Category Archives: Rhymes For Kids

Tony Funderburk’s rhymes and reasons to help you understand the power of God’s love. For kids from 1 to 101.

The August Sky

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

The August sky was hot and blue today here in Colorado.

Then, in the evening things cooled off with some rain and mountain breezes. Ahh…it’s so great to live in a place that can be in the 90’s during the day and cool off into the low 60’s at night. If you’re like me, you might enjoy the scent of rain sprinkling on the lawn and quenching the thirsty streets. Here at the FunderRanch we love to sleep with the windows open so the night breezes fill the room. It’s so much more refreshing than plain ol’ air conditioning.

I’ve noticed a lot of back-to-school commercials and advertising lately. It’s weird to think it’s already that time again. We’re almost three fourths of the way through with 2013. This time of year brings back memories like…

  • the last barefoot days of the season
  • a train trip from Kansas to Texas
  • getting new school clothes
  • looking forward to all my new school supplies
  • cooler weather

And here’s my favorite part about the August sky.

It marks the end of the hot weather. Sure, September can have some hot days, but then the cool, crisp days of Autumn sweep in and revive me.

That’s why I wrote…

The August sky is full of colors
And sometimes drops of rain.
It makes me think of bygone summers
And riding on a train.
The golden sun, like Kansas wheat,
Would bake the fields of corn,
And I bucked endless bales of hay
And all my jeans were torn.
I still remember pools of blue
And going to “the game”.
My bike was candy apple red
And “Flyer” was its name.
So many memories are there
Up in the August sky.
The colors still shine brightly
As I watch the years fly by.  © 2013

Before you go, jump on the The TRUTH. And join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

There’s a moon in my room. Hey, I’m not kidding. There is! And some stars too.

A few years ago we had a nephew living with us for a while. We gave him the bedroom at the end of the hall on the front side of the house. He discovered a potential business to get into where he’d paint stars and galaxies on ceilings with a special paint. It was special paint because you can’t see it in the daytime. But at night, when you turn out the lights…after they’ve been on for a bit…you can lie down in the bed and look up…and the ceiling looks like the night sky.

It’s very cool. We liked it so much that when we repainted that bedroom this year, we left the ceiling alone and bought wall paint that went well with it. So, even though it’s been a few years since the ceiling was magically painted, you can still see that…

There’s a moon in my room…

And the light is in my eyes.
It came in through the window
Just as soft as lullabies.
There’s a smile on its face
As it floats up on the wall.
I love the way it flitters
Without any sound at all.
And I’d love to fly up there,
With the moon, into the sky.
But the sandman just stopped in…
So, for now, I must say “bye”.

Stay tuned,

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Feel Good And Happy

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Do you feel good and happy today?

Children's writer, Tony Funderburk, says "pump your fists and feel good and happy today".

It’s mostly a choice you know. After all, if you’re eating junky stuff that makes you feel bad and unhappy, that’s a choice you make. You can decide to eat a brainy breakfast, a live-food lunch, a dynamic dinner, and stimulating snacks. Or you can decide to eat a sugary toaster pastry for breakfast, a fatty fast-food burger for lunch, a package of mystery meat and bleached macaroni for dinner, and some sugary candy bars for snacks. It’s all up to you.

You need to know this…if you decide you’d rather feel good and happy, other people around you won’t make it easy. Because they’ll still be eating that junky stuff that makes them want to lay down and sleep. But you’ll be eating food that takes you much further through your day. You’ll be alert and quick on your feet. You’ll be able to shoot more hoops, throw more footballs, kick more soccer balls, run faster, jump higher, and cheer more cheers.

See…it all goes together. If you eat well, you feel good. And when you feel good, it’s easier to be happy. And when you’re happy, it feels good. And you’ll enjoy how it feels so much, you’ll want to keep it going, so you’ll keep eating well. It all goes together perfectly.

So…what’s your choice today? Do you choose to feel good and happy? Or do you choose to sleep your life away in a bed of aches and pains? Write me and tell me your decision.

Feel good and happy today…
No matter what people say…
No matter what people do…
There’s good and happy for you.

Make it your mission right now.
You’ll fill your day up with Wow!
It’s all inside of your head…
Right when you get out of bed.

Go eat some veggies and fruits
And put on your hiking boots
And walk your worries away…
Feel good and happy today.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can show your support, keep my words and music flowing, and keep me off the streets.
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Sleep Is Good For The Brain

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You may have heard that sleep is good for the brain. And you may already know that kids need plenty of sleep as they’re growing and maturing. But did you know they also need regular sleep times?

Children's writer, Tony Funderburk, shares a rhyme time about how sleep is good for the brain.

Yep, a study at University College in London backs up what Grandmother said all those years ago. Get those kids to bed at a decent and regular hour every night. This appears to help build smarter brains and healthier bodies.

When I was a pre-teen, we had a bedtime of 8 o’clock. Period. There were no if’s, and’s, or but’s. Even though we didn’t always like it, I have to say this much…I was almost never sleepy in school. My regular sleep time and regular 8 hours of sleep helped me have good grades throughout grade school, junior high, and high school. And in my 4 years of high school I only missed a total of 7 days. It would have only been 2 days, but I had a slight appendicitis problem in the 9th grade.

So…if you’re a parent, and you want smarter, healthier kids…or if you’re a kid, and you don’t wanna be a dufus…go to bed at about the same time every night. Try to get 8 hours of sleep. And don’t live on energy drinks and toaster pastries. Or you could end up like this kid…

Once there was this sleepy little kid
Who wouldn’t do what other kiddies did.
When he climbed up in bed,
He stood there on his head
Till dreamclouds came, and then he ran and hid.

He thought the clouds would rain his dreams away.
He didn’t know they’d help his dreams to stay.
All night he’d lie awake
And wouldn’t take a break,
And ended up so tired throughout the day.

Now, surely you can see what this would do.
Not sleeping makes you wimpy through and through.
To be fit, well, and bright
Get lots of sleep at night…
Or this poor, sleepy kid might just be you.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can show your support, keep my words and music flowing, and keep me off the streets.
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Listen To The Music In The Morning

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May I make a recommendation? Listen to the music in the morning. It plays every single day without fail. And it doesn’t matter where you live…it’s there.

Listen to the music in the morning...a recommendation from children's writer, Tony Funderburk.

In the spring, summer, and autumn there’s a symphony outside your home. When you open your windows in the morning, you can hear it. It’s there in the winter, too, but the cold air might keep you from opening the windows to hear it.

Now, I’m not saying you can open your windows and hear Beethoven, Bach, or Bon Jovi. On the contrary, I’m talking about the beautiful music found in creation. The sounds of birds chirping and warbling, and the wind through the pines, and even the rhythm of passing cars and trucks. If your heart, ears, and mind are open to it, music can fill your spirit.

You can simply choose to ignore it and go about your day with the same ol’ dreary sense of duty. Or you can listen to the music in the morning and say, “They’re playing my song!”

Music in the Morning

Listen to the music in the morning.
Open up your windows, let it in.
No violins or brass…
Just flowers, trees, and grass
To greet you as enchanting notes begin.

Listen to the music in the morning
Carried on the wings of bustling birds.
Squirrels that scamper by
And airplanes in the sky
Add to this composition with no words.

Listen to the music in the morning.
Let not your hearts be troubled any way.
Just listen and applaud
The awesome love of God
In every morning and through every day.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can show your support, keep my words and music flowing, and keep me off the streets.
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Puppies And Kids

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There’s a reason so many commercials, movies, TV shows, and billboards use pictures of puppies and kids. They’re pretty much irresistible.

Puppies and kids are the cutest..so says children's writer, Tony Funderburk.

Have you ever seen a picture of puppies and kids that didn’t make you say “aw…that’s cute”? Yeah, neither have I. After all, when you take a roly-poly little snub-nosed bundle of fur and put it with a flawless, fresh-faced little kid, it’s magical. Well, at least most of the time. But it’s always cute.

I can remember…way back when…as a curious little tot I ventured out into my great-grandparents old barn in Oklahoma. A dog had recently given birth to about 8 puppies, and of course I just had to go see them. So, I gently pulled open the creaking, wooden door. I could hear those little noises puppies make when they’re trying to huddle next to one another and their mom. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside I saw them squirming around in a little pile of hay. I went over to them, sat down cross-legged, and began to gather them all together. They seemed to like it, and I know I did. Then I put some in my lap and the rest all around my legs. I guess they had already nursed on their mom because they all fell asleep on me. There’s nothing like the scent and warmth of puppies. Even after all these years I still remember the experience vividly.

An adult came looking for me…I don’t remember if it was mom or grandparents or who it was. But whichever person it was, they called for others to come see. Being a little kid I didn’t know what all the fuss was about, but you know how adults are. They see a kid all covered in puppies and they just have to get everyone involved. But I guess I have to agree…there’s nothing cuter than…

Puppies And Kids

Nothing goes together like puppies and kids…
Not bunnies and bears…not spiders and squids.
Not llamas and lizards…not werewolves and wizards.
Not flannel and foxes…not bison and boxes.
Not doughnuts and dragons…not weasels and wagons.
Not birdies and buckles…not chickens and chuckles.
You could take a vote, and I’ll say my bid’s
On the number one cute thing…puppies and kids.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can show your support, keep my words and music flowing, and keep me off the streets.
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In The Middle Of A Heartbeat

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When you listen to a recording of a heart, you hear a soft double thump. That’s because the heart pushes out blood and right away pulls other blood in. Put your ear up to someone’s chest and listen very closely. You’ll hear thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump. It’s easy to understand what happens as some blood goes out and some blood comes in. But what happens in the middle of a heartbeat?

What's going on in the Middle Of A Heartbeat. Children's writer-singer songwriter-illustrator, Tony Funderburk ponders this question.

My imagination ponders tiny things like that because I like to see what I can create with the ideas. That’s how I’ve come up with so many stories and songs for kids. I take an ordinary thing like a heartbeat…and look for a story. And when you look hard enough, you can almost always find one. Even if it’s just a short story, or a funny song, or a poem, it’s an adventure to find it and tell it.

That’s how I came up with today’s short Rhyme Time. I closed my eyes to picture a heart…gently beating through the day. Then I saw it get a bit larger as it got ready to push blood out one side. Then I could see the other side open and let more blood in. It was all in slow motion. And as I saw the two sides I realized…wow…here I am…

In the middle of a heartbeat
Something tiny stirs…
Like the sound that a kitten makes
When it purrs.
Your blood goes whooshing
From head to toe,
And you might just wonder
What makes it go.
There’s a code inside you,
And it’s yours alone…
A gift from a King
On a beautiful throne.
Hold your breath and be still…
Listen close, you’ll hear…
In the middle of a heartbeat…
A love so dear.

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can show your support, keep my words and music flowing, and keep me off the streets.
Get my ebooks for kids on Amazon.com
Get my Podcast
Circle me on Google +
Like my fan page on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Watch my videos on YouTube
Get this blog