Tom Tiddler's Ground Lyrics
One player guards a patch of ground, and everyone else dares to run onto it, pretending to pick up gold and silver. A classic chasing game with a one-line chant.
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground,
Picking up gold and silver.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/tom-tiddlers-ground/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted game call
- Best for ages
- 4 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground | Players run across the line into Tom Tiddler's patch. |
| Picking up gold and silver | Pretend to scoop up treasure while Tom Tiddler tries to tag you. |
What Does Tom Tiddler's Ground Mean?
A line is drawn on the ground, and one player, Tom Tiddler, guards the area behind it. The others run over, calling the chant and pretending to grab gold and silver. Anyone Tom Tiddler catches steps aside, and the last one caught becomes the next Tom Tiddler.
History and Origin
Alice Bertha Gomme described the game in The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (volume 2, 1898), with versions from Lancashire and Liverpool. The phrase "Tom Tiddler's ground" became an English saying for a place where money seems easy to pick up.
Learning Activities
- Play it: mark a line with chalk or a rope, choose Tom Tiddler and play on soft grass.
- Treasure: scatter paper coins in Tom's patch for players to collect.
- Rule talk: agree on gentle tagging, a touch, not a push.