Submitted by Patti Kolk, Cleveland, Ohio

Idea posted October 23, 2002

I think the Welcome to Pooh Corner is a wonderful idea to start off the year. I would like to share a variation of the traditional children's jump rope teddy bear chant that I modified to fit in with Pooh. In case you're not familiar with the original version which is chanted at a moderate tempo:

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear touch the ground.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear turn around.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear climb up the stairs.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear say your prayers.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear turn off the light.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear say good night.
(I don't remember the exact lines - and motions accompanied each line.)

Sometimes, I have come across children who know this chant and are excited to share some of the motions with their new classmates. I ask the children if Pooh would be a fast runner, and most laugh at that question. Then, I suggest maybe it's hard for Pooh to move quickly because he loves his honey pot. So I begin the Pooh version by myself showing how slowly Pooh might move. Then I invite the children to mimic me and begin the chant all over again. Of course, I have a small beanie type Pooh who does the movements with me.

Pooh Bear Pooh Bear touch the ground.
Pooh Bear Pooh Bear turn around.
Pooh Bear Pooh Bear reach up high.
Pooh Bear Pooh Bear makes a sigh (oh brother).
Pooh Bear Pooh Bear where's your honey pot.
Pooh Bear Pooh Bear we must stop.
(I came up with more lines, but I can't remember them now.)

Then each week, we would add another friend from Pooh corner to include in the chant. Piglet Piglet worked well with the same lines as Pooh.

Owl Owl flap your wings.
Owl Owl fly to your tree.
Owl Owl can you see the friends?
Owl Owl give a hoot when you do.
Kanga Kanga jump up high.
Kanga Kanga hop down low.
Kanga Kanga what do you see? (place hand over eyes)
Kanga Kanga where is Roo? (shrug shoulders while hopping)
Kanga Kanga look in your pouch. (pull hands away from stomach)

The only character that I had trouble making a chant for was Christopher Robin. SO, I chanted his name once instead of twice for all the verses about Pooh and the other friends.