Pease Porridge Hot Lyrics

Recorded in England around 1797, Pease Porridge Hot is a short clapping-game rhyme traditionally performed with a partner, hands crossing and clapping in time with the words. It's well suited to ages 3-8, once children have developed enough hand-eye coordination to manage the paired clapping pattern reliably. Early-childhood educators often use partner clapping rhymes like this one to build fine motor coordination and rhythm together, since the child must match both the words and the physical beat in sync with another person. Its short, punchy lines about porridge served hot, cold, or "in the pot, nine days old" also make it easy for young children to memorize quickly and perform confidently for others. As a piece of English rhyme tradition, its playful contrast of opposites, hot and cold, gives toddlers an early, playful introduction to comparative language. For more on how music-based play builds hand coordination, see [fine motor skills and music activities](/blog/fine-motor-skills-music-activities).

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.

Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.