A Good Child, a Good Child Lyrics
A tickling dare. A good child, the rhyme says, would never laugh or smile while their knee is being tickled. Almost nobody manages it.
A Good Child, a Good Child
A good child, a good child,
As I suppose you be;
Never laugh nor smile,
At the tickling of your knee.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/a-good-child-a-good-child/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken tickling rhyme
- Best for ages
- 1 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| A good child, a good child | Sit your child facing you and look very serious. |
| Never laugh nor smile | Both try to keep a straight face. |
| At the tickling of your knee | Tickle the knee and see who laughs first. |
What Does A Good Child, a Good Child Mean?
The rhyme is a game, not a rule. It pretends that a good child can stay serious while being tickled, knowing full well that nobody can. The fun comes from trying to keep a straight face and failing. As I suppose you be is old-fashioned grammar for "as I'm sure you are".
History and Origin
This version comes from The Little Mother Goose (1912). The Real Mother Goose has a version that says "if you are to be a gentleman" instead, and tickling rhymes like these are among the oldest games played with babies.
Learning Activities
- Straight face: take turns being tickled and trying not to smile.
- Slow build: say the lines slowly and save the tickle for the last word.
- Other tickles: follow it with This Little Piggy.