Humpty Dumpty Lyrics, Hand Motions & a Gentle Version Where Friends Help
A toddler tips off the couch cushion, looks up, and waits to see whether this is a big deal. Humpty Dumpty has that moment too. Our soft version, for toddlers and preschoolers, runs about two minutes and keeps the traditional rhyme at the start and end.
The old rhyme leaves Humpty broken. Ours doesn't. Humpty takes a tumble and gets a small crack, then toy knights, horses and a group of village children come running with bandages and ribbons. Together they build a new low flower wall, so Humpty can sit somewhere safe.
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Lyrics
The first four lines are the traditional rhyme. Everything after them is our own, written for this video.
Verse 1 (traditional)
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
Verse 2 (ours)
Clip-clop, clip-clop, here come the knights,
Rocking horses, shiny and bright.
Tugging and pushing, the brave little men,
Humpty goes wibble and wobble again.
Chorus (ours)
Wibble, wobble, whoops, a great fall!
Roly-poly, round like a ball!
Friends come a-running to help him, and then
Up, up, together, together again!
Verse 3 (ours)
Hurry, hurry, friends on the way,
Little children, hip, hip, hooray!
Bandages, ribbons, the basket swings by,
Humpty, don't worry, we'll give it a try!
Verse 4 (ours)
Pat, pat, pat, a bandage goes on,
Tie a bow, the crack is all gone!
Hugging him gently, they count up to ten,
Humpty is whole and together again!
Verse 5 (ours)
Very, very tall old stone wall,
Build a low one, safe for us all!
Not up so high, but just right for a friend,
Low as a hug, with some flowers to tend.
Verse 6 (ours)
Knights and horses, little ones too,
Everybody, so much to do!
Hand over hand, with a heave and a ho,
Up goes the flower wall, row after row!
Final verse (ours)
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Low and safe with flowers and all.
All of his friends and the horses and men,
Happy that Humpty's together again!
The chorus returns after verses 2, 4 and the final verse.
Sit-down motions
These are all sitting-down motions, so they work on a rug, in a high chair or in your lap.
- Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall: Sit tall with your hands on your knees, as if you're perched on the wall.
- Great fall: Tip gently to one side and roll your hands over each other.
- Together again: Pop back up with your arms stretched wide.
- Pat, pat, pat: Pat your own arm softly, like putting on a bandage.
- Tie a bow: Pretend to tie a ribbon in front of your tummy.
- Hand over hand: Stack your hands one on top of the other, as if building the wall.
Little ones love rolling over on "great fall" and jumping up on "together again."
Use it tonight
- Before: Ask, "Have you ever fallen down and needed a hug?" Let your child answer.
- During: Sing along and do the rolling and popping up. Cheer with the children at "hip, hip, hooray."
- After: Talk about how the friends helped. Then look around the room together for safe places to sit, and ones that are too high.
Questions to ask your child
- How do you think Humpty felt when he fell?
- How did Humpty feel when his friends came running?
- How do you feel when someone helps you after a bump?
Talking about falls and fixing things
Falls happen daily at this age, and the song gives you easy words for them.
- Feelings first. Say, "That was a surprise! Are you okay?"
- Follow the song's order. A crack, friends come, they fix it together. You can too: "Let's see where it hurts. Shall we do pat, pat, pat?"
- Keep it small. A pretend bandage or a hug is enough for a bump. Check any real injury first.
Free coloring pages
A free printable coloring page for this one is on its way. Check back soon.
Where the song comes from
The earliest known printed version of the rhyme is from 1797. The rhyme never actually says that Humpty is an egg. The egg picture became famous through Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass" in 1871. In our version, Humpty is a little egg-shaped fellow, drawn the way many of us picture him.
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