UK songs/rhymes for children...help!

i took my daughter to rhyme time at the local library today and did not know ANY of the songs. i hadn't even heard most before and the few that i had heard had completely different lyrics and hand gestures to go with them. i just sat in silence while watching all of the other mothers singing to their babies. it made me so incredibly homesick that i had to leave in the middle before i started to cry.

can anyone tell me the names of some common songs and nursery rhymes here in the UK that i can look up to learn before i go to another class/group again?! also, which US songs have different words in the UK? the row, row, row your boat was COMPLETELY different!

I found a link with lots of kids songs on them, I would go to Youtube and look for videos there! They do have great songs here, once you get to know them! I promise you will love them. Also, maybe you can get a DVD of them somewhere!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3577647

Before you know it, you will be like me, leading the sing-a-long at playgroup!! Good luck!

I don't think "Round and round the garden ..." was on that list. Not a song but what you'd call a finger-play:

Holding the child's hand you trace your finger slowly around their palm, while chanting:

"Round and round the garden
Like a teddy bear,
One step, two step ...
Tickle you under there!"

Ending with appropriate tickling and gales of laughter.

Oh honey, I totally understand. I was the same way in the beginning. I hated that they were learning all these different rhymes and  not the American ones (which is why sing a lot of American ones at home).

Here is a good website: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/

The one the girls love is the bobbin song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXo_8BvoZhU 

And we do the teddy bear one above a little different. I tend to draw circles on the babies belly and when I say 'one step, two step' I begin crawling up the side and tickle them under their arm.

If you have BabyTV, I would TOTALLY recommend watching it. They have a ton of nursery rhymes in between the programmes and I've learned so many songs from it. You can see some of the shows and nursery rhymes on their website or youtube page. http://www.youtube.com/user/BabyTVChannel

My girls love that channel.

Oh, also CBeebies have lots of songs on their shows like Show me Show me, The Tweenies...I learned a lot of songs that way.

I have to laugh because at my music class last week they sang "London's Burning" and I hadn't ever heard it before. At the end I was laughing and I just said "I'm a foreigner! We don't sing these songs in my country"" Soon enough you will be super sick of most of the songs...unless you have an adorable kid like my little one who likes to do the hand motions, then you will love them!!

also, which US songs have different words in the UK? the row, row, row your boat was COMPLETELY different!

Meant to say that the row row row your boat song has various alternative verses.  http://thekittycats.wordpress.com/category/titles/r/row-row-row-your-boat/

And Itsy Bitsy Spider is called Incy Wincy Spider here. I still sing it as Itsy Bitsy, though, even in groups.

And Itsy Bitsy Spider is called Incy Wincy Spider here. I still sing it as Itsy Bitsy, though, even in groups.

I did that too  There's a limit to how much acclimatization I will do!

Another one I'd never heard in the States (tune:Frere Jacques) :

"I hear thunder - I hear thunder,
Hark! Don't you - Hark! Don't you?
Pitter patter rain drops - Pitter patter rain drops,
I'm wet through - So are you!"

Another one I'd never heard in the States (tune:Frere Jacques) :

"I hear thunder - I hear thunder,
Hark! Don't you - Hark! Don't you?
Pitter patter rain drops - Pitter patter rain drops,
I'm wet through - So are you!"

Cute! That sounds like a good bath song when you're splashing them. Ha ha.

Cute! That sounds like a good bath song when you're splashing them. Ha ha.

Or - if they're nervous about thunder storms. They did it at play group for that reason.

Completely agree! That bobbin one has turned up at very single play group we've been to, that we had it memorized within the week

I really love Wind the Bobbin Up, not only because if I start singing it my daughter starts doing the hand motions like she is some kind of bobbin addict, but I love the origin of the song and the fact that probably, 100 years ago kids working in cotton mills in the North sang it while working on the looms...its kind of heart breaking, but its heritage is wonderful. I know most nursery rhymes are about death and destruction and stuff, but I do love this one.

I really love Wind the Bobbin Up, not only because if I start singing it my daughter starts doing the hand motions like she is some kind of bobbin addict,

Same here. The girls both start clapping like mad.

Anyone know one that mentions a can of mushy peas- years ago we had the window open and some kids were playing outside singing and that was the only line I heard- It has been driving me nuts wondering what it was.

There are hand motions for the "I hear thunder one" as well. The kids stamp their feet for the thunder (they love that), then they put their hands to their ears to listen. Then they do waggly finger motions for the raindrops.

Don't know any mushy peas songs 

I heard it in Durham if that helps??