Winter Song · Circle Game · Grades PreK–3
Sister Phoebe lyrics, the mitten game, and a complete teaching guide for PreK through 3rd grade. Steady beat, melodic contour, solo singing — and the cuter the mittens, the better the game works. One of the most beloved winter circle games in the library.
Full lyrics · both verses
The complete Sister Phoebe lyrics — two verses. The first verse welcomes Sister Phoebe; the second verse involves putting on the mittens and shaking hands. The child in the center gets a long, satisfying turn with the mittens, which is why children are happy to pass them on.
About this song
Sister Phoebe is one of those rare games where the prop does much of the teaching. The mittens have to be put on, the hand has to be shaken — these physical motions are embedded in the lyrics, which means students are always doing the right thing at the right time. The game manages itself.
The trick to making this game work well is the mittens themselves. The cuter the mittens, the more the kids love the game. Animal mittens — puppets, even — are especially effective. In other passing games, students sometimes resist giving up a prop. In Sister Phoebe, the center child gets such a long, satisfying turn (putting on the mittens, acting out the motions, shaking hands) that they're usually happy to pass them on when the time comes.
"In this song, the child in the center gets quite a long time with the mittens and usually has no problem acting out the motions and passing them on. In this case, the cuter the mittens are, the more the kids like the game!"
— Deborah Skydell Pasternack, The Singing ClassroomMelodic contour: The octave jump at the end of the melody provides an interesting focal point — the contour leaps up dramatically before settling back down. This makes Sister Phoebe a particularly clear and memorable example for contour teaching.
Steady beat: Children walk to the beat around the circle — the physical movement anchors the pulse throughout the game. For very young students, the walking itself is the steady beat lesson.
Starting with a puppet: For the first time teaching the game, using a toy or puppet with arms as the first player in the center keeps children's attention and allows a smooth transition from a previous activity that used the same puppet. The puppet can be "sister Phoebe" before the children take over.
Teaching guide
For the first time teaching the game, use a toy or puppet with arms as the first player in the center. This keeps children's attention during the introduction and allows a smooth transition from a previous activity that used the same puppet. The puppet models exactly what the center child is supposed to do.
Teach both verses by rote before starting the game. The game moves much more smoothly when every student knows both verses confidently — particularly the second verse, which gives the instructions for the mittens and handshake.
Children walk around the circle to the beat during Verse 1. One child stands in the center as "Sister Phoebe." During Verse 2, the center child acts out the lyrics — putting on the mittens and shaking the hand of a child in the circle. That child becomes the new center player. The child in the center gets a pleasingly long turn, which helps with transitions.
After students know the song well, substitute "sister Phoebe" with the name of the child in the center — "brother Lucas," "sister Molly." This simple change makes every turn feel special and keeps the class engaged even after many rounds.
After the game has been played many times, have the center child sing Verse 2 as a solo — "Now put on these mittens, they'll keep your hands warm, and then shake my hand it will do you no harm." The rest of the class joins in on the final two lines. The solo is natural and expected — the child is already performing in the center, which removes self-consciousness.
Common questions
Verse 1: "High-o sister Phoebe, how merry were we / The night we sat under the Juniper tree / The Juniper tree, high-o, high-o / The Juniper tree, high-o." Verse 2: "Now put on these mittens, they'll keep your hands warm / And then shake my hand it will do you no harm / But a great deal of good, I know I know / But a great deal of good, I know." After children know the song, substitute the child's name in the center for "sister Phoebe."
The cuter the mittens, the better the game works. Animal mittens are particularly effective — some are designed as puppets with faces, which adds to the fun. Search for cute animal mittens on Etsy or similar sites. In most passing games, students resist giving up the prop. Sister Phoebe avoids this problem because the center child gets a long, satisfying turn acting out the lyrics — so they're usually happy to pass the mittens on when the time comes.
Sister Phoebe works for PreK through 3rd grade, though the game may feel too young for some 3rd grade classes — use your judgment. PreK and kindergarten enjoy the game itself and the mittens. First and second graders engage with the steady beat walking and melodic contour work. For grades 1–3, the solo singing extension adds musical depth without requiring any change to the game mechanics.
The octave jump at the end of the melody — "high-o, high-o" — provides a particularly clear and dramatic focal point for melodic contour work. The melody climbs a full octave, which is one of the largest and most noticeable jumps in the early elementary repertoire. Having students trace the contour with their hands while singing makes this jump visceral and memorable.
More winter songs
Skipping to the phrase, re solfège, swing time. A perfect seasonal companion to Sister Phoebe.
See teaching guide →The beloved circle game with play acting and motions. Same age range as Sister Phoebe.
See teaching guide →A winding arch game with beautiful melodic contour. Natural partner to Sister Phoebe for winter.
See teaching guide →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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