Airlie's Green Lyrics
A Scottish tag game. The players step onto Airlie's green and dare Airlie to catch them, singing that they are too busy dodging to stir their porridge.
Airlie's Green
I set my fit on Airlie's green,
And Airlie canna tak' me:
I canna get time to steer my brose
For Airlie trying to catch me.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/airlies-green/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted chasing game
- Best for ages
- 4 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| I set my fit on Airlie's green | Step one foot over the line onto the green. |
| Airlie canna tak' me | Jump back out of reach. |
| For Airlie trying to catch me | Run, and try not to be tagged. |
What Does Airlie's Green Mean?
The rhyme is in Scots. Fit means foot, canna tak' means cannot catch, steer means stir, and brose is a simple dish of oatmeal mixed with boiling water. The players boast that they put a foot on Airlie's ground and cannot even stir their breakfast because Airlie keeps chasing them.
History and Origin
Robert Ford describes the game in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904). It was played by boys and girls in Strathmore, in the east of Scotland. One player is Airlie and guards a space called the green; the others step in, and anyone Airlie tags takes over.
Learning Activities
- Play it: chalk a green, choose an Airlie, and chant while stepping in and out.
- Scots words: learn fit, canna and brose, then use them in the game.
- Porridge morning: make oatmeal together and compare it with brose.