to hear him stomp, stomp,
stomp.
Craft Activities
Junk Animals
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Gather together your household junk. You know, the kind of stuff that would
generally go into the recycling... cereal packets, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, different kinds
of paper, cardboard tubes and boxes
Have some glue and tape on hand and build animals out of your junk: don’t worry,
your child will have plenty of ideas even if you don’t.
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You can decorate your animal with whatever you have to hand - scrap paper, paints,
colouring crayons
Tip - your animals don’t have to look “right”...they can be any shape, size or colour.
You can even give them imaginary names and think about what sounds they make and what
they eat for tea!
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