Up Street, and Down Street Lyrics
A walk up the street and down again, past windows made of glass, ends at Tommy Tickler's house, where a pretty girl lives.
Up Street, and Down Street
Up street, and down street,
Each window's made of glass;
If you go to Tommy Tickler's house,
You'll find a pretty lass.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/up-street-and-down-street/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Up street, and down street | March forward, then back. |
| Each window's made of glass | Draw a square window in the air. |
| If you go to Tommy Tickler's house | Knock on a pretend door. |
What Does Up Street, and Down Street Mean?
Glass was once costly, so a street where every window had glass was a fine sight. The rhyme strolls past them to Tommy Tickler's house, where you will find a pretty lass, an old word for a girl or young woman. The same windows made of glass turn up in other old ring-game songs too.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in James Orchard Halliwell's The Nursery Rhymes of England. Its first two lines are close to the opening of many later street and ring rhymes, such as the Scottish game that sings "Up the streets and down the streets the windows made of glass".
Learning Activities
- Street walk: count the windows on your street on a walk.
- Draw the street: draw a row of houses with shining glass windows.
- Name the house: make up who lives in the next house along.