Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Lyrics

Here we go round the mulberry bush Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush So early in the morning This is the way we wash our face Wash our face, wash our face This is the way we wash our face So early in the morning This is the way we comb our hair Comb our hair, comb our hair This is the way we comb our hair So early in the morning This is the way we brush our teeth Brush our teeth, brush our teeth This is the way we brush our teeth So early in the morning This is the way we put on our clothes Put on our clothes, put on our clothes This is the way we put on our clothes So early in the morning…

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush is a fantastic rhyme to use to work with your child on developing good habits. The first verse of the rhyme helps engage your child with the song. The rest of the verses deal directly with establishing basic routines like brushing teeth and combing hair. The rhyme itself is an old English children’s game where everyone would join hands and spin in a circle for the first verse and then break apart for the remainder of the verses to imitate the lyrics. Fun fact! Mulberries don’t grow on bushes! But for the sake of the rhyme, we’ll pretend they do.

Luckily for us, this is a very easy rhyme to customize! Since most people know the rhyme, you can start by using the original lyrics of “here we go round the mulberry bush” to introduce it. To make it interactive, join hands with your child or as many people as you want to go in a circle while singing the verse. Starting with movement will actively engage your child. You may want to go through the first verse several times. Your child will enjoy spinning in circles and the tune will sink in better.

Once you establish the tune and everyone is involved, stop spinning and move on to another verse. You are welcome to continue using the traditional lyrics, but feel free to create your own verse depending on the situation. If you are working with your child on other motor skills such as clapping or waving, you can change the lyrics to “This is the way we clap our hands” as you act it out with your child. It’s important to keep up the same melody and rhythm, so your child stays engaged. For every new verse, be sure you really act out the activity with your child. Things like brushing your hair or washing your hands need to be very exaggerated for effect.

This is a fun activity for playtime in the room, but the best part about this rhyme is you can use it any time! As your child grows and develops, you can include new activities to teach them good habits. Since children respond so well to songs, you can sing this song with them while they do different things. It’s a great way to grab their attention as well. “This is the way we clean our room” is a simple and effective verse to sing while you and your child clean. He or she will be excited to clean since you are singing and cleaning too!

It is important to consider where your child is developmentally. It never hurts to return to old habits they know like clapping or stomping their feet, but this activity provides a great way to challenge them with new things. If you are helping them learn to brush their teeth on their own, using a song they are familiar with helps so much. They will learn better, and the lessons will stick. As they get older, you can let them create their own verses to sing with you.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush is one of the most flexible rhymes for working with your child. You can reinvent and update the activity as often as you want, and it will stay one of your child’s favorite rhymes to do with you. Remember to be creative and enjoy yourselves!

Our Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush on YouTube.