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.
Video coming soonArriving on YouTube on 25 October 2026 at 4pm (UK time).Visit our YouTube channel
Christmas song · with Penny and Dottie and Hob
J-J-Jumper! Penny's Christmas Phonics Song
Penny Periwinkle's spiral shell twirls into the letter J! Listen to the /j/ sound, find three Christmas J words – jumper, jingle and jolly – and play the yes-or-no sound game with Penny, Dottie and Hob.
- Ages 2–5
- Length 1:39
- Coming
What children learn
- Hear and say the pure sound /j/ – short and crisp, with no 'uh' on the end
- Link the sound /j/ to the letter shapes J and j
- Spot the first sound in words: jumper, jingle, jolly, jam, jelly, jump
- Tell sounds apart: /j/ in jam, but /s/ in sock and /m/ in mince pie
- Listening and joining in: call-and-response and taking turns
Links to the EYFS areas of learning: Literacy (phonics) · Communication and Language · Physical Development (jumping).
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.
All the example words are spelt with a J, so children see and hear the same thing. We deliberately avoid words like giraffe or gem, which make the same sound with a different letter, and we don’t use Christmas as an example.
Tip for grown-ups: Say the sound /j/ short, like the start of 'jam' – not 'juh' and not the letter name 'jay'. In many UK school phonics programmes, j is one of the first sounds taught in Phase 3, after the early sets that start s, a, t, p, i, n. Words spelt with g, like giraffe, are left out on purpose.
Lyrics
Sing along, or print this page for circle time.
Phonics sounds are written between slashes: /j/ means the sound at the start of jam.
Intro
Hello, friends! It's Penny Periwinkle. Look – my shell is twirling...
it's making a letter... it's J! J says /j/. Can you say it with me?
/j/, /j/, /j/! Brilliant!
Verse
Twirl, twirl, my spiral shell – what letter will it be?
A tall J with a curly hook – it's Christmas J for me!
/j/, /j/, /j/ – let's listen to the sound,
And find three J things hiding all around!
Chorus
J-j-jumper – warm and woolly!
J-j-jingle – ring-a-ding!
J-j-jolly, jolly Christmas -
/j/, /j/, /j/ – let's sing!
Verse
Dottie's wearing a jumper with a snowflake, soft and white,
Hob has got a pudding one, all stripy, warm and bright,
And mine has got a big, bold J, in coral and in cream -
The jolliest of jumpers that you've ever, ever seen!
Chorus
J-j-jumper – warm and woolly!
J-j-jingle – ring-a-ding!
J-j-jolly, jolly Christmas -
/j/, /j/, /j/ – let's sing!
Bridge
Is it j-j-jam?
Yes! /j/!
Is it s-s-sock?
No – that's /s/!
Is it j-j-jelly?
Yes! /j/!
Is it m-m-mince pie?
No – that's /m/!
Is it j-j-jump?
Yes! Jump, jump, jump!
Chorus
J-j-jumper – warm and woolly!
J-j-jingle – ring-a-ding!
J-j-jolly, jolly Christmas -
/j/, /j/, /j/ – let's sing!
Outro
Jumper, jingle, jolly – three J 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)
J sound hunt
Look around the house for things that start with /j/: a jumper, a jar of jam, a jigsaw, a jug, a jacket. 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, /j/!' or 'No!'. Try jam, sock, jelly, moon, jump, sun.
Jump for J
Say a list of words. Every time a word starts with /j/, jump on the spot – jump, jump, jump!
Make a J
Roll playdough into a long sausage and bend a curly hook at the bottom to make a j. Trace the J on the colouring page with a finger before colouring it in.
Jolly jumper design
Draw your own Christmas jumper and decorate it with a big J – just like Penny's coral and cream one.
Free printable
J is for jumper, jingle and jolly
An A4 colouring page with thick, clear lines for little hands. Print it at home or in the classroom; there's no sign-up and no email needed.
Download PDF (A4)More songs to sing
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.