Right Elbow In Lyrics
In each verse a different body part goes in and out of the ring, then everyone shakes a little and turns about.
Right Elbow In
Put your right elbow in,
Put your right elbow out,
Shake yourselves a little,
And turn yourselves about.
Put your left elbow in,
Put your left elbow out,
Shake yourselves a little,
And turn yourselves about.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/right-elbow-in/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung or chanted in a ring, acting out each line
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Put your right elbow in | Hold your right elbow into the middle of the ring. |
| Put your right elbow out | Pull the elbow back out. |
| Shake yourselves a little | Give a small shake from head to toe. |
| And turn yourselves about | Spin round once on the spot. |
What Does Right Elbow In Mean?
Each verse has four moves: put a part in, put it out, shake a little and turn about. The first verse uses the right elbow and the second the left elbow, and the game goes on with other parts of the body for as long as the players like.
Because the words never change except for the body part, children learn them after one turn and can call out the next part themselves.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell prints the words in Games and Songs of American Children and adds that the game then went on with the right ear and left ear, the right foot and left foot, and so on. He says the words were in use some sixty years before his book, when the game was danced slowly and politely, and that it had since turned into a romp. In Boston it was called Ugly Mug, and he gives the English name as Hinkumbooby.
Learning Activities
- Ring dance: stand in a ring and sing the verses, putting each body part in and out together.
- Next part: let a different child choose the body part for each verse.
- Slow and fast: dance it slowly and politely, then as a romp, and talk about which is more fun.