Hello! I’m popping in quickly to share the sweet little folk song for this week, Ladybug Ladybug! This is a song I learned from my daughter’s preschool teachers, who shared it with me when I told them how much she loves ladybugs right now. She was a ladybug for Halloween, she just had a ladybug themed third birthday, she has two little ladybugs she sleeps with, and she plays “ladybugs” by flying her fingers around as they land on flowers and hunt for aphids. It really is the cutest thing!
My daughter’s teacher was generous enough to record herself singing this song for me so I could transcribe it, and she showed me the actions as well. These are all recorded on the song card download below. I think this is the sweetest little folk song that practices gentleness, which is a wonderful skill to develop for our little friends. I especially love the ending of today’s folk song, about waving the ladybug back gently to ladybug land. So sweet!
You’ll notice this folk song is an example of a folk song variant–the melody is shared with On Top Of Old Smokey! I’m planning to ask my daughter’s teachers how they learned this song, because I have never heard this one before–the variant I know best to On Top Of Old Smokey is On Top Of Spaghetti, a campfire classic! Today’s variant is interesting because it omits the anacrusis feeling (“Up Beat”) that is so strong in the traditional music for On Top Of Old Smokey. This gives the song a bit of a different feel. So I’d classify this as mostly a text variant, but with a slight melodic variant as well. Folk songs are so cool, you guys!
I have a very fun little printable planned for this folk song I’m planning to share on Monday, so check back then!
Click here to download the song card
Happy Singing!
-Lauren