Ride, Baby, Ride Lyrics
A baby is promised a ride with a puppy-dog tied on one side and a pussy-cat on the other, all the way to grandmother's.
Ride, Baby, Ride
Ride, baby, ride,
Pretty baby shall ride,
And have a little puppy-dog tied to her side,
And little pussy-cat tied to the other,
And away she shall ride to see her grandmother,
To see her grandmother,
To see her grandmother.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/ride-baby-ride/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken in a rocking rhythm, bouncing the baby on your knee
- Best for ages
- 1 to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Ride, baby, ride | Bounce the baby gently on your knee. |
| A little puppy-dog tied to her side | Pat the baby's side on one hand, then the other for the pussy-cat. |
| To see her grandmother | Bounce a little faster on the last two lines and finish with a hug. |
What Does Ride, Baby, Ride Mean?
This is a ride rhyme for a lap. The baby is told that she shall ride, and the rhyme adds company: a little puppy-dog tied to one side and a little pussy-cat tied to the other. The destination is grandmother's house.
The last line, To see her grandmother, is said twice more after the sentence has ended, which gives the grown-up two extra bounces to slow down or speed up before the ride ends.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell numbers this rhyme CCCXCV in The Nursery Rhymes of England.
Learning Activities
- Lap ride: sit the child on your knees and bounce slowly, then faster on the last two lines.
- Soft toy escorts: sit a toy dog and a toy cat on either side of a doll and make them ride along.
- Visit plan: talk about who the child likes to visit and how they travel there.