Row Row Row Your Boat
Row Row Row Your Boat
Objective: To support gross motor development, coordination, rhythm, and social skills by practicing movements in time with music and peers.
Directions: As you sing the song, do movements based on the child's ability level.
Song:
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream."
"Merrily, merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream."
Motions:
- "Row" – make fists and move arms in a circular rowing motion in front of your body
- "Merrily" – Raise hands, open palms, and sway side to side.
- "Life is but" – stack hands together, rest them near the cheek, and pretend to sleep.
Modification Chart
| Level | Modification | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 0-1 year old | Gently move their body parts to the rhythm of the song. | Rhythm, Early Learning |
| 🟣 1-2 year old | Sit in a circle and clap along to the beat of the song. Encourage imitation of song movements if able to. | Imitation, Listen/Attention |
| 🟢 2-3 year old | Children will do the song's motions, rowing arms and rain fingers, to correlate with the song. | Independence, Sing & Move simultaneously |
| 🟠 3-4 year old | Walk in a circle while also doing the rowing/rain finger motions. | Multi-movements, Balance & Timing |
| 🔴 4-5 year old | Pretend to be in different types of boats, moving to the speed of it (fast versus slow). | Creativity, Spatial Awareness |