Here’s a cup … and here’s a cup … and here’s a pot of tea.
Pour a cup, and pour a cup, and have a drink with me!
Tea is popular in almost every culture around the world, and while little ones don’t drink tea, it has long been a favorite playtime activity and the subject of children’s songs and rhymes.
Did you know that the popular “I’m a Little Teapot” song was written in 1939 for a children’s dance school? It is so often included with children’s nursery rhymes that we think it is much older.
Polly Put the Kettle On is much older, dating from the 18th century. The story is that a group of sisters used it as a code when they wanted to play “house” and their brothers wanted a different game. The girls would sing it, the boys thought they wanted a tea party and would go away, leaving the girls free to play “house” once “Sukey” took the kettle off again.
Here is another tea rhyme you can enjoy together:
Molly, my sister and I fell out,
And what do you think it was all about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn’t agree.
What is tea time without a special treat? Sing Hot Cross Buns with your little one, clapping your hands to the rhythm. FYI, hot cross buns are a traditional spring fruitcake topped with white icing in the form of a cross or “x” that originated, it is believed, in the 12th century.
Have fun with these tea time rhymes, and don’t forget to sing “I’m a Little Teapot” with your little one, too!
