Here Comes a Bluebird Lyrics
Arches, windows and a flying bird: the circle makes arches with raised hands, a bluebird flies in and out of the windows, then picks a partner for a little dance.
Here Comes a Bluebird
Here comes a blue-bird through the window,
Here comes a blue-bird through the window,
Here comes a blue-bird through the window,
High diddle dum day!
Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,
Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,
Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner,
High diddle dum day!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/here-comes-a-bluebird/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung ring game, to any simple tune
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Here comes a blue-bird through the window | The ring holds hands up high to make arches; the bird weaves in and out with arms spread like wings. |
| High diddle dum day! | The bird stops in front of a partner. |
| Take a little dance and a hop-i'-the-corner | The two hold hands and dance and hop together. |
What Does Here Comes a Bluebird Mean?
The raised arms of the ring are the windows, and the child in the middle is a bird flying through them. In the old game the bird was named for the color of her clothes, so a child in blue was a bluebird and one in yellow was a yellow-bird. High diddle dum day is a cheerful nonsense chorus.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell recorded the game in Cincinnati for Games and Songs of American Children (1883), under the name Blue-birds and Yellow-birds. He describes the child entering the ring with raised arms like a bird in flight, which he calls a very pretty dance. The game is still played today as Bluebird, Bluebird Through My Window.
Learning Activities
- Color birds: name each bird by the color they are wearing.
- Wing arms: practice flying like different birds: a hummingbird, an owl, an eagle.
- Bird spotting: look for a bluebird, a blackbird or a yellow finch outdoors.