C-C-Candles! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
A Christmas phonics song for preschool and Reception: Penny Periwinkle's shell twirls into the letter C. Listen for the /k/ sound in candles, cards and cocoa, then play the yes-or-no sound game.
Pressing play loads the video from YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com). YouTube's own privacy policy then applies.
Winter song · with Penny and Dottie and Hob
B-B-Baubles! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
Penny Periwinkle's spiral shell twirls into the letter B! Listen to the /b/ sound, find three Christmassy B words – baubles, bells and bows – decorate the tree with Dottie and Hob, and play the yes-or-no sound game.
- Ages 2–5
- Length 1:37
- Published
What children learn
- Hear and say the sound /b/ – a short, bouncy sound made with the lips, kept as short as you can
- Link the sound /b/ to the letter shapes B and b
- Spot the first sound in words: baubles, bells, bows, bear, boots, bounce
- Tell sounds apart: /b/ in boots, but /m/ in moon and /t/ in tree
- Listening and joining in: call-and-response and taking turns
Links to the EYFS areas of learning: Literacy (phonics) · Communication and Language · Understanding the World (Christmas).
About this song
A bouncy, clear phonics song with marimba and bells, sung in standard Southern British English with a warm, teacher-like voice. Gaps are left so children can repeat each sound, and Penny pops the /b/ sound for them to copy.
All the example words are spelt with a B at the start, so children see and hear the same thing. In the game, moon and tree are the ‘no’ words, so children hear how /m/ and /t/ sound different from /b/.
Tip for grown-ups: Say the sound /b/ short and bouncy, with your lips popping open – try to keep it to a quick 'b' rather than 'buh', and don't use the letter name 'bee'. In the song the sound is sung, so it carries a little vowel; when you practise at home, keep it as short as you can. In many UK school phonics programmes, b is taught early in Reception, soon after s, a, t, p, i, n.
Lyrics
Sing along, or print this page for circle time.
Phonics sounds are written between slashes: /b/ means the sound at the start of bat.
Intro
Hello, friends! It's Penny Periwinkle. Look – my shell is twirling...
it's making a letter... it's B! B says /b/. Can you say it with me?
/b/, /b/, /b/! Brilliant!
Verse
Twirl, twirl, my spiral shell – a line goes down so tall,
Then round and round, two tummies – it's a B, the best of all!
/b/, /b/, /b/ – let's listen to the sound,
And find three B things hanging all around!
Chorus
B-b-baubles – round and bright!
B-b-bells – ding, ding, dong!
B-b-bows, all red and ribbony –
/b/, /b/, /b/ – sing along!
Verse
One, two, three! Hob brings a box of baubles for the tree,
Dottie floats up to the top and hangs a bell for me,
And I tie bows on every branch, all bouncy, big and red –
The best tree in Puddleby Green! That's what everybody said!
Chorus
B-b-baubles – round and bright!
B-b-bells – ding, ding, dong!
B-b-bows, all red and ribbony –
/b/, /b/, /b/ – sing along!
Bridge
Is it b-b-bear?
Yes! /b/!
Is it m-m-moon?
No – that's /m/!
Is it b-b-boots?
Yes! /b/!
Is it t-t-tree?
No – that's /t/!
Is it b-b-bounce?
Yes! Let's bounce! /b/, /b/!
Chorus
B-b-baubles – round and bright!
B-b-bells – ding, ding, dong!
B-b-bows, all red and ribbony –
/b/, /b/, /b/ – sing along!
Outro
Baubles, bells and bows – three B words! Well done, everyone.
My shell is curling back up... bye-bye!
Bye-bye!
Words and music © Puddleby Green. You're welcome to print the lyrics for home, nursery and classroom use.
Activity ideas (no screen needed)
B sound hunt
Look around the house for things that start with /b/: a ball, a book, a banana, a bed, a button. Say each word slowly and listen for the very first sound.
Yes or no?
Play Penny's game: say a word and your child answers 'Yes, /b/!' or 'No!'. Try bus, moon, bed, tree, ball, sock.
Bouncy b
Bounce on the spot and say a short /b/ every time you land – b, b, b – just like Penny at the end of the song.
Trace a B
Draw a big B in the air, in sand or on a steamy window: a line straight down, back to the top, then round for the top tummy and round again for the bottom tummy.
B tree
Cut baubles, bells and bows out of paper, say /b/ for each one and stick them on a paper Christmas tree.
More songs to sing
S-S-Snowman! Penny's Winter Phonics Song
A wintry phonics song for preschool and Reception: Penny Periwinkle's shell twirls into the letter S. Listen for the /s/ sound in snowman, star and socks, then play the yes-or-no sound game.
J-J-Jumper! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
A festive phonics song for preschool and Reception: Penny Periwinkle's shell twirls into the letter J. Listen for the /j/ sound in jumper, jingle and jolly, then play the yes-or-no sound game.