What does Polly Put the Kettle On mean?
A friendly rhyme about getting ready to share a cup of tea with visitors, then taking the kettle off once everyone has gone home. It is a warm little song about being a good host.
What Polly Put the Kettle On teaches
Beyond being fun to sing, this rhyme quietly builds several early skills:
- The idea of welcoming guests and sharing
- Names like Polly and Sukey
- Opposites, putting the kettle on and taking it off
- A gentle, repeating tune
When your child knows it well, our matching games carry the same early skills into playful practice.
Where Polly Put the Kettle On comes from
Polly Put the Kettle On is an English rhyme printed in 1803. Long ago, a kettle was put on the fire to boil water for tea.
Fun activities
- Pretend to make tea for some toys or dolls
- Talk about welcoming a friend to your home
- Put a pretend kettle on, then take it off again
Frequently asked questions
What are the words to Polly Put the Kettle On?
Polly, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, we'll all have tea. Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again, they've all gone away.
What is Polly Put the Kettle On about?
It is about getting ready to share tea with visitors by putting the kettle on to boil, then taking it off once everyone has gone home.
How old is Polly Put the Kettle On?
It is an English rhyme printed in 1803, so it is more than two hundred years old and in the public domain.