Two Little Pink Shoes Lyrics
Two pink shoes wait on a table by the bed of a sleeping child. When two bright eyes open they spot the shoes, and little hands, feet, arms and legs all join in: climbing up, following, hugging them and running off to show the rest.
Two Little Pink Shoes
Two little pink shoes standing by the head
Of our Nanny sleeping in the trundle-bed;
On the little table, waiting for the morn,
Two little pink shoes, our Nanny to adorn.
Two little bright eyes, peeping open wide,
Spied the little table, and the pink shoes spied.
Two little fat hands climbing up to catch;
Two little fat feet following to match.
Two little fat arms hug them to her breast;
Two little fat legs run to show the rest.
Never more a treasure can our Nancy choose,
That will give such pleasure as these two pink shoes.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/two-little-pink-shoes/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Tune
- A skipping, rocking tune, with the word two as a beat at the start of each line
- Best for ages
- 1 to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Two little fat hands climbing up to catch; | Reach both hands up and wiggle the fingers as if climbing. |
| Two little fat arms hug them to her breast; | Cross both arms over your chest in a hug. |
What Does Two Little Pink Shoes Mean?
This is a morning poem told as a list of body parts. The shoes are set out on a little table waiting for the morn, which means waiting for the morning, beside the child's trundle-bed, a low bed on small wheels that tucks under a bigger one. Then the child wakes, and each pair of parts gets its turn: two bright eyes spy the shoes, two fat hands climb up to catch them, two fat feet follow, two fat arms hug them close, and two fat legs run off to show everyone else.
The poem says the shoes are to adorn the child, which means to decorate or dress up. It ends on a happy wish, that no treasure the child could choose would give such pleasure as the two pink shoes. The child is called Nanny at the start and Nancy at the end. Most couplets begin with two little, so a toddler can count the pairs along with the words.
History and Origin
The poem is in Mother Truth's Melodies by Mrs. E. P. Miller, in the 1896 edition. The book's full title adds Common Sense for Children.
Learning Activities
- Parts of me: point to your eyes, hands, feet, arms and legs as each comes up, and count them in twos.
- Shoe morning: set out a pair of shoes by the bed at night and let the child find them in the morning.
- Pair them up: mix a basket of socks or shoes and match them into pairs.
- Show and tell: let the child carry one favourite item around the house to show each person, as the poem does.