King Henry Lyrics
Girls crouch in a ring and sing four lines about King Henry while one in the centre chases a girl on the outside, who must be caught before the singing stops.
King Henry
King Henry, King Henry,
Run, boys, run;
You, with the red coat,
Follow with the drum.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/king-henry/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung by the ring while the chase goes on
- Best for ages
- 5 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| King Henry, King Henry | Crouch down in the ring and clap along. |
| Run, boys, run | The girl outside runs round the ring. |
| Follow with the drum | Drum on your knees as the chase finishes. |
What Does King Henry Mean?
The words are a marching call: run, boys, run, and follow the drum in a red coat. In the game they set the pace for a chase. Girls sit or crouch in a ring, almost like a tailor on a bench. One girl stands in the middle and is "it", and another girl is outside the ring. As soon as the ring starts singing, the girl in the middle chases the girl outside.
The girl in the middle must "tig", or touch, the other before the singing stops. If she cannot, she stays "it" and tries again. The ring may repeat the rhyme as often as it wants, which makes the song a timer that the singers control.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the game in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories and says that "King Henry" is somewhat like another ring game, "I dree I droppit it", except that the girls sit instead of standing.
No author or date is given for the rhyme.
Learning Activities
- Play the chase: sit in a ring and have one child chase another round the outside.
- Sing and stop: let the ring decide when to stop singing, and see how that changes the chase.
- Drum along: tap a drum or a pan with a spoon in time with the run.
- Red coat: draw a soldier in a red coat with a drum.