Again, this is another song children have no problem understanding in Chinese, as it is exactly the same as the English version tune and translation.
We can use any animal that likes jumping from a rock into the water for this song, 青蛙 qīngwā /frogs, 鳄鱼 èyú /crocodiles etc.
It is a great song for exploring counting forwards and backwards, the concept of none （没有），measure words, position, 上 and 下 (as in jumping on and off ) and onomatopoeia 扑通 (pūtōng / splash!).
Here are the lyrics – Just sing to the English tune!
三条水母，三条水母，三条水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳下
两条水母，两条水母，两条水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳下
一条水母，一条水母，一条水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳下
没有水母，没有水母，没有水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳上
一条水母，一条水母，一条水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳上
两条水母，两条水母，两条水母，坐在岩石上
一条跳上
三条水母，三条水母，三条水母，坐在岩石上
sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ, sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ , sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào xià
liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ, liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ , zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào xià
yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào xià
méiyǒu shuǐ mǔ, méiyǒu shuǐ mǔ, méiyǒu shuǐ mǔ, zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào shàng
yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, yì tiáo shuǐ mǔ, zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào shàng
liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ, liǎng tiáo shuǐ mǔ , zuò zài yán shí shàng
yì tiáo tiào shàng
sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ, sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ , sān tiáo shuǐ mǔ, zuò zài yán shí shàng
English Translation: 3 Jelly Fish, 3 Jelly Fish, 3 Jelly Fish, sitting on a rock, one jumps off, (splash), 2 Jelly Fish etc. to No Jelly Fish sitting on a rock, one jumps on etc back up to 3 jelly fish.
This rhyme is good to sing at the same time of reading ‘I’m the biggest thing in the Ocean’ book.
At home you can make 3 Jelly Fish using plastic/paper bowls, and stapling blue crepe streamers to the rim. You can enlarge and print out the characters 水母to stick on the top of the jellyfish. Sit them on an upturned washing basket with a sheet over as a makeshift rock and act the rhyme out. You can say ‘扑通’(pūtōng) as the jellyfish splash into the water.
