Lyrics
Wind the bobbin up, Wind the bobbin up, Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap. Wind it back again, Wind it back again, Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap. Point to the ceiling, Point to the floor, Point to the window, Point to the door. Clap your hands together, one, two, three, Lay them gently on your knees.
#Wind the Bobbin Up at a glance
- Country of origin
- 🌐 Unknown
- Sung in
- English
- Words by
- Traditional
- First known
- Related Dutch game traced to the 1890s; expanded English text published in 2006
- Best for ages
- 2–5
- Mood
- dancing, playful, traditional
- Last updated
- 27 August 2026
How to sing it
- Begin slowly so everyone can hear the repeated words and the action cue.
- Circle the fists around each other for winding, pull them apart, clap three times, point as directed and end with both hands on the knees.
- Repeat the song once and invite a different child to lead the cues.
Meaning and origin
The words form a compact movement script. A bobbin is a spool or spindle on which thread or yarn is wound, so circling one fist around the other gives the opening action a concrete meaning. The hands then pull apart, clap, point to parts of the room and finally settle on the knees. Children can follow the sequence even before they know every word because each phrase announces what happens next.
Iona and Peter Opie traced a shorter related singing game to the Netherlands in the 1890s. That connection does not prove that the displayed English text began there. Barbara Melling’s The Rhyme-Time Book, first published in 2006, prints the expanded ceiling, floor, window, door and knee directions. The page therefore distinguishes an older related game from the later documented English action sequence and leaves the English text’s precise country of origin unresolved.
For the action, wind the fists slowly enough for everyone to copy, pull them apart without touching another player and clap three clear beats. Point to the actual ceiling, floor, window and door, then place both hands gently on the knees. Once the order is familiar, a child can lead while the group follows the cues.
Common questions
- What is a bobbin in Wind the Bobbin Up?
- A bobbin is a spool or spindle on which thread or yarn is wound. The circular hand motion in the rhyme imitates winding thread, followed by pulling, clapping and pointing actions.
- Is Wind the Bobbin Up a Dutch song?
- The Opies traced a shorter related singing game to the Netherlands in the 1890s, but that does not establish the origin of the displayed English text. Its expanded directions are documented in a 2006 English-language collection.
