Pioneers of the academic study of children’s culture Iona and Peter Opie divided children’s songs into those taught to children by adults, which when part of a traditional culture they saw as nursery rhymes, and those that children taught to each other, which formed part of the independent culture of childhood
The term nursery rhyme is used for ‘traditional’ songs for young children in Britain and many English speaking countries, but usage only dates from the nineteenth century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.
In contrast to nursery rhymes, which are learned in childhood and passed from adults to children only after a gap of twenty or sometimes forty years, children's playground and street songs, like all children's lore, are learned and passed on almost immediately.
COBBLER COBBLER.
Cobbler! Cobbler! Mend my shoe. Give it a stitch and that will do. Here's a nail, and there's a prod, And now my shoe is well shod.
Cobbler! Cobbler! Mend my shoe.
Get it done by half past two. Stitch it up and stitch it down. And then I'll give you half a crown.
Please mend my shoe.
Be done by two. A stitch and that will do. Look, here's a nail, And there's a prod, And now my shoe's well shod.
Cobbler! Cobbler! Mend my shoe.
Give it a stitch and that will do. Here's a nail, and there's a prod, And now my shoe is well shod. Cobbler, now my shoe's well shod.
Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Mary had a little lamb Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day;
That was against the rule. It made the children laugh and play, To see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near, And waited patiently about, Till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cry. "Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know," The teacher did reply.
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow, And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go.
The Child and the Star.
"Little star that shines so bright, Come and peep at me tonight, For I often watch for you In the pretty sky so blue.
"Little Star! O tell me, pray,
Where you hide yourself all day? Have you got a home like me? and a father kind to see?"
"O little Child, at you I peep,
while you lie asleep; But when days break, I my homeward journey take.
"For I've many friends on high,
living with me in the sky, And a loving Father, too, Who commands what I'm to do."
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.
(Child's bedtime prayer - 18th century) Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Guard me while I sleep tonight;
And wake me safe at dawn's first light, For now I lay me down to sleep. Dear Lord, it's you my soul doth keep.
God, bless our Mum,
Bless Dad too. God help me to be true to you.
Come and Play
Oh little Playmate come out and play with me and bring your dollies three, climb up my apple tree, holler down my rainbarrel slide down my cellar door and we'll be jolly friends forever more. No, no, no playmate, I cannot play with you my dollies have the flu, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo, ain't got no rain barrel, ain't got no cellar door, but we'll be jolly friends forever more.
The Story of the Chap/books and the Nursery Rhyme .
Chapbooks.
The Nursery Rhyme began to be printed in England as early as 1570! The Nursery Rhyme, which up to this point been passed to different generations verbally, started to be passed on via the written form. Printing allowed the production of books and cheap pamphlets, or Chapbooks.
A chapbook is "a small book or pamphlet containing poems, ballads, stories, or religious tracts".
More people during this time were learning to read but the chapbooks were also popular with people who could not read as they contained pictures, in the printed form of crude wood engravings.
The Chapbook was a Middle Age equivalent of a Children's comic - documenting funny rhymes and Folklore!
Chapbooks were sold by 'Chapmen' or peddlers who sold, amongst other wares, the popular penny Chapbooks at local fairs!
The Chapmen sold various wares that were easy to transport from one village or fair to the next. They attracted attention by dancing and singing the old familiar Rhymes!
The word 'Chap' originates in Middle English, from the Old English 'capman' meaning 'trade' add this to the word 'cheap' to provide a full definition of a Chapman. ( You now know the origin and meaning of the name Chapman!)
These old Chap books, sold by the Chapmen, have given us most of our old Nursery Rhymes! English Ballads, Folklore and old legends were also documented in Chapbooks and sung by wandering minstrels which helped to continue the spread of the old Nursery Rhymes and Legends.
The Chapbook was a cheap, small book, containing 24 pages or less without a hard cover. Chapbooks were usually anonymous and undated. The popularity of Chapbooks increased during the 1600's, 1700's and 1800's but only a few of the early copies have survived.
The contents were committed from memory which accounts for some variations in the lyrics and words of some Nursery Rhymes.
The content and material of the Chapbooks expanded in the 1700's to include children's stories like Robinson Crusoe and various versions of Perrault’s Fairy Tales.
The Chapbooks provide some excellent information and material for those interested in tracing the origins of the Nursery Rhyme - all of which help us to maintain our history and heritage through the words and lyrics of the humble Nursery Rhyme.
CHILDREN'S GAMES TOYS AND PASTIMES THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
In this section I take a look into the facinating world of childrens games toys and pastimes throughout history. From the middle ages then up to our present day.
I look at the range and variety of activities and functions as well as the social environment and the manufacture of toys and their popularity at the time.
Before the regency period relationships between parents and offspring were rather formal and remote. Obedience was regarded as being essential and children were expected to know their place. In many ways they were treated like small adults and play was regarded with little reverence.
Then by the late 18th century attitudes started to change rapidly as part of general shift in the values and virtues of British society, A new warmth of feeling grew up in family circles and many of the old formalities and constraints were cast away. Children for the very first time began to call their parents Mama and Papa.
The new spirit was reinforced by contemporaries ideas about the virtues of naturalness and liberty.
These were too led to an appreciation of childhood as being a separate stage of development. As well as the need for children to have specific rights and with it a wide measure of freedom.
Therefore the importance of their playtime was at last recognised and consequently many children were supplied with a wealth of new toys and games along with their own books for pleasure rather than for instruction.
Children now had their nursery where they played, this was usually at the top of the house so as not to disturb the grown ups.
As in earlier times parents tried to turn their children’s pastimes to educational advantage though many more toys and games were bought for their amusement.
The old tradition of swaddling clothes whereby babies were wrapped up tight in clothes in which they couldn’t move was finally abandoned in favour of loose fitting clothes.
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Children's nursery rhymes and gamese
. Pat-a-cake, Baker's Man.
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, Baker's man, Bake me a cake As fast as you can. Roll it and pat it, And mark it with a "B", And put it in the oven For baby and me.
Sugar and spice,
that's all nice. Little girls are worth the price. Frogs and snails, Puppies' tails, Little boys make manly males.
Little Drops of Water. (adapted from Julia Carney, 1845)
Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land.
Little seeds of mercy sown by little hands grow to bless the nations Even in far -off lands.
Little deeds of kindness,
little words of love, make our earth an Eden, like the heaven above.
And the little moments, humble though they may be, make the mighty ages of eternity.
The Rain Is. The rain is falling all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea.
The rain is falling all around, On each and every hill; It rains on all the houses here, On every Jack and Jill.
Rain falls around us,
On all thirsty lands. Rain drops on mountains, And on sea-side sands.
The rain is falling all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea. It rains on you and me.
Rich Man, Poor Man.
Rich man, poor man, Beggar-man, thief. Gentleman, Apothecary, Indian Chief.
Soldier brave and Sailor true. Skilled physician, Oxford blue.
Gouty nobleman, Squire so hale, Dashing airman, Curate pale.
Tailor, drummer and Stealer of beef, One knows joy And one knows grief.
Lady, Lady, on the seashore You have children, One to four. O Lady, dear Lady, You've kids by the score. The eldest is -- Why, he's twenty-four!
You ought to marry a... Rich man, poor man, Beggar-man, thief. Gentleman, Apothecary, Indian Chief.
Soldier brave and Sailor true. Skilled physician, Oxford blue.
Gouty nobleman, Squire so hale, Dashing airman, Curate pale.
Tailor, drummer and Stealer of beef, One knows joy And one knows grief.
OLDE COUNTRY RHYMES FOR KIDS
THREE OLD CROWS
Three old crows sat on a tree As black as crows could very well be They oer flew ore a country lane Then landed on a donkeys mane
They all alighted on his backbone Then pecked his eyes out one by one Out came the farmer with his gun He shot those crows excepting one That old crow he flew away Il tell you the rest some other day.
ONE FINE DAY
One fine day in the middle of the night Two dead men got up to fight One blind man to see fair play One dumb man to shout hooray
Along came a paralysed donkey He kicked the blind man in the eye He knocked him through a nine inch wall Into a dry ditch and drowned them all.
ONE TWO THREE
One two three mother caught a flea Put him in the teapot and made a cup of tea The flea jumped out and mother gave a shout Here comes father with his shirt hanging out.
ONCE UPON A TIME
Once upon a time When the bees drank wine And the monkeys chewed tobacco A little birdy came with a feather up his bum To see what was the matter.
JACKANORY
Shall I tell you a story About jackanory Shall I begin it There's nothing in it.
For more information regarding the history and origins of the Nursery Rhymes and Verse see the following links below..
For a brilliant film of London's children's street rhymes of the 1950s, Click the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DrGijdmBqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OALu7Iw53UA
Nursery rhymes
MOTHER GOOSE
The best source of children's Rhymes and Nursery on the web
click pic At http://www.fidella.com/trmg/
Envoy For "A Child's Garden Of Verses"
Children's Garden of Verse By Robert Louis Stevenson
Whether upon the garden seat You lounge with your uplifted feet Under the May's whole Heaven of blue; Or whether on the sofa you, No grown up person being by, Do some soft corner occupy; Take you this volume in your hands And enter into other lands,
For lo! (as children feign) suppose You, hunting in the garden rows, Or in the lumbered attic, or The cellar - a nail-studded door And dark, descending stairway found That led to kingdoms underground:
There standing, you should hear with ease Strange birds a-singing, or the trees Swing in big robber woods, or bells On many fairy citadels: There passing through (a step or so - Neither mamma nor nurse need know!) From your nice nurseries you would pass, Like Alice through the Looking-Glass Or Gerda following Little Ray, To wondrous countries far away.
Well, and just so this volume can Transport each little maid or man Presto from where they live away Where other children used to play.
As from the house your mother sees You playing round the garden trees, So you may see if you but look Through the windows of this book Another child far, far away And in another garden play.
But do not think you can at all, By knocking on the window, call That child to hear you. He intent Is still on his play-business bent. He does not hear, he will not look, Nor yet be lured out of this book.
For long ago, the truth to say, He has grown up and gone away; And it is but a child of air That lingers in the garden there.
HISTORY TOYS http://www.history.com/minisites/toys/
GAMES http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/games/index.html
Past Games http://www.pennridge.org/p/p-pastgames.html
Toys and Games. http://www.historylives.com/toysandgames.htm
Games. http://www.literacycommunity.com/grade3/pioneercontent/games.html
Pastimes games. http://www.octavia.net/9thclife/PastimesGames.htm
Trail end
playground fun http://www.playgroundfun.org.uk/
The Museum of Childs Play http://www.museumofplay.org/things_to_see/index.html
Traditions uk http://www.geocities.com/traditions_uk/play.html
GAMES FOR KIDS http://free-stuff.co.uk/free_online_games.php KIDS
.LATEST FINDINGS
CHILDS FAVOURITE TOYS CAN PROVIDE CLUES TO FUTURE CAREER
(- 99% of architects played with LEGO®bricks -)
New research* from LEGO® UK reveals how children’s future careers can start to be carved out in their early years through play preferences - with architects having preferred construction toys, nurses most likely to have chosen dolls and IT workers having opted for computer games.
Architects were the professionals that were most likely to be influenced at an early stage Through their preferred toys - construction sets.
The research showed that 54% of architects,had decided on their future vocation before the age of 16, compared to the British average of 15% - highlighting that toys such as LEGO bricks can help develop creativity and life skills.
The study of more than 2,000 adults found parallels across a number of professions:-
Those in caring and people professions – such as nursing, teaching and recruitment -were most likely to favour dolls and action figures- ‘Problem solvers’ in banking or accountancy were most likely to enjoy board gamesand puzzles-
Marketing and advertising professionals were most likely to play with creative sets such as painting kits and Play-Doh-
IT workers preferred playing with computer consoles and games Construction toys such as LEGO bricks were found to be instrumental in forming buddingarchitects’ ambitions, with 99 per cent** of architects, including Royal Academy President,Sir Nicholas Grimshaw (architect of the Eden Project), and David Chipperfield, winner of the2007 RIBA Stirling Prize, having played with the toy bricks when growing up.
Dr Nicola Pitchford, a Developmental Psychologist at the University of Nottingham says,“The toys that children gravitate towards help promote the skills they may draw on in theirfuture careers.
Architects use a very clear set of logical skills which can be linked to the cognitive skills children learn and develop when playing with construction or building toys such as LEGO bricks. These sorts of toys also encourage the creativity that is key to the profession as the number of constructions children can build is endless.”
Rory McCoy, an architect with the award winning firm, Gareth Hoskins Architects says, “Loved playing with construction sets and other building toys when growing up. I can still remember my excitement at the sudden realisation that I could make buildings structurally sound with my LEGO bricks – I couldn’t wait to find my next big architectural discovery!”
Notes:*LEGO UK polled 2000 British people through One Poll in January 2009**LEGO UK polled 235 architects through the architectural website www.bdonline.co.uk in
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