Sing – The Mulberry Bush – Youth Activity Archive

A cheerful song that encourages cleaning up through chore-based lyrics and mimicked motions or actual cleaning.

This song has movements – skip around, and mimic the chore mentioned in each verse. This song can be used while doing actual chores. Verses can be can be changed to match a chore you are doing, helping young scouts clean up in various ways.

Printable Music

See pg. 40 of The Brownie Book for the notes to sing.
See Wikipedia for the notes to sing.

Recordings

Lyrics

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning.

This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face, wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face,
So early in the morning.

This is the way we comb our hair,
Comb our hair, comb our hair.
This is the way we comb our hair,
So early in the morning.

This is the way we brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth, brush our teeth.
This is the way we brush our teeth,
So early in the morning.

This is the way we put on our clothes,
Put on our clothes, put on our clothes.
This is the way we put on our clothes,
So early in the morning.

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning.

Variations

Use “On a cold and frosty morning.” instead.

Days of the Week Chores:

This is the way we wash our clothes,
We wash our clothes, we wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
So early Monday morning.

This is the way we iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
So early Tuesday morning.

This is the way we scrub the floor,
we scrub the floor, we scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
So early Wednesday morning.

This is the way we mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes,
This is the way we mend our clothes,
So early Thursday morning.

This is the way we sweep the house,
Sweep the house, sweep the house,
This is the way we sweep the house,
So early Friday morning.

This is the way we bake our bread,
We bake our bread, we bake our bread,
This is the way we bake our bread,
So early Saturday morning.

This is the way we go to church,
We go to church, we go to church,
This is the way we go to church,
So early Sunday morning.

History

“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” is an English nursery rhyme and singing game dating back to at least the mid-19th century. A popular legend suggests the rhyme originated at Wakefield Prison in England, where female prisoners were said to exercise around a mulberry tree in the courtyard. The song was firmly established in Victorian nursery lore as a game used to teach children daily routines.

In the United States, the song became a standard educational tool in the early 20th century. It was included in the 1922 edition of The Brownie Book as a foundational movement game for young scouts. Its repetitive structure makes it an ideal work song, helping children learn the sequence of daily chores and days of the week.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
_{(Not an official GSUSA Group)}

Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
_{(Not an official GSUSA Group)}

See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
_{(No official Groups)}

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Updated on April 19, 2026. Published on August 6, 2025. Author:

Tia Kennard

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