Master Foster, Very Good Man Lyrics
A six-line counting-out rhyme about a good man who sweeps his college, dances to France and ends by sending one player out of the game.
Master Foster, Very Good Man
Master Foster, very good man,
Sweeps his college now and than,
After that he takes a dance
Up from London down to France,
With a black bonnet and a white snout,
Stand you there, you are out.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/master-foster-very-good-man/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted while pointing at each player in turn
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Sweeps his college | Sweep the floor with a pretend broom. |
| takes a dance | Spin once on the spot. |
| Stand you there, you are out | Point at the last child and then at a spot on the floor. |
What Does Master Foster, Very Good Man Mean?
Children chant this rhyme to pick who is out. The leader points to a player on each beat, and the child pointed at on the last word has to stand there. The lines before it are playful nonsense: Master Foster sweeps his college, takes a dance from London to France, and wears a black bonnet and a white snout.
The old spelling than in the second line stands for then, and snout means nose. The silly picture makes the counting more fun, and the last two lines are where the count ends.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the rhyme in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories with the counting-out rhymes, and says it is one of the rhymes found in Chambers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland.
Learning Activities
- Choose a leader: use the rhyme to pick who goes first in the next game.
- Draw Master Foster: draw him with his black bonnet and sweeping brush.
- Trip to France: find London and France on a map and trace the dance between them.
- Count the beats: tap a beat for every word and see who the last word lands on.