How to Play London Bridge Is Falling Down

Written By
C
Contributor
Published: Sep 11, 2007
Updated: Jan 17, 2020
2 minute read

"London Bridge Is Falling Down" is a popular nursery rhyme that children have adored for generations. The game that accompanies this rhyme is easy and fun and can be played with children as young as two or three. To play "London Bridge is Falling Down," all you need is 5 or 6 children and the words to the rhyme.

Choose 2 children to create an arch. Have them face each other, join both hands together and lift their arms up.

Line up the other children so they can walk under the arch.

Begin reciting, "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady."

Walk the line of children under the arch and back around, creating a circle of children consistently walking under the arch.

Instruct the 2 children to drop their hands down on the last word of the rhyme, trying to capture a child between their arms.

Repeat these actions with each verse of the rhyme until all the children are captured.

Tips

The words to "London Bridge is Falling Down" are as follows: 1) London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady. 2) Take a key and lock her up, lock her up, lock her up, take a key and lock her up, my fair lady. 3) How will we build it up, build it up, build it up, how will we build it up, my fair lady. 4) Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold, build it up with silver and gold, my fair lady. 4) Gold and silver I have none, I have none, I have none, gold and silver I have none, my fair lady. 5) Build it up with needles and pins, needles and pins, needles and pins, build it up with needles and pins, my fair lady. 6) Pins and needles bend and break, bend and break, bend and break, pins and needles bend and break, my fair lady. 7) Build it up with stone so strong, stone so strong, stone so strong, build it up with stone so strong, my fair lady. 8) Stone so strong will last so long, last so long, last so long, stone so strong will last so long, my fair lady.

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