Pop goes the weasel

• A nice and cosy area in your house 
• Your lovely singing voice!

• Learning about language, communication and developing vocabulary
• Developing awareness of rhythm and rhyme
• A great way to play and bond with your child
• Developing listening and concentration skills
• Family fun!

Find a nice, cosy space and listen and sing-along to the wonderful song: ‘Pop goes the Weasel’. 

Half a pound of tuppenny rice
Half a pound of treacle
That’s the way the money goes
POP! goes the weasel.

A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle
That’s the way the money goes
POP! goes the weasel.

Round and round the chestnut tree
The badger chased the weasel
They ran and ran and had great fun
POP! goes the weasel.

Up and down the city road
In and out of the steeple
Round the town and back again
POP! goes the weasel.

Half a pound of tuppenny rice
Half a pound of treacle
That’s the way the money goes
POP! goes the weasel.

Extend the learning:

Place your baby on your lap so that they can enjoy feeling close to you. With toddlers, make sure that you have their attention and eye contact. Say or sing the rhyme, emphasising some of the movements or words. Repeat the rhyme, but do so slowly and note the parts that the child seems to recognise.

Set up two homemade musical instruments (pots and pans, spoons as mallets, bottle with rice as shakers). Try and tap the rhythm of the song on one instrument and change instruments when you hear the ‘Pop!’ within the song. How quickly can you change from one instrument to another? Repeat as the song goes along.

Have fun!