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.
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Winter song · with Penny and Dottie and Hob
S-S-Snowman! Penny's Winter Phonics Song
Penny Periwinkle's spiral shell twirls into the letter S! Listen to the /s/ sound, find three wintry S words – snowman, star and socks – build a snowman with Dottie and Hob, and play the yes-or-no sound game.
- Ages 2–5
- Length 1:43
- Published
What children learn
- Hear and say the pure sound /s/ – a long, gentle hiss like a snake, with no 'uh' on the end
- Link the sound /s/ to the letter shapes S and s
- Spot the first sound in words: snowman, star, socks, sausage, seal, snail
- Tell sounds apart: /s/ in seal, but /j/ in jam and /m/ in mitten
- 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 (winter).
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 hisses the pure /s/ sound for them to copy.
All the example words are spelt with an S, so children see and hear the same thing. We deliberately avoid words like circle or city, which make the same sound with a different letter.
Tip for grown-ups: Say the sound /s/ as a long, quiet hiss – sssss – not 'suh' and not the letter name 'ess'. In many UK school phonics programmes, s is the very first sound children learn, in the early set s, a, t, p, i, n. Snowman, star and snail start with two sounds blended together; the first one is still /s/. Words like circle or city, which make the same sound with a c, are left out on purpose.
Lyrics
Sing along, or print this page for circle time.
Phonics sounds are written between slashes: /s/ means the sound at the start of sun.
Intro
Hello, friends! It's Penny Periwinkle. Look – my shell is twirling...
it's making a letter... it's S! S says /s/. Can you say it with me?
/s/, /s/, /s/! Brilliant!
Verse
Twirl, twirl, my spiral shell – what letter will it be?
A curly S, a wiggly S – it's swirly, just like me!
/s/, /s/, /s/ – let's listen to the sound,
And find three S things hiding all around!
Chorus
S-s-snowman – big and round!
S-s-star – so shiny bright!
S-s-socks, all snug and stripy -
/s/, /s/, /s/ – what a sight!
Verse
Dottie sends the snowflakes down, so soft and sparkly white,
Hob rolls up a snowman, and he gets the size just right,
And I have found a silver star to sit upon his hat -
The smiliest of snowmen! Now, what do you think of that?
Chorus
S-s-snowman – big and round!
S-s-star – so shiny bright!
S-s-socks, all snug and stripy -
/s/, /s/, /s/ – what a sight!
Bridge
Is it s-s-sausage?
Yes! /s/!
Is it j-j-jam?
No – that's /j/!
Is it s-s-seal?
Yes! /s/!
Is it m-m-mitten?
No – that's /m/!
Is it s-s-snail?
Yes! That's me! /s/, /s/, /s/!
Chorus
S-s-snowman – big and round!
S-s-star – so shiny bright!
S-s-socks, all snug and stripy -
/s/, /s/, /s/ – what a sight!
Outro
Snowman, star and socks – three S words! Well done, everyone.
My shell is curling back up... see you soon!
Words and music © Puddleby Green. You're welcome to print the lyrics for home, nursery and classroom use.
Activity ideas (no screen needed)
S sound hunt
Look around the house for things that start with /s/: socks, a spoon, a sofa, soap, a sandwich. 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, /s/!' or 'No!'. Try sun, jam, sock, moon, seal, mitten.
Snake hiss
Wiggle your arm like a snake and make a long /s/ hiss – sssss – every time you hear a word that starts with /s/.
Trace an S
Draw a big S in the air, in sand or on a steamy window: start at the top, curl round to the left, then swirl back the other way – just like Penny's shell.
Sock snowman
Stuff an old white sock, tie it in the middle to make a snowman and give it a silver paper star for its hat.
More songs to sing
Dottie's First Snowflakes
A bouncy Christmas counting song for toddlers and preschoolers: Dottie Drizzle's raindrops turn into snowflakes, and we count them from one to ten together.
Hob's Christmas Eve Lullaby
A slow, gentle Christmas Eve lullaby for toddlers: Hob the Night-time Hedgehog tiptoes through Puddleby Green, says goodnight to his woodland friends and counts five sleepy stars.