Hot Cross Buns Nursery Rhyme For Kids

‘Hot Cross Buns’ is an English street cry that is over 200-year-old and a traditional English nursery rhyme. The ‘Hot Cross Buns’ song is about the buns, with the traditional cross marks made with icing, that are typically eaten on Good Friday. This song started as a street cry and was initially used by street-sellers to sell buns. This song was first published in the ‘Christmas Box’ in London in 1798. It has earlier references as a street cry in the ‘Poor Robin’s Almanack’ in 1733 and later became one of the most commonly used Easter songs for kids.

Hot Cross Buns Rhyme Lyrics In English

This Easter song has many variations; some of the popular variants can be seen below.

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The lyrics of the ‘Hot Cross Buns’ poem are as:

Good Friday comes this month; the old woman runs,
With one or two a penny hot cross buns.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha’ penny, two ha’ penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha’ penny, two ha’ penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

Another variant of this song by Iona and Peter Opie in their compilation of the 19th-century children’s booklets is:

’tis Good Friday morning; the little boy runs,
Along with his sister, to buy hot cross buns;
Her apron is full, yet her brother, the elf,
Unsatisfied still, must buy one for himself.

What Will Your Child Learn From The ‘Hot Cross Buns’ Rhyme?

Nursery rhymes provide bite-sized learning opportunities for kids and enable them to develop essential learning skills. ‘Hot Cross Buns’ is a poem usually associated with Easter and was used by street sellers to sell freshly baked buns. It is now commonly used as a nursery rhyme for kids. By singing this nursery rhyme, children will learn about this type of bun and also be introduced to the concept of purchasing or selling. We suggest using expressions and enacting the story to keep children entertained as well.

The Theme Of The ‘Hot Cross Buns’ Nursery Rhyme

This poem is about a baker singing enthusiastically and telling all the passersby about the freshly baked buns he has been selling. He urges the on-lookers to buy the warm buns with hot spices in them. He even asks them to take buy them for their daughters and sons. The baker wants everyone to enjoy the spirit of Good Friday by eating these delicious buns and having a happy time with their families.

Rhyming Scheme/Pattern Of Hot Cross Buns Rhyme

Each line in this poem ends with a similar sound creating a pattern that allows children to memorise the rhyme easily, for example, buns and sons. This nursery rhyme also has a beginning, middle, and end, just like a story which will help your younger one understand the sequencing and series of events in an effective way.

Words That Your Child Will Learn From Hot Cross Buns Rhyme

Your child will learn new words like ‘penny’, ‘daughter’, ‘son’ ‘buns’, etc. You can further elaborate upon the meaning of these words for your child to understand them better. For example, a penny is a small brown British coin; in the poem, the baker says that the buns cost a penny.

Suggested Activities

1. Sell Hot Cross Buns

‘Hot Cross Buns’ is a great song for pretend play. Give your child a tray with some buns made out of paper (which your child can colour) and place them neatly on the tray. The child can go to everyone in the house singing the rhyme and selling the buns, maybe in exchange for a hug instead of a penny.

2. Story Stones With Image Cut-Outs

Collect some stones or cobbles, and on a sheet of paper, ask the child to draw some hot cross buns, a baker, a girl and a boy (the daughter and the son from the poem). Then, the child must cut the images and stick one on each stone/cobble. After pasting the images on the stones, ask the child to put them in the order they appear in the poem. Your child will understand the importance of sequencing a story by playing this game.

FAQs

1. How can I play the ‘Hot Cross Buns’ rhyme on a recorder?

Hot Cross Buns is a great song for those who have just started to play a recorder. It has only three pitches, Mi, Re, and Do, and you have to use the first three holes and the thumb hole while playing this song on a recorder. You can learn this poem quickly as it has only a few notes.

2. When are these hot cross buns eaten?

Hot cross buns are traditionally associated with Easter, a Christian holiday and festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These buns are eaten on Good Friday or the day before Easter.

3. What is the origin of the song Hot Cross Buns?

This song was first published in the ‘Christmas Box’ in London in 1798. It has earlier references as a street cry in the ‘Poor Robin’s Almanack’ in 1733.

The rhyme is a great addition to your child’s playlist. They can sing along, dance to it and even learn so many things from it. Have you taught your child the ‘Hot Cross Buns’ rhyme yet?

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