My Hand Burns Hot Lyrics
One child walks round the ring clapping a cap, drops it behind someone, and the chase is on.
My Hand Burns Hot
My hand burns hot, hot, hot,
And whoever I love best, I'll drop this at his foot!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/my-hand-burns-hot/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted chasing game
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| My hand burns hot, hot, hot | Walk round the ring clapping a cap or soft hat between your hands. |
| I'll drop this at his foot! | Drop the cap behind a player and run. |
What Does My Hand Burns Hot Mean?
The "hot" hand is the one holding the cap, which is passed on like a hot potato. Dropping it at someone's foot picks them as the chaser. The rhyme is the build-up: everyone in the ring waits to see whose foot the cap will land at.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell describes the game, called Drop-Cap, in Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales (1849). One child goes round inside a ring of children clapping a cap, and drops it at someone's foot. That child must chase the first, following the very same path in and out of the ring until the first is caught. It is an early cousin of Drop the Handkerchief and Duck, Duck, Goose.
Learning Activities
- Play it: use a soft hat, a beanbag or a scarf as the cap.
- Follow the path: the chaser must weave exactly where the first runner went.
- Safety first: play on grass or a mat with plenty of space between players.