Play and Fun

Clap Yer Handies

A song to help babies co-ordinate and practise their hand-clapping. 'Clap Yer Handies', performed by Ewan McVicar. more »
Clapa Clapa Handies

A song to entertain babies and co-ordinate hand-clapping.'Clapa Clapa Handies', performed by Ewan McVicar. more »
Coulter's Candy

In the 1870s, Robert Coultart, a mill worker in Galashiels, made aniseed-flavoured toffee in his house and sold it around all the fairs and markets in the Borders. He played his whistle and made up his song to call the children to buy his sweets.There … more »
The Cradle Song

‘The Cradle Song’ is a slow air written by J Scott Skinner after seeing a sick child being cared for by his mother in a hotel in Forres.He went into the wrong room by mistake and saw the mother bending over the cradle. He imagined her to … more »
Bananas are the Best

This song is a big favourite with young people, who like to shout now and then.In about 1964 Ewan McVicar was working in Nairobi, Kenya, and he heard a Swahili pop song that had this tune. Twenty years later, Ewan was working back in Scotland. … more »
Fitba Crazy

This song reminds us that football can be dangerous as well as fun. It is sung by adults as well as children.Your ‘gub’ is your mouth. ‘Skivvies’ are young girls who work in a house and do the worst cleaning tasks.Some people … more »
The World Must Be Comin Tae an End

A girl is sent to buy the ‘messages’ in a shop, but she always meets with problems and often with a catastrophe. Some of the verses below are old and some have been made with children quite recently.We sent her for eggs, oh aye, oh aye.We … more »
The Travelling Minstrel Show

This song was written by Ian Walker with P6 at Forth Primary, South Lanarkshire. Ian, who plays the banjo, says, 'It is said that the travelling minstrels used to visit Forth and that they played in the school hall, as there were very few community … more »
Bee Baw Babbity

The first verse of this very old song is sometimes used to amuse and dandle babies.Both verses are used for a ring game. The mysterious words derive from an older song game called Bab at the Bowster. This was played by young people and involved kneeling … more »
Dance Tae Yer Daddy

Because of the way it has been used on television, people think this song belongs to Newcastle-on-Tyne, but it has been known in Scotland for a very long time and is sung with different words by different people. Sometimes it is 'Ye'll get a … more »
Red Yo-Yo

Matt McGinn’s daughter came home from her Glasgow school one day to tell her parents that she had lost a button somewhere in school. She had gone to the janitor, who had gone to the headteacher, who had asked over the school loudspeakers if … more »
One, Two, Three Aleerie

Aleerie is a very old word that means holding your leg crooked. You bounce the ball three times, then lift your leg and bounce the ball under it when you come to ‘Aleerie’. The song was also used for skipping, and it has lots of other … more »
Everywhere We Go

This playground chant is used throughout Britain, with school or place names inserted where this rhyme has Abernyte. Is it chanted in your school?The recording (accessible below) of Everywhere We Go is performed by Ewan McVicar with all the … more »