Youth Activity Archive

Paired with a movement game where children spiral into a coil and then unwind.

This song is paired with a movement game where scouts spiral into a coil and then unwind, mimicking a snail’s shell. See this Facebook Video to watch a spiral.

Printed Sheet Music

• Bancroft’s Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium on the Gutenberg Library
• Pg. 31 of The Brownie Book

Recordings

• None available.

Lyrics

Hand in hand you see us well,
Creep like a snail into its shell,
Ever nearer, ever nearer,
Ever closer, ever closer,
Who’d have thought this little shell
Would have held us all so well.

Hand in hand you see us well,
Creep like a snail out of its shell,
Ever farther, ever farther,
Ever wider, ever wider,
Who’d have thought this little shell
Would have held us all so well.

Variations

Hand in hand you see us well,
Creep like a snail into its shell;
Ever nearer, ever nearer,
Ever closer, ever closer,
Very snug indeed you dwell,
Snail within your tiny shell.

History

“The Snail” is a traditional kindergarten singing game rooted in the 19th-century educational theories of Friedrich Fröbel. It was adapted into American school systems by Mari Hofer (1907) and Jessie Bancroft (1909) before being included in the first Girl Scout Brownie Book (1922). The game uses a spiral winding motion to teach children coordination, spatial reasoning, and troop unity.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
_{(Not an official GSUSA Group)}

Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
_{(Not an official GSUSA Group)}

See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
_{(No official Groups)}

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• Choose a different Movement Song.
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