Polly Put the Kettle On

Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
Polly, put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.

Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
Sukey, take it off again,
They've all gone away.

First documented around 1797 in England, Polly Put the Kettle On is a cheerful domestic rhyme about a household getting ready for tea, with Polly filling the kettle and Sukey taking it off again once the visitors leave. It works well for ages 2-6, since its short, repeated lines about everyday routines are easy for toddlers to latch onto and echo back. Early-childhood educators often point to rhymes built around familiar daily actions like making tea as a way to help children connect language to real-world sequences and cause and effect. The back-and-forth between Polly and Sukey also introduces the idea of simple narrative reversal, a gentle first step toward understanding plot. As a piece of English social history, the rhyme reflects the central role tea-making once played in everyday household life. Families wanting to build a broader home rhyme collection can find more classics in nursery rhymes for toddlers.

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