Flannel Friday: Bumpin' Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

Bumpin' up and down in my little red wagon
Bumpin' up and down in my little red wagon
Bumpin' up and down in my little red wagon
Won't you be my darling?

Bumpin' Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon has been a staple of my story times since I became a children's librarian, but I typically only use the first verse of the original song, followed by two piggyback verses I wrote myself. Recently, I listened to the original version, however, and I remembered the second and third verses:

One wheel's off and the axle's broken
One wheel's off and the axle's broken
One wheel's off and the axle's broken
Won't you be my darling?

Freddie's gonna fix it with his hammer
Freddie's gonna fix it with his hammer
Freddie's gonna fix it with his hammer
Won't you be my darling? 

In Raffi's version, he sings that last verse over and over, changing the name of the child and the name of the tool each time. This idea lends itself to a very basic - and highly interactive - flannel board activity.

Start out by singing the first two verses. (My wagon is intact, as I have never used it with this song, but if I were to make another one, I'd have a detachable wheel, so I could pull it off at the appropriate time.) 

When you get to the third verse, show the kids a hammer. To model what the kids will do when it's their turn,  sing your own name in place of Freddie.

Miss Katie's gonna fix it with her hammer...

After that, ask the kids one at a time which tool they would use to fix the wagon. Allow each child to put the tool of his or her choice up on the board. (To keep the tools organized, it might also be fun to have a toolbox like this on hand.) Sing the verse, substituting the child's name for your name, and their chosen tool for the hammer.

Sarah's gonna fix it with her screwdriver...

David's gonna fix it with his saw...

For an even more fun interactive experience, you could also bring in a real wagon and a set of real or toy plastic tools and let the kids take turns pretending to fix the wagon.You could also borrow the hand motions used by the kids in this Raffi video to keep the whole group engaged while they wait for their turns. 

This song has been flannelized in the past by Sarah at Read it Again, who changes the red wagon to a yellow school bus, an orange dump truck, a green train, and a blue truck, and by Sarah at Read Rabbit Read, who sings about wagons of all different colors. It's a perfect addition to a transportation-themed or tool-themed story time!

This week's Flannel Friday host is K Leigh from Storytime ABCs. For more on Flannel Friday, visit the official website.