My Doll Lyrics
A child introduces a doll named Rose: soft flaxen hair, pretty blue eyes, a very small nose and a sweet little mouth. She has her own little bed where she can rest or sit up like a lady.
My Doll
I have a little doll,
I take care of her clothes;
She has soft flaxen hair,
And her name is Rose.
She has pretty blue eyes,
And a very small nose,
And a sweet little mouth -
And her name is Rose.
I have a little bedstead
Where Dolly may repose,
Or sit up like a lady -
And her name is Rose.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/my-doll/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Tune
- Sing-song and proud, with the name Rose landing hard at the end of each verse
- Best for ages
- 2 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| She has soft flaxen hair, | Stroke the hair of a doll, or your own, with a light hand. |
| And her name is Rose. | Hold up a doll, or cradle your arms, and give a small bow. |
What Does My Doll Mean?
The poem is a proud introduction, the way a child shows off a favourite toy. Each verse lists what makes the doll herself. Flaxen hair is pale yellow, the colour of flax fibre. A bedstead is the frame of a bed, and to repose is to rest. The speaker says I take care of her clothes, so looking after a toy is part of playing with it.
The pleasure for a young child is in the sound. Every verse ends with and her name is Rose, and Rose rhymes with clothes, nose and repose, so the rhyme comes round three times in twelve lines. The doll is called a she, and the speaker is never described as a boy or a girl. A child can swap in their own toy and name and reuse the pattern.
History and Origin
This version is from Songs for the Little Ones at Home, an American collection copyrighted in 1884 and revised in 1911. A New York children's book of verses prints a longer version titled My Little Doll Rose. It swaps the bedstead for a sofa and adds a fourth verse in which the doll moves her arms, stands on her toes and makes a curtsy.
Learning Activities
- Introduce a toy: ask the child to present a favourite toy with a name, hair or fur, eyes and a bed, in the same order as the poem.
- Make a bed: turn a shoebox into a bedstead with a scrap of cloth for a blanket, and tuck the doll in.
- New name, same poem: change the name from Rose and look for words that rhyme with it, as clothes, nose and repose rhyme with Rose.
- Doll care: brush the doll's hair, fold its clothes and put it to bed, saying the poem as you go.