Hey Ding a Ding, What Shall I Sing? Lyrics
A child is asked to sing, but all they can think about is food. Even the question about holes in a kitchen spoon turns into a plea for dinner.
Hey Ding a Ding, What Shall I Sing?
Hey ding a ding, what shall I sing?
How many holes in a skimmer?
Four and twenty, my stomach is empty;
Pray, mamma, give me some dinner.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hey-ding-a-ding/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Sung or chanted
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does Hey Ding a Ding, What Shall I Sing? Mean?
A skimmer is a flat spoon full of holes, used to lift cream off milk or scoop food out of a pan. The child answers that it has four and twenty holes, then admits their stomach is empty and asks for dinner. The rhyme is a cheeky way of saying "I'm hungry".
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed the rhyme in The Nursery Rhymes of England. Four and twenty, meaning 24, is a favorite number in old rhymes, as in the four and twenty blackbirds of Sing a Song of Sixpence.
Learning Activities
- Count holes: count the holes in a colander, a sieve or a slotted spoon.
- Kitchen words: find a skimmer, a ladle and a whisk in your kitchen.
- Hungry song: make up a new last line asking for your favorite dinner.