A teacher recently asked if I would put the words to this song on my blog. This is a great song to sing each day before the children go home. You could write the words on a poster or use it with a pocket chart. By using a visual you will help children make print connections and practice tracking from left to right. This song is on my “Totally Reading” CD, but it’s easy to sing to “Down by the Bay.” Good-bye Friends!
See you later, alligator!
After while, crocodile!
In an hour, sunflower!
Maybe two, kangaroo!
Gotta go, buffalo!
Adios, hippos!
Chow, chow, brown cow!
See you soon, baboon!
Adieu, cockatoo!
Better swish, jellyfish.
Chop chop, lollipop.
Gotta run, skeleton!
Bye-bye, butterfly!
Better shake, rattlesnake.
Good-bye, my good friends!
This song makes a fantastic class book. I enlarged the words and put one line on each page. I made two copies of each page since there were 15 lines and 25 children. After singing the song several times we used the internet to research the animals the children were not familiar with. Each child chose an animal and illustrated the picture. I encouraged them to use lots of colors and to fill in the page. They decided to dedicate their book to the principal, and then we added the school’s name as the publisher and the copyright date. The children all signed their names as “Illustrators,” and then I punched holes and bound with book rings. I used the extra pictures on the cover, “The End,” “Comments and Compliments,” etc.
Here’s a book you can download to go with the song:
http://drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2005/05_May/seeYouLater.pdf
Here’s a variation of "See You Later, Alligator." Donna Henry’s first grade class at Portsmouth Catholic School came up with a lot of rhymes in “Todaloo.” Why not challenge your class to come up with their own original verses?
Todaloo
(Tune: “Down by the Bay” – Move It! Learn It! CD)
Bye bye dragon fly
Toodaloo tennis shoe
Wave to me bumble bee
Give a hug ladybug
Time to bale blue whale
Catch the bus octopus
Gotta scat alley cat
Take care teddy bear
Hit the road old toad
Time to swish gold fish
Hit the course race horse
Catch a cab hermit crab
You’re a love turtledove
We had fun bubblegum
We had a laugh giraffe
Good luck rubber duck
Take a boat billy goat
Vamoose Mr. Moose
Never fear reindeer
Time to go black crow
Come again, red hen
Learned a lot tater tot
See you later, alligator
After while crocodile.
