Circle Game · Name Learning · Grades PreK–2
Full lyrics, how to play the name-learning circle game, and a complete teaching guide. Perfect for the first weeks of school — and for teaching quarter rest, solfege re, and 4/4 meter.
Complete lyrics
About this song
All Around the Buttercup is one of the most useful songs a music teacher can have in the first weeks of school. It does something no roll call or seating chart can do: it makes learning every child's name a musical event. The game structure naturally draws each student into the center of the circle — seen, chosen, and welcomed — while the class keeps singing and moving together.
The setup is simple. Place a bowl in the center of the circle with folded name slips (or nametags) for every child in the class. The whole class walks in a circle holding hands while singing. The teacher draws three names from the bowl — those three children form an inner circle and walk in the opposite direction while the song repeats. Then the inner three draw the next three names, and so on until everyone has had a turn in the center.
"This is a wonderful way to use your bag of names — and a great transition tool too. Pick an object that connects to your next activity, and carry it inside the circle when it's your turn."
— Deborah Skydell Pasternack, The Singing ClassroomFor PreK and Kindergarten, have the inner circle walk in the same direction as the outer circle — the coordination of opposite directions is too much for very young children. For second graders, frame the opposite-direction walking as an "advanced" skill they're finally ready for. It adds a satisfying challenge without changing the game at all.
The song also works beautifully in spring as a flower/plant unit tie-in — the buttercup theme gives it a natural seasonal context even after names are well-established. You can use it in spring simply for the pleasure of the game and the musical concepts.
Teaching guide
The bowl setup has specific details that matter — including how to handle class sizes that aren't a multiple of three, and what to do when a non-existent name gets drawn. The inner circle direction depends on grade level. The quarter rest teaching moment uses a physical technique that Deborah developed specifically for this song, and the barred instrument accompaniment has two options that lead to a genuine harmonic listening comparison.
All of it is demonstrated in full with real students in the teaching video.
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By grade level
Focus on learning names and keeping a steady beat while walking. Have the inner circle walk in the same direction as the outer circle. The joy of being "chosen" makes every child's turn feel special — and the whole class learns names effortlessly through repetition.
Introduce the quarter rest using the "sniff the buttercup" technique. Use the song to present or reinforce solfege re — the melody uses only do, re, mi, and so, making it a clean context for isolating any of those syllables. Introduce barred instrument parts as call and response.
Analyze the ABAB rhythmic form and ABAC melodic form. Explore 4/4 meter and how each phrase fits into a four-beat measure. Challenge the inner circle to walk in the opposite direction — framing this as an "advanced second-grade skill" works surprisingly well. Add the I–IV vs. I–V accompaniment listening activity.
What teachers say
"I use this song every September for the first two weeks. By the end, every kid knows every other kid's name — and they all associate it with something fun. It's the best icebreaker I've ever had."
"The 'sniff the buttercup' trick for teaching the quarter rest is genius. My first graders immediately get it — the rest isn't nothing, it's a silent beat. They've been trying to explain it to each other ever since."
"I add Mr. Egg Shaker to the bowl when the numbers don't work out, and the kids go absolutely wild when his name gets drawn. Deborah's suggestion made a logistical problem into the best part of the game."
Explore the complete elementary music curriculum — 150+ folk songs, every one demonstrated on video.
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See teaching guide →Common questions
Add names to the bowl to make the total a multiple of three. If you need one extra name, add your own. If you need two, add yours plus the name of a classroom puppet or favorite instrument — "Mr. Egg Shaker" works perfectly. When that name is drawn, you carry the object inside the inner circle and pretend to have it pick the next three names. If you choose an object connected to your next activity, it also becomes a natural transition tool.
It can feel that way in the spring, but at the start of the year when names are still being learned, it works well even for second graders. The trick is to frame the inner-circle challenge — walking in the opposite direction — as something only second graders are ready for. That reframe makes the game feel age-appropriate and gives older students a sense of accomplishment rather than feeling like it's "baby stuff."
Deborah uses a specific physical technique with the buttercup prop that makes the quarter rest immediately tangible for young students — they feel the silent beat rather than just being told about it. The full sequence, including how to move from the physical experience to written notation, is demonstrated in the teaching video.
There are two different chord options for the accompaniment, each with a distinct sound. Deborah has students try both and choose which they prefer — it's a genuinely effective early harmonic listening activity. Both options are shown in the teaching video.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
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