Hand actions for Ring Around the Rosie
Ring Around the Rosie is an action rhyme, so act it out together as you sing. Here are the movements that go with each part:
- Hold hands and walk in a circle as you sing
- On "we all fall down", everyone gently sits or flops down
- Get back up and go around again
What does Ring Around the Rosie mean?
Children hold hands, walk in a circle singing, and all tumble down at the end. It is a simple game rhyme meant to be played and giggled through, not a story with a hidden message.
What Ring Around the Rosie teaches
Beyond being fun to sing, this rhyme quietly builds several early skills:
- Taking turns and playing in a group
- Moving to a steady beat
- Gross motor skills, like falling down safely
- Simple rhyming words
When your child knows it well, our fun games for kids carry the same early skills into playful practice.
Where Ring Around the Rosie comes from
The rhyme was first printed in the 1880s. A popular story says it is about the plague, but historians find no real evidence for that idea; it is simply an old circle-game song.
Fun activities
- Play it in a group, holding hands in a ring
- Fall down slowly and safely, then pop back up
- Try it fast and then slow for extra giggles
Frequently asked questions
What are the words to Ring Around the Rosie?
Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posies, ashes! ashes! we all fall down.
Is Ring Around the Rosie about the plague?
No. That is a popular story, but historians say there is no real evidence for it. The rhyme appeared long after the plague and is simply an old circle-game song.
How do you play Ring Around the Rosie?
Hold hands and walk in a circle while singing, then everyone gently falls down on the last line and gets up to go again.