B-B-Baubles! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
A Christmas phonics song for preschool and Reception: Penny Periwinkle's shell twirls into the letter B. Listen for the /b/ sound in baubles, bells and bows, then play the yes-or-no sound game.
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Winter song · with Penny and Dottie and Hob
C-C-Candles! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
Penny Periwinkle's spiral shell twirls into the letter C! Listen to the /k/ sound, find three cosy Christmas C words – candles, cards and cocoa – make the cosiest corner in Puddleby Green with Dottie and Hob, and play the yes-or-no sound game.
- Ages 2–5
- Length 1:45
- Coming
What children learn
- Hear and say the sound /k/ – a short, crisp sound from the back of the mouth, with no 'uh' on the end
- Link the sound /k/ to the letter shapes C and c
- Spot the first sound in words: candles, cards, cocoa, cat, coat, clap
- Tell sounds apart: /k/ in coat, but /d/ in duck and /f/ in fox
- 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 cosy, bouncy phonics song with ukulele, glockenspiel and gentle sleigh bells, sung in standard Southern British English with a warm, teacher-like voice. Gaps are left so children can repeat each sound, and Penny says a short, crisp /k/ for them to copy.
All the example words are spelt with a C at the start, so children see and hear the same thing. In the game, duck and fox are the ‘no’ words, so children hear how /d/ and /f/ sound different from /k/.
Tip for grown-ups: Say the sound /k/ short and crisp, from the back of your mouth – a quick 'k' rather than 'kuh', and don't use the letter name 'see'. In the song Penny keeps the sound as short as she can. C and k make the same sound; in many UK school phonics programmes, c is taught early in Reception, soon after s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o.
Lyrics
Sing along, or print this page for circle time.
Phonics sounds are written between slashes: /k/ means the sound at the start of cat.
Intro
Hello, friends! It's Penny Periwinkle. Look – my shell is twirling...
it's making a letter... it's C! C says /k/. Can you say it with me?
/k/, /k/, /k/! Clever you!
Verse
Twirl, twirl, my spiral shell – start at the top and round we go,
Curl right round and stop down low – it's a C, nice and slow!
/k/, /k/, /k/ – let's listen to the sound,
And find three cosy C things all around!
Chorus
C-c-candles – glowing bright!
C-c-cards – for you and me!
C-c-cocoa, warm and creamy –
/k/, /k/ – one, two, three!
Verse
One, two, three! Hob carries candles, carefully, one by one,
Dottie colours cards with a cat on – cutting, sticking, fun!
And I make cocoa in our cups, with cream on top for you –
The cosiest corner in Puddleby Green! Come on, let's sing it through!
Chorus
C-c-candles – glowing bright!
C-c-cards – for you and me!
C-c-cocoa, warm and creamy –
/k/, /k/ – one, two, three!
Bridge
Is it c-c-cat?
Yes! /k/!
Is it d-d-duck?
No – that's /d/!
Is it c-c-coat?
Yes! /k/!
Is it f-f-fox?
No – that's /f/!
Is it c-c-clap?
Yes! Let's clap! /k/, /k/!
Chorus
C-c-candles – glowing bright!
C-c-cards – for you and me!
C-c-cocoa, warm and creamy –
/k/, /k/ – one, two, three!
Outro
Candles, cards and cocoa – three C 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)
C sound hunt
Look around the kitchen for things that start with /k/: a cup, a carrot, a cake, a cooker, a cushion. 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, /k/!' or 'No!'. Try car, dog, cup, fish, cake, sun.
Clap for c
Clap once and say a short /k/ every time you hear a C word – just like Penny at the end of the game.
Trace a C
Draw a big C in the air, in sand or on a steamy window: start at the top, curl right round and stop down low.
C cards
Make a Christmas card together, draw a cat or a candle on the front and say /k/ as you colour each one.
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.