Play, Play Every Day Lyrics
Harry plays every day and wastes his time, so he is told he must work and read before he can become a man.
Play, Play Every Day
Play, play every day,
Harry throws his time away.
He must work and he must read,
And then he'll be a man indeed.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/play-play-every-day/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken like a gentle telling-off, with a smile on the last line
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Play, play every day | Skip on the spot with a pretend ball. |
| He must work and he must read | Pretend to hold a book and turn a page. |
What Does Play, Play Every Day Mean?
Harry spends every day at play, and the rhyme says he throws his time away, which means he wastes it. The last two lines say what he must do instead: work and read, and then he will be a man indeed, a man in the full sense.
It is a short reminder that play is not the whole of a day.
History and Origin
The Little Mother Goose (1912) prints this rhyme. Jessie Willcox Smith illustrated that book.
Learning Activities
- A day's plan: draw a day split into play, work and reading, and talk about the best order.
- Timer: say the rhyme once and time how long it takes, then guess what else you could do in that time.
- Read together: choose a short book and read a page aloud right after saying the rhyme.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'throws his time away' mean?
It means he wastes his time.
What must Harry do to be a man indeed?
Work and read.
Which words rhyme?
Play rhymes with away, and read rhymes with indeed.