I usually sing I Had a Little Turtle without an instrument so I can demonstrate the hand gestures, but I’ve played the ukulele version for my toddler and his buddies and they loved it that way too. I found the chords at this site.
The tune belongs to an old playground/skipping song so there are numerous variants, some less storytime-appropriate than others. I’ve included a fairly common version of The Lady With the Alligator Purse. Thanks to my colleague Erie who introduced me to The Lady via Nadine Bernard Westcott’s excellent book.
I Had a Little Turtle
C F
I had a little turtle, his name was Tiny Tim,
G7 C
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim.
F
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap,
G7 C
And when he woke up in the morning he had bubbles in his throat.
F
Oh, bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble,
G7 C
Bubble bubble bubble, bubble bubble bubble.
(Stop) (Clap)
And... POP!
The Lady With the Alligator Purse
C F
Miss Lucy had a baby, his name was Tiny Tim,
G7 C
She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim
F
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap
G7 C
He tried to eat the bathtub but it wouldn't go down his throat
F
Miss Lucy called the doctor, Miss Lucy called the nurse,
G7 C
Miss Lucy called the lady with the alligator purse.
F
In came the doctor, in came the nurse,
G7 C
In came the lady with the alligator purse.
F
Mumps said the doctor, measles said the nurse,
G7 C
Nothing! said the lady with the alligator purse.
F
Out went the doctor, out went the nurse,
G7 C
Out went the lady with the alligator purse.
Storytime Ukulele 