See Saw Sacradown Lyrics
Up and down, up and down, all the way to London. See Saw Sacradown is a short rocking rhyme for the seesaw, or for a child sitting on your knees.
See Saw Sacradown
See-saw sacradown,
Which is the way to London town?
One foot up, and the other down,
And that is the way to London town.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/see-saw-sacradown/
- Type
- Action Songs, Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 1 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| See-saw sacradown | Hold hands with your child, facing each other, and rock back and forth. |
| Which is the way to London town? | Point far away. |
| One foot up, and the other down | Lift one foot, then the other, like marching. |
| And that is the way to London town | Rock together one last time and finish with a hug. |
What Does See Saw Sacradown Mean?
The rhyme asks the way to London and gives a very simple answer: one foot up and the other foot down. In other words, just keep walking. Sacradown has no meaning at all. It is there because it sounds good with see-saw and helps the rocking rhythm.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed this version in his Nursery Rhymes of England in the 1840s. Many rhymes begin with "see-saw", because the words match the up-and-down movement of a seesaw or of a saw cutting wood. Its best-known cousin is See Saw Margery Daw.
Learning Activities
- Seesaw ride: say it at the playground, one word for each up and down.
- Row the boat: sit on the floor facing each other, hold hands and rock back and forth in time with the rhyme.
- Walk to London: march around the room, one foot up and the other down, and see how many steps it takes to reach "London" (the sofa).