# Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around

“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around” is an English-language playground action rhyme documented by 1943 that cues a sequence of movements for a rope jumper.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Unknown |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Documented by 1943; expanded forms collected by 1969 |
| Best for ages | 2–6 |
| Mood | dancing, playful |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/teddy-bear-teddy-bear-turn-around/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, show your shoe.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, that will do.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, go upstairs.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, say your prayers.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn out the light.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, say good night.

## How to sing it

1. Begin slowly so everyone can hear the repeated words and the action cue.
2. Perform each cue in place or with a teddy; only experienced jumpers should combine the actions with a moving rope.
3. Repeat the song once and invite a different child to lead the cues.

## Common questions

**Was Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear originally a jump-rope rhyme?**

The earliest references located for this page are in an index of children’s rhymes printed in the journals Hoosier Folklore Bulletin and Hoosier Folklore, with entries from 1943, 1944, 1948 and 1949. Later collections preserve longer sequences of movement commands.

**Who wrote Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around?**

No single author or country of origin was established. Related forms are documented from 1943 onward, with expanded versions collected by 1969.

## Sources

- [Indiana University — Index to Hoosier Folklore Bulletin (1942–45) and Hoosier Folklore (1946–50), Folklore Forum Bibliographic and Special Series 10 (1973)](https://scholarworks.iu.edu/iuswrrest/api/core/bitstreams/ee5be2de-6026-4993-84b8-ec358b2e3d2a/content)
- [University of Texas Press — Jump-rope Rhymes (1969)](https://utpress.utexas.edu/9780292712164/)
- [The Strong National Museum of Play — Jump Rope](https://www.museumofplay.org/toys/jump-rope/)