What Are Little Boys Made Of? Lyrics
Snips and snails and puppy-dogs' tails for boys, sugar and spice and all things nice for girls. This teasing rhyme dates from the early 1800s and is still quoted all the time.
What Are Little Boys Made Of?
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
"Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
And that's what little boys are made of."
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice, and all that's nice;
And that's what little girls are made of."
The older wording (The Real Mother Goose, 1916)
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
"Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
And that's what little boys are made of."
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice, and all that's nice;
And that's what little girls are made of."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/what-are-little-boys-made-of/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- First published
- Early 1800s
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does What Are Little Boys Made Of? Mean?
It is a playful tease, the kind of thing one group of children sings about another. Boys are made of messy outdoor things and girls of sweet kitchen things. Today many families have fun swapping the lines or making up new ingredients for everyone.
"Snips" were small cut-off scraps. The oldest printed versions say "snaps", which is shown below.
History and Origin
The rhyme appeared in English collections in the early 1800s. It is often credited to the poet Robert Southey, but there is no firm record that he wrote it.
Learning Activities
- New recipes: ask each child what they would be made of, such as "Lego and paint and a jump on the trampoline".
- Kitchen science: taste sugar and a mild spice like cinnamon and describe the difference.