Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater Lyrics
A house made from a giant pumpkin shell is the picture most children remember from this rhyme, first recorded in London around 1797. It comes back every fall around Halloween.
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/peter-peter-pumpkin-eater/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- First published
- c. 1797
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater | Pat your tummy and pretend to eat a big slice of pumpkin. |
| Had a wife and couldn't keep her | Shrug and shake your head. |
| He put her in a pumpkin shell | Make a big round pumpkin shape with both arms. |
| And there he kept her very well | Give a thumbs up and a big smile. |
What Does Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater Mean?
For children, the fun is the picture of someone living inside an enormous pumpkin, like a fairy-tale house. That is how the rhyme is usually illustrated in picture books.
Adults sometimes read it as a joke about a husband who could not keep his wife happy or at home. Like many old rhymes, its original meaning is not recorded, so any explanation is guesswork. Many modern books add a second, gentler verse in which Peter learns to read and spell and they live happily.
History and Origin
The rhyme was first recorded in a London collection of nursery verse around 1797. Pumpkins were grown in England at the time, but the rhyme became especially loved in the United States, where pumpkins are part of fall and Halloween traditions.
It has appeared in countless Mother Goose collections since the 1800s, usually alongside a picture of a tiny house carved into a huge pumpkin.
Learning Activities
- Pumpkin house: draw a giant pumpkin and let your child design the door, windows and chimney.
- Pumpkin math: count pumpkin seeds, or compare the sizes of real pumpkins and squash.
- Rhyme hunt: find the rhyming pairs (eater and keep her, shell and well).