This is a lively and popular song, especially with younger children.
There are ten (or as many as you like) verses. I usually sing these ones;
1 – had some fun; 2 – buckeld my shoe; 3 – grazed my knee; 4 – knocked on the door; 5 – learned to dive
6 – picked up sticks; 7 – went to Devon; 8 – shut the gate; 9 – drew a line; 10 – started again
And there are actions;
. As well as miming the action for each verse, everyone jumps on the word “jump”, salutes for “Captain”, goes from side to side on “this way, that way”, leans fowards and backwards on “forwards and backwards”, makes wave motions with their hands for “over the bright blue sea”. Finally, drinking from a bottle of rum, rubbing your tum and a cheerful “thumbs up” finishes to chorus. Ten verses makes a pretty good workout.
If you are feeling creative, split the class into 10 groups, give them each a number and get them to come up with a new verse. But be prepared to deal with the obvious “lavatorial” rhymes for one, two, three… I usually pre-empt this by putting on my “stern” expression, peering at the class over my glasses and saying, in my firm, no nonsense voice “And no PLAYGROUND words allowed”. Usually that’s ALL I need to say.